My Interview With The Modish Muse

X 

I am thrilled to share the interview I did with The Modish Muse, one of my favorite fashion bloggers ever! She and I met at Fashionista Con NYC back in October where we immediately bonded over our intense passion for all things related to fashion. She selected me to be the first featured interviewee in a new section on her blog. How cool is that?!  Read her piece below: 

Meet The Fashion Speak, I actually met Ashley at FashionistaCon in NYC and she was fabulous, so who better for my first feature then her?! This girl is incredibly smart, determined and is a big dose of inspiration!  She is a blogger, a student and a career gal already and is extremely involved in PR and fashion. I mean c’mon, major inspo am I right??

Ashley was kind enough to do a little Q and A and give us a peak into how to be a successful young professional, especially in fashion. To find out all her accomplishments and how she does it, then keep on reading!

What made you start your blog and what do you hope to achieve with The Fashion Speak?

I encourage my readers to think beyond their perceived ideas and opinions about what fashion really is. There is no right or wrong way to approach it and everyone is entitled to their uniqueness, which is often expressed in the clothes they choose to wear. I enjoy having a platform of my own to talk about what interests me in the fashion industry while inspiring others to interact and share their thoughts. I began my blog after realizing I had a constant stream of fashion related subjects floating around my brain with nowhere to go. I wrote for my college newspaper prior to starting my blog and it was during this time I realized I had so many great story ideas that were not usable for the very structured and rigid newspaper. I knew I needed to grow my presence online as well as continue to produce writing samples. I launched my blog right before I went to Milan, Italy for five weeks – everything worked out really well as I was able to document this experience on my blog.

How else do you spend your time? 

I recently finished my fall internship where I worked remotely for a boutique fashion PR firm in New York City. That kept me occupied when I wasn’t in class or doing schoolwork but when I’m not working I am traveling. I go to NYC and Washington DC as often as I can because I always learn something and return feeling inspired and rejuvenated.

And what is some advice for those trying to build up a blog/following or snag that internship they want?

The first step to achieving what you want is discovering what you want. To figure this out, I recommend writing down your goals on a daily basis. Keep a journal and use it as an outlet to be completely honest with yourself about what you want in life. By doing this you will determine what your goals are and what your next steps need to be to reach them. You don’t have to live in New York to start achieving your goals – start where you are and use what you have. Build on the skills you already have. For example, start a blog or work for your school newspaper if you like to write. Your early experience may seem small and insignificant at first but you will need it to land your first real internship. Build your network and don’t stop working for what you want!

Where do you see yourself going in the fashion industry/what are your ultimate goals?

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t visualize what I want my future to look like. I write down my goals on a regular basis to remind myself what I am working towards. I hope to work in-house doing public relations or social media for a major fashion label. When it comes to career goals, it is important to keep all options and not be afraid to branch out. I’m excited to see what the future holds.

What is something you would say to people who may look down on the fashion industry?

Anna Wintour answered this question perfectly in The September Issue when she said:

“I think what I often see is that people are frightened of fashion and that because it scares them or it makes them feel insecure, they put it down. On the whole, people that say demeaning things about our world, I think that’s usually because they feel in some ways excluded or, you know, not part of the ‘cool group’ so as a result they just mock it. Just because you like to put on a beautiful Carolina Herrera dress or, I don’t know, a pair of J Brand blue jeans instead of something basic from K-Mart it doesn’t mean that you’re a dumb person. There is something about fashion that can make people very nervous.”

Who do you look up to the most and why?

I look up to my parents because they are the people who instilled the values in me that I have today. They are relentless in working towards success and they have achieved so many things in their lives. I learned at an early age that if I wanted something I had to work hard for it. Nothing is unattainable and nothing is unachievable as long as you are willing to work for it – my parents taught me this and it has gotten me really far in life!

If you could have three fashion icons to dinner, who would they be and why?

I would invite Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel because she is one of the most influential women in history. She was born into a life of poverty but her vision and her work ethic (very important) allowed her to establish herself as a global fashion icon.

I would also invite Diane von Furstenberg because she inspires me to be a better woman every day! I am fascinated by the influence she has on the fashion industry and I know I would learn a lot from her – I have so many questions I want to ask her!

Finally, I would invite Miuccia Prada to dinner – preferably in her native city Milan! I recently wrote a research paper on her and I found out she has such an intricate story. I would love to pick her brain on topics from Italian leather to Baroque sunglasses.

-----------