That Monica Botkier and Coco Rocha share a similar aesthetic became clear the moment the model arrived at the Ace Hotel on Thursday to launch the new Botkier x Coco Rocha handbag holiday collection.

Unbeknownst to each, they both chose the black leather “Paris” satchel with angular hardware for the occasion, which is one of six styles in the collection.

“I always admired Coco because she is such a fashion forward, strong model who is also really into social media,” Botkier told CFDA.com. “She is always at the forefront of something new. I love doing collaborations, and she was exciting to me now.”

The collection has an architectural feel, which makes sense given that each piece was inspired by fashion capitals New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Botkier was impressed by Rocha’s work ethic—the model always showed up at sales and merchandising meetings and often had her infant daughter in tow.

“She is very thorough, she is prepared, she takes it seriously, she has sketches, she has a point of view,” Botkier noted. “She allows us to be a little edgier because her vision is that, so the Botkier New York girl gets the benefit of this.”

Rocha, for her part, is still new to designing handbags but the experience has been inspiring.

“In the past, I have had opportunities where people would like to license my name, and I have always had an issue with that because it isn’t your point of view or aesthetic,” she said. “In this day and age, your followers know when it’s not you.”

When Botkier approached her to collaborate, the Canada native jumped at the chance. “I always believed that being in this industry and staying in it, you should learn everything about it,” about it.

And the more she learns, the more she may be inclined to also venture into clothing one day. “It’s fun to be creative,” she said.