Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Harris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I’ve actually had two recently that I would love to share. I started creating custom clothing – specifically jackets – out of client’s mailed in merchandise. I had a client mail me her dad, uncle and cousins’ sports team shirts that have passed away to create her piece from and another client mailed me her dog’s that have also passed away, their sports team pieces to incorporate into her jacket. These were so sentimental for me to make because these clients are now wearing these special pieces to their favorite sports team games but carrying pieces of their heart along with them. I teared up creating these because it’s such an emotional experience. The jackets both turned out incredible and they’re some of my most proud moments as a fashion designer and mean the most to me.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started sewing and creating clothing at a young age for my Barbie and American Girl dolls with the help of my great grandmother. I then became addicted to styling and finding new looks based off of magazines while working at Forever 21 in high school which led me to taking the fashion design course at my local high school. We didn’t have sewing machines, but we picked up clothes from the Salvation Army and added embellishment, airbrushing, beads, tulle, distressing, anything we could create with our hands. This was when I figured out that I loved design. I went to Western Michigan University and The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to continue studying fashion, design and anything related to it. While in NYC, I landed a coveted internship at fashion mogul Vera Wang’s atelier which was also an amazing experience. Post graduation, I did some freelance design work then headed back to Metro Detroit to figure out what I wanted my career to look like. I worked in luxury retail for 4 years then automotive trim engineering for 7 years while continuing to build a brand, clientele and business in my city. After 12 years, I am finally able to take a step back from my corporate career to fulfill my passion and take my namesake brand and newly developed brand, Drafted in Detroit full-time.
Throughout most of my career I was heavily focused on evening gowns and couture dresses. However recently with the rise of upcycled fashion and sportswear, I’ve pivoted my talents and am creating something new with Drafted in Detroit. I handmake pieces out of pre-loved garments that client’s mail in to me – these are mostly meaningful garments filled with memories and ready for a new life. I also create one-of-a-kind luxury sportswear with thrifted or consciously sourced materials from local shops.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I love getting messages from my client’s about how much they love their piece or seeing them in my pieces in photos. That’s what makes it all worth it. I love seeing my clients happy and confident in their pieces that I’ve made for them with my own two hands. It’s truly the most rewarding part.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The last 12 years of working a full-time job but still continuing to create and design clothing and art out of my home late at night or on weekends. Keeping it going throughout all these years even when I had nothing – no money for materials, a broken sewing machine, working overtime, working holidays and still working towards this dream that has been placed inside of me for a reason.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashleyharrisdesign.com
- Instagram: @ashleyharrisdesign
Image Credits
Parker Hollis, Joe Polimeni, Courtney Blackett, Digital Racket