Overview
Claire + Mere is a collaborative brand born from creative play — an exploration of friendship, nostalgia, and the act of making without restraint. What began as informal “artist playdates” evolved into a fully realized brand rooted in rediscovering joy, honoring lived experiences, and creating tangible moments of connection through art and product..
Exterior of Pyro located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Concept & Brand Story
At its core, Claire + Mere is about returning to something simple — creating for the sake of feeling something again.
Through a series of ongoing exchanges, notes were written back and forth — reflections on life, growth, frustration, humor, and memory. Each piece became part of a larger narrative, signed with a shared reminder:
“p.s. Don’t Forget, Chase Your Spirit.”
This line became the heartbeat of the brand — a call back to intuition, to youth, to the part of ourselves that creates without permission.
The work lives in that in-between space — part diary, part artifact, part offering.
Art Direction & Product Development
The visual language is intentionally raw, expressive, and unpolished — capturing the immediacy of thought and emotion. Each piece feels collected rather than manufactured, preserving the authenticity of the original exchange.
Claire led the creation of the artwork, building a body of work from her European travels that translated seamlessly across product formats, including large-format prints, post cards, screen printed bags, matchboxes, wallpaper and candles. The two wanted each item to feel personally designed — something you could keep, gift, or stumble upon and connect with instantly.
Collaboration & Partnerships
To extend the reach of the brand into physical experiences, Meredith of The Smyth House curated and secured partnerships with like-minded collaborators, including: See Salt, Urban Walls, Magic Salt, and small-batch candle and handmade goods company across the nation.
These partnerships allowed the artwork and message to move beyond prints and into everyday objects — integrating the brand into moments of daily ritual and home.
Experience: The Pop-Up
The brand came to life through a one-day immersive pop-up — an intimate, tactile environment designed to feel more like stepping into a creative moment than a traditional retail space.
Guests were invited to explore, touch, read, and reflect — surrounded by layered products, handwritten sentiments, and visual storytelling.
The experience was less about selling and more about reminding.
A space where people could pause, reconnect, and access a version of themselves that often gets buried under routine.
Outcome
Claire + Mere became more than a product line — it created an emotional entry point.
It gave people permission to feel nostalgic, to laugh, to reflect, and to reconnect with their inner child. The event fostered a sense of community and demonstrated how art, when shared authentically, can transform into something both personal and collective.
A simple idea — two friends creating together — evolved into a brand that resonated far beyond its origin.
Images provided by The Smyth House