Meet Karolyne Ashley, a young fashionista making her mark on the world as a Fashion Designer, who in her young career has already broken into the international fashion scene. Today on KoMiSa’s World we will get a glimpse into Karolyne Ashley's experiences studying/working abroad and learning a foreign language.
KoMiSa: Please tell us about yourself and your career as a rising star in the fashion industry?
Karolyne Ashley: My name is Karolyne Ashley, hello! I am 24 years old. I am a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia and I am a fashion designer by trade, officially, that is what I do, my passion, what I spend my time doing. This is what I eat, drink and sleep every day. I grew up in Nashville Tennessee. My parents are from New York and the Bahamas so I am this mix bread of a country grammar, city slicker with an island twist. All of the above comes out when you see my clothes and runway shows. People often wonder where did all of those colors come from, where did those textures come from and who is she.
Rising star in the fashion industry, I guess that’s true. I am just working. I graduated in 2009 and moved to Atlanta where I have done some freelance styling, wardrobe and costume designing and consulting. I am currently in Houston on my way to New York and I am still going strong. I officially started my company, Karolyne Ashley: Luxury Fashion and Millinery 2 years ago and launched our first major fashion collection in New York Fashion Week last September at an emerging designer collective show. We just showed our sophomore collection Fall 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria. So we are moving and getting better each year.
KoMiSa: What characteristics does one need to pursue your position as a fashion designer?
Karolyne Ashley: You need spunk! You need spunk, undying charisma and determination. You have to be really bull headed and relentless in the fashion industry in order to survive it. Fashion brings a combination of ups and downs, which is enough to discourage anyone who ever wanted to pursue their dreams in this field. So the biggest thing is to have undying determination and faith. Faith is important regardless of what religion you have or what you believe in because there are certain risks that you have to take, certain decisions that you have to make that you don’t necessarily know what the outcome is going to be but when you take that leap of faith and hop in you figure you are going to have to swim because you are not going to sink. Sinking is not an option so all of the above, final answer.
KoMiSa: You recently showed your sophomore line in Lagos, Nigeria. How was the experience?
Karolyne Ashley: We showed the Fall in 2012 collection in Lagos, Nigera. It was amazing! Amazing! I got a call the week before and was told that the producers of Arise Magazine, were thinking of me for the show and wanted me to come meet them. So I told them to sign me up not knowing that I needed to show a new collection and not knowing that they were going to pay for it. They flew me out there and gave me housing. All this happened the week before the show. I had to start and finish pulling together my Fall 2012 collection in a two week period. I thought I was going to be focusing more in online branding, marketing and things of that nature this season instead of doing a big show for fall but God had it another way. I was one of 77 designers invited from around the world and I showed our Fall 2012 collection in Lagos, Nigeria Africa of all places! That was our international fashion debut. I am on the stage with designers who have stores, major clients, and are successful financially. I felt like I am such a rookie yet I am on the same stage as them. It was totally a confidence boaster and a testament. It was awesome to be a part of a production that is growing the voice of Africa from a fashion perspective.
KoMisa: Have you studied abroad during your undergraduate school experience?
Karolyne Ashley: At Drexel University I did a semester abroad at the London College of Fashion and I also did a semester abroad internship in Paris, France for a small jewelry company.
KoMiSa: How were your experiences abroad?
Karolyne Ashley: They were amazing. Both experiences were completely different but completely life changing. Drexel University does a really good job of integrating their study abroad programs. The program was built in the fashion curriculum to have the option to study at the London College of Fashion. I went with a group of 12 students from my class. We lived in a dormitory. I felt a little like I was by myself because none of my key friends were there but being somewhere new was a good learning experience. London was a good emersion because they spoke the same language but their were still moments that made me think that I was definitely a foreigner. We all spoke English but there were times when I felt that those I was speaking to from London didn’t fully understand me. I pick up on accents very quickly so I developed the accent to help me get around.
Paris was cool. In Paris I also had to integrate into society. I had a French minor in school so I wanted to perfect my language skills. I was relentlessly saying that I was going to Paris for my internship. Hands down regardless of what was said that is what I was going to do and I did it! I found my job and apartment online. I bought the ticket before I had a job and went to Paris for an unpaid internship. That’s right unpaid. I was broke. My scholarships from school were paying my way and my rent. Outside of that I started babysitting in Paris to make money. Studying and working abroad challenges you in so many ways to be outside of your comfort zone. Going to Europe you can go 12 hours away and people are going to speak a totally different language and have a different culture. I was immersed in a different culture that was outside of myself and I couldn’t be selfish. I had to learn how to survive and thrive from the people around me. I learned to trust my spirit and my gut to get around. I survived and had a good time. I didn’t want to isolate myself to where I didn’t get to know new people so I had to be vulnerable to make new friends while living in a whole new culture. Although I need to do a better job, I still keep in contact with the friends that I made.
KoMiSa: How has studying/working abroad change/enhanced your life? You as a person? Your career aspirations?
Karolyne Ashley: As a person it made me more open and it made me not be selfish about being me. As an American you are surrounded by all of these states that speak the same language and typically have the same culture “the American Culture”. The pop culture of America, is filtered throughout the world as if it is iconic and second to none. When you are outside of America you then begin to think of yourself as a person, as an individual not just an American. You become more open minded and develop yourself in a way that says what is important to me as a person versus what is important to where I came from. For me that was really epic to see what things were important and how I had been sheltered. America is a system that typically has one or two religions that really dominate but you may have people who may grow up atheist. French society is not officially Christian, they get up and go to the market on Sunday. They don’t necessarily go to church. Certain things like that were challenging my brain and made me begin to understand and justify who I was and that who I was wasn’t necessarily the right thing. It wasn’t the only way to be.
Studying/working abroad skyrocketed my career aspirations because I saw so much. It made me want to be a rich kid who could buy the expensive, designer clothing. I didn’t shop because what I wanted was way out of my budget but it made me really realize that I wanted to focus on being a couture/ high fashion designer because they set the trends. I could see how that fashion perspective permeates into society and creates a culture. They just aren’t branding themselves they are branding a culture of what is fashion in that location such as fashion in Paris or what is fashion in London. In America we kind of base American fashion on sales. So it made me want to blend my brand in a way that it focuses on creativity but still drives sales based on the love that went into each garment.
KoMiSa: What was your experience like living in another country?
Karolyne Ashley: My experience was epic. It made me vulnerable to society in a different way. It was so challenging in different ways. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, in all different ways it was challenging. Especially mentally. You really have to open yourself up. The hardest thing to be is vulnerable. When you move to another country you are so vulnerable. You know what you may have learned in school but you don’t know anything concretely. It made me really appreciate and understand people and foreigners more. In France I spoke French as a secondary language. I didn’t know all the slang words and I didn’t know how to articulate everything I wanted to say. It made me empathize with people who come to the U.S. with English as a second language. Sometimes you don’t think about people when you meet them and you typecast them because they are from somewhere else or they are this or that. Being in another country made me understand that everybody is brilliant and not sleep on anyone.
KoMiSa: Do you speak any other languages? If so how many and which ones?
Karolyne Ashley: I speak French nearly fluently. It is better when I am around people who speak French and worse when I don’t practice. I want to learn Italian, Spanish, and many other languages.
KoMisa: How has studying abroad impacted your languages skills? Your design skills?
Karolyne Ashley: My language skills skyrocketed. I had been taking French since high school. I took it through College also. Getting to France made me practice and utilize it. I learned how to say things and living there really helped me with the accent and articulation of my words. So it greatly increased my language skills.
In terms of my design skills, studying abroad showed me that there are so many points of view in designing that whatever mine is, is cool. Because people admired my sense of style, personality and certain things about me that I thought were unique; it showed me that I am good enough. From a design perspective it gave me confidence in knowing that what I put together was epic. A lot of times as an American we think that Europeans or anything outside of us is more creative but when I realized that I was going toe-to-toe and have a similar brain to other people who are very creative from another country I realized that who I am is who I am. I am good enough and there is a place for me and my design skills in this world. Who they are is who they are and there is a place in the world for them too. There is no reason why we can’t collaborate or praise each others work because we are all needed. Studying abroad showed me this. This experience has told me that the world needs me too.
KoMiSa: How has speaking another language or your willingness to learn the native tongue of the country impacted your abroad experience (culturally)?
Karolyne Ashley: That made it better. It made the people excited and intrigued about who I was. They thought that I was so brave to be in another country far from family and friends speaking another language. They would say, “You are bold”. When they see that you are making an effort to speak their language and you are not being selfish and thinking they should form around you because you speak English, it makes them more open to you. It makes them want to help you, take care of you almost. It really affected my stay there because I gained favor with the people who lived there. They were glad that I was open which made them open to me. I think that everyone should go the extra mile to learn the native tongue because it shows that you are humble and that you are teachable.
KoMiSa: Do you have any advice for others who want to study/work abroad in the fashion industry?
Karolyne Ashley: Do it! Go for it! Don’t be scared. For France you can check out Fashionjob.fr (click on France)You can find internships, freelance positions, temporary work for beauty, fashion, modeling. If you are interested in that I totally recommend it. We have the internet which is our greatest source. We have an unlimited amount of access. You can find apartments, jobs, other resources, whatever you need no matter what country you are searching for so just go for it. The sky is the limit.
People like spunky people so when you go the extra mile and allow yourself to be put out there and tenacious enough to go out there those things come back to you. Because you are allowing yourself to be open to receive them. So don’t be scared. Just go for it. It will change your life and your perspective on design and how you look at the world. Once you go you are going to want to go again and again. Globalization is here so take advantage of being in a world that is a full world and not just where you are now.
KoMiSa: What’s next for Karolyne Ashley and the Karolyne Ashley: Luxury Fashion and Millinery Brand?
Karolyne Ashley: Karolyne Ashley is ready to make that move to New York. After traveling abroad and being in so many places I am surprised that I want to be in New York. I really want to build a sense of stability for myself and my brand. I am ready to make a move to a city where I can continue to grow creatively as a person and as a designer and have the resources available to me to assist in my growth. The more you grow the more you need and I have to be in a place to deal with my needs as I grow.
As far as Karolyne Ashley: Luxury Fashion and Millinery I am looking to create a level of balance and stability for the brand. We will be going on our third season. Our next season I really want to do a major trade show or market week so that we can move into selling the clothes in addition to doing fashion shows and working with private clients. I want to boast clientele and find a great Public Relations and/or Brand Manager to work with us as we grow. I feel like we have a great foundation, a great start. I am ready for the good, the bad and the ugly. I have already experienced that. With each stage it gets worse to a certain degree as it gets better. I am not scared at all. I am ready to take the necessary steps to push into the right direction.
Website: www.karolyneashley.com
Facebook: KarolyneAshleyCouture
