BAINA Bathe
Vol 40.
Stella Simona

Stella Simona is a jewellery designer who creates modern heirlooms, drawing on lineage and cultural inheritance.

For Stella, bathing is an amplifier — a welcome to what she chooses to invite in, and a release of what no longer serves. Practised in communion with light and air, bathing creates a gentle commencement to the day ahead. In this edition Stella speaks to bathing as ancestral, sensorial and the holder of many cherished moments between herself, her partner and her children.

"Bathing, for me, is energetic. Each drop of water becomes an amplifier for what I choose to invite in — calm, clarity, softness. As I rinse, I release what no longer belongs to me, letting the water carry away anything I don’t wish to move forward with. Bathing is a threshold. It marks a transition — between the world and myself, between what I’ve absorbed and what I choose to carry forward.

Bathing is a process that invites softness.

In the morning, I open the bathroom windows and let light and air in, allowing myself to feel in quiet communion with nature. Water and light are nature. I let my body open gently, receptive rather than rushed. The act of applying soap becomes a way of touching myself awake — waking each part of my body with care and presence.

In the evening, bathing becomes a ritual of return. I dim the lights, light a few candles, and sometimes burn incense. I reach for richer textures. The pace is slow, the air steamy, the mood calm. It’s a way of preparing my mind, body, and spirit for rest — coming back to myself after having moved through the day."

"I’ve learned to listen closely to my body. Through travel — and through time spent in water and water-adjacent spaces like spas and pools — I’ve gathered quiet inspiration. I pay attention to what feels restorative, what slows me down, what heightens my senses, and I bring those elements home with me.

Bathing, for me, is no longer just functional. It’s sensorial and therapeutic. I bathe at least twice a day, incorporating herbs, intentional textures, and tools that support me holistically — not just how they feel, but how they care for my body and nervous system.

There was a time when a shower was simply a shower. Now, the space itself matters. The objects, the light, the way water meets the body — all of it guides the experience. Bathing outdoors in tropical settings, feeling rain nearby, being held by nature has stayed with me.

My current shower has a window and a skylight for that reason — so I can bathe in quiet harmony with the natural world."

"In the evenings, I’ll sometimes bring my journal or a book into the bath. Occasionally, a playlist helps me settle more deeply into myself.

Scent is constant. I’m intentional about the products I use each time I bathe — choosing aromas that ground me and soften the experience.

Some of my most cherished memories are bathing with my partner or my children — moments that feel tender, grounding, and deeply connected.

I’m especially drawn to outdoor showers. I often seek out places where bathing happens in nature, where water, air, and light meet the body. In those moments, I feel most present — connected to myself and to something larger."