Spin Junkies, Your Dreams Are Coming True: MZ Wallace and Soulcycle Have a New Bag Collab

"Funnily enough, this kind of came to be because so many of our existing customers were nudging SoulCycle," says Lucy Wallace Eustice, MZ Wallace's co-founder and designer. It's true, says Julie Lieberman, SoulCycle's senior director of buying and merchandising. "It was simply a natural fit," she says. "We've heard our riders ask for their Metro Tote over and over again."

Persistence pays off—in this case, in the form of two slick, gunmetal designs—the coveted Metro Medium Tote ($225) and Metro Belt Bag ($145). "Both [are] on-trend and completely functional for running to and from class," says Lieberman. They also mark the first time MZ Wallace has delineated from its traditional design details, adds Eustice.

"The first thing is the colors," she says. "We used SoulCycle’s colors, grey and yellow—the grey has a very slight metallic sheen; it also has a yellow zipper. Normally, the zippers match, but we wanted that contrast. Then, the inside pouch that comes with all the bags, we resized to fit SoulCycle's spin shoes." As a final touch, Eustice's team embossed SoulCycle's monogram on the leather finishes for the Metro Tote's handles.

To add some outsider context to this collab, it's basically the brand equivalent of gassing up your girls. And just like any labor of love, the results possess an authenticity and emotional resonance that's quite often missing in today's current collab culture. "Obviously, there are lots of companies doing collabs," says Eustice Wallace. "What’s gratifying about this one is that it’s an honest one—for us, it’s important that the collaboration is genuine and honest. I hope through [it] our customers feel that we hear them and that we care about them." Can you feel the love?

As retails gets more personal, more brands are taking customer feedback into account. Lively recently released a band size 40 bralette after fielding requests from fans. And H&M extended its eco-friendly offerings.