We recently connected with Ashley White and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I had the privilege of having two wonderful parents who did nothing but pour into me as I was growing up. I am grateful that my parents allowed me the space to explore and learn what my talents and gifts were. It was always evident that I was drawn to art as a form of expression. Once I was old enough, my parents enrolled me in a summer art program at what used to be called the Hand Workshop (now the Visual Arts Center) here in Richmond. Each summer I had the opportunity to explore various mediums so that I could get a feel for what I enjoyed. Those were some of the best years of my life- taking classes like wheel throwing, stained glass, basket weaving, oil painting, puppet making, watercolor, cartooning, clay hand-building, sewing, jewelry making, and more. I understand that they had to make several sacrifices to keep me enrolled in that program year after year and I am forever thankful that they did.

Ashley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ashley White, owner and designer of Styledentity. Styledentity is a jewelry and accessories brand that I started in 2011 almost by accident. One day I decided to make some earrings for an outfit that I was wearing to a special event and everyone loved them! That same week I thoughtlessly set up an Etsy shop to sell a few pair and the rest is history. 10+ years later I’m slowly and steadily building the brand of accessories that I always wished existed.

Style- n.
a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character:

Identity- n.
the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another

The phraseology was born out of my ever-changing look that never seemed to change who I am as a whole. Never wearing the same outfit twice. Ethnic one day, urban the next, punk the following…my style always tells a lot about how I am feeling that day. This sentiment seems to go for almost everyone I know.

Accessories always play a major part in a “look” and being from such a diverse background has me slightly obsessed with accessories from different cultures. African, Indian, Asian, etc… even the hip-hop culture; all have statement pieces that can add character to any ensemble.

I am scatterbrained by nature…and I tend to draw inspiration from all over. I take pride in making quality pieces that are one of a kind, or very limited in quantity. I also take pride in the quality of my work. I am a one-woman show. I make everything by hand, photograph everything myself, personally curate all vintage pieces, as well as package and ship all orders. I’m even embarking on branching out into home accessories. The Styledentity brand is a piece of me that I am glad to share with the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is watching ideas come to life. I will never get over the wonder of seeing something in my mind’s eye and being able to bring it to fruition. The icing on the cake is having the world receive your creations. It’s almost as if they have a small connection with your mind.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think that society can support artists by investing in them. I think that society takes for granted how valuable social currency is these days. Many artists are trying to be seen and expand their reach on social media, however, the average social media user tends to share what is trending instead of sharing art. An artist’s life can be changed drastically from the right person seeing their work and all it takes is for their network to take consistently share an artist’s work across their network.  

Contact Info:

• Website: https://styledentity.patternbyetsy.com/
• Instagram: styledentity
• Facebook: facebook.com/styledentity

Image Credits
Stephan L. A. Miller Photography (headshot)