We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashlee Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashlee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Everyone has crazy stuff happen to them, but often small business owners and creatives, artists and others who are doing something off the beaten path are often hit with things (positive or negative) that are so out there, so unpredictable and unexpected. Can you share a crazy story from your journey?

I will never forget the first wedding dress I was ever commissioned to design. It was a purple and teal wedding dress. I had just started my atelier and had only been practicing my craft for a month. My skills where nowhere as good as they are now, but I was determined to make this wedding dress. We sketched and gathered fabrics for weeks, did multiple fittings, and worked together on bringing her dream dress to life. We were half way done, when she informed me that their wedding was postponed due to her fiance falling ill. I was concerned, but I told her she could hold onto the dress until they were ready to move forward. A month went by with no word. Then two, then three. Finally I reached out after 4 months to see if her finance was better and if she was ready to move forward. It would be another month until I heard back. She told me her fiance had tragically succumb to his illness. She then told me she was so upset that he never got to see her in her dress, that she buried him with the dress. I was so honored and moved.

Ashlee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

F by A Unique Bridal is a one woman bridal atelier with one goal in mind; to make your dream dress without making the planet a mess.
Most wedding dresses, after the groom discards it on the hotel floor on the wedding night, tend to end up in one of two places. Either in a box stuffed in an attic with hopes of a daughter to wear it, or donated to a second hand shop. But what happens when the daughter doesn’t want the dress or no one is buying? Tragically, the landfill would be the final destination.
That’s where we come in. We take the unloved, out of date, and badly damaged dresses, and redesign them for future generations to create memories in.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

There are many times in my career where I had to pivot to survive. When I started my business, I was designing everything from gowns to streetwear to lingerie. I started bridal when I was asked to be a featured designer for a bridal studio near my home town.
My most recent pivoting moment was my 2024 fashion show premiering my first bridal collection. Everything was going smooth and according to plan, although I was missing one model. While I tried to contact her, everyone was getting their hair and makeup done and everything was on schedule. Within the span of two hours, I learned that model was in the hospital for a car crash that happened that morning and several models from another designer had quit and were begging to come walk for me. I didn’t have any other dresses, but thankfully the bridal studio I was working for came in with a whole slew of back up dresses. We managed to dress every single model and I ended up being the largest set to walk that year, and the most successful.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

For my particular department, style shoots. I had no idea what they were before this year. So far they have become my favorite part aside from actual designing. I’ve gotten the best shots and have met the most interesting people at style shoots. Plus, I get to see my dresses in a whole new light.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fbyauniquebridal.com
• Instagram: @fbyaunique

Image Credits

Hannah Larsen
Vanessa Aray
Celina Joy Photography
Aubrey Elizabeth Photography
LIfe Edit Photography
Delgado Wedding Events