Her Story
About Ashley
I've really been doing this my whole life - I've had such a passion for the fashion industry ever since I was a little kid. I got a degree in fashion merchandising and took my first fashion styling course when I was young, so I've been learning about this world since I was a child. I got into wardrobe styling specifically about 2 or 3 years ago when I was originally living in Austin, Texas. That's where I really got my start, doing a lot of test shoots and meeting photographers and creatives. Then I really made the leap of faith, just trusting in my career and passions, and moved to California. It's really paid off - right now I'm on a shoot with Puma, which is super cool. My main job is the shopping and sourcing for the wardrobe for any sort of creative project, whether that's commercial or editorial work. It can range from very basic clothing to sell a specific type of merchandise, or it can go all the way up into very high fashion editorial work. Basically, I'm managing the wardrobe for marketing campaigns - putting the outfits together, making sure that it aligns with the client's vision for the project, and looks good on set. I came to San Diego because I had an opportunity and a friend who could help me get my feet under me, and it's close to LA. But I really started working in production here because there's a lot of commercial work in San Diego. They book out really awesome mansions here, and that's where they do most commercial work for a lot of companies. I haven't even had to leave San Diego - I sometimes go to LA for work, but for the most part it's here.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my never-ending hard work. I've worked so hard for this, and I've never stopped. Every single decision and move that I've made in my life has been for my career and for my goals. I really have amazing intuition, and for that, I'm really happy and proud of myself. It's never really steered me wrong. I've always made moves that might have been risky, but everything I've done is to get towards my goals and my aspirations, and I just keep getting closer and closer and closer. Right now, I mean, I'm living a dream that I once had when I was a kid. I would definitely say my hard work, my intuition, and never quitting.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best career advice was to be kind, and be yourself, and be passionate.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I would give is you have to want it more than anything if you want this to happen. If you go about it that way, you're not gonna fail. If you live, sleep, breathe this industry, then you will succeed, but only if you do that. You have to be completely dedicated every single day.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that there is no ladder. There is no step that I can give anyone or any mentor of mine can give me. If you seek a career in the medical industry, there are exact steps that you take in order to get to where you want to be. With fashion, anything fashion, there is none of that. You can go to college, but you don't even technically have to. You're very much thrown into the wolves if you want to make this happen. That is the biggest challenge - constantly asking myself, what should I be doing right now? What's the next step? Because I have to literally figure that out on my own. All of the stylists I work under, everyone who works in this industry has completely different journeys of how they got to where they are. So that's kind of complicated. You really have to listen to yourself and listen to your intuition and figure it out on your own. Be your own boss.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Really just being a kind person, understanding, and really, really passionate and really driven. It translates in my personal life and in my career. I see that bringing the most success in both my personal relationships and my career relationships. It's just being kind to others and understanding people and being really passionate.
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