Ashley Williams- photo credit: Getty Images
Edgy graphics, wearable silhouettes, bold prints and accessories adorned with lavish oversized crystals, Ashley Williams is a London-based fashion and lifestyle brand. Ashley’s eclectic signature aesthetic seamlessly fuses tomboy and youthful femininity with her take on streetwear tailoring and more girlish silhouettes. Known for her trademark graphics, which extend from hairclips to oversized longsleeve shirts, Ashley’s signature statement pieces reflect new themes each season. Many of her prints and graphics are often designed by Fergus Purcell; designer of high end skate brand, Palace, most notably their signature infinite triangle logo. Her boyfriend is Lev Tanju, the cofounder of London skate brand, Palace, and there is no doubt that her collections are influenced by the freespirited, slightly punk edge often embodied by skate culture. Purchasing Ashley Williams garments buys access into the girl gang she has cultivated by working with her talented female friends and dressing London’s coolest working girls.
Swarovski Jewelry– photo credit: @happyashleyland
Upon her graduation in fashion design from The University of Westminster in June 2012, Williams was recognized as a standout designer and was invited to show her first post-grad collection with notable fashion incubator for emerging talent, Fashion East. After multiple successful shows and learning more about the business side of fashion, she presented her first solo runway show at London Fashion Week for SS15 which skyrocketed her to critical acclaim. In 2015 she also joined the prestigious Swarovski Collective which has become key to Ashley Williams collections as her girls are constantly adorned in giant crystal jewelry from chokers to statement earrings to hair clips spelling out the themes of each season. Her clothing is stocked at luxury retailers internationally including Selfridges and Dover Street Market as well as luxury emporiums all across Asia and Europe.
Ashley Williams SS16– photo credit: Guillaume Roujas for NowFashion
My first introduction to Ashley Williams brand was her SS16 “Bad Mood” collection. I remember watching runway shows from the season on Youtube and the autoplay feature led me to a short but sweet video of her gothic angel heroine-chic models walking down a modest black sand runway. Immediately I rewatched the show a couple times and proceeded to search the internet far and wide for any information I could possibly find about my new favorite designer. At this point in her career there was absolutely zero press or information available online about her brand. Disappointed and determined to find out more, I threw a ton of her looks onto my moodboards and would periodically search to see if any information about the brand would pop up online over the next two years. At one point I emailed the brand and asked if they needed any help with print design and to my surprise, Ashley personally emailed me back. Needless to say, I freaked out and have since become obsessed with her brand.
Ashley Williams SS16 collection was a nightmarish parade of gothic anti-princesses draped up in heavy black, pink, white and red. Phrases such as “bad mood” and “no code of conduct” emblazoned tiaras, patches, t-shirts and leotards. A hardcore style illustrated housefly was one of the most prevalent print motifs and was paired with Nightmare Before Christmas type horizontal striping and an oversized fishnet print that was styled with real fishnets. Punk style patches covered smartly tailored red pleather pencil skirts, trench coats, and other tailored upscale womenswear. Models carried stuffed animals attached to chains as their purses and some wore striped stocking caps, which played into the nightmarish theme as if the girls had rolled out of bed and onto the runway. A dazzling arrangement of Ashley Williams signature Swarovski crystals were made into sleek tiaras, heavy necklaces and earrings. Makeup featured ultra thin black brows, pale face makeup and bright, blood red lips. Famous body-modification and tattoo enthusiast, Grace Neutral, closed out the show. This collection tied together many classic gothic, hardcore, punk, and babycore references and gave them an elegant, chic twist.
AW16’s collection was heavily focused on the Ashley Williams girl gang and what powerful women wear. Feminine suiting and expertly tailored blazers and pantsuits were paired with ruffled blouses and sleek heels. Print motifs this season featured tazers designed by Palace’s Fergus Purcell, and ”extra terrestrial” bold graphics with photos of a dark galaxy. The phrase “pierced” made its way into the collection along with illustrative drawings of pierced ears to reference girlhood and bonding over piercing eachothers ears at slumber parties as a form of sisterhood and rebelliousness. She also showed officewear dresses that used physical silver piercings instead of buttons and used oversized septum rings as handles for purses. The colors featured in AW16 were neon pink, neon green, bold red, lavender with black and white, sticking true to her usual emo/scene inspired colorways. As always, her models were adorned with her signature Swarovski crystal heavy necklaces, earrings, and headbands.
Ashley Williams SS17– photo credit: IMAXTree
Ashley Williams SS17 collection was all about being a “cool girl” and threw together kitsch teenage highschool popularity references. The looks were all about seeming effortless and paid tribute to her schoolgirl crush, River Phoenix, who was an icon for casual indifference and elegance before he overdosed in 1993. The key phrases this season were “haircut”, “first born”, and “I <3 girls, I <3 boys”. All of these angsty phrases paired well with the graphic work of Fergus Purcell for a skater-girl to die for look. Graphic placements were heavily influenced by old school hardcore and black metal tees as angel graphics were printed repeatedly up and down the sleeves. The colorways this season featured pastel pinks, blues, and yellows and paired them with her usual heavy black and white for a softer feel. Many of the looks featured loose, casual tailoring and oversized t-shirt dressed were layered underneath fringe bra tops and skater-style windbreakers. Some looks featured extra puffy sleeves and skirts to make the girls seem powerful or larger than life. The shoes this season were black pointed Mary Janes with Swarovski crystal buckles for a schoolgirlish type feel. The makeup consisted of mostly black eyeliner as most teens wear, and there was a wide range of experimental haircuts to echo the theme.
The AW17 collection reflected largely on the uncertain political climate in London and the US and her garments respond to the present situation in two ways; partying and paranoia. The paranoia aesthetic comes through with her seasonal phrases such as “misery” and “save the planet”. The partying aesthetic was reflected with the mottos “gimme five!” and “classic”. With tiny sunglasses, swooping bangs, and oversized cowboy hats pulled down low, the styling was very much focused on hiding the eyes, which plays to both the paranoia and partying vibes. Ashley Williams collection seamlessly integrated casual sweatsuits with high end blouses and dresses that are better suited for urban power-girl wear. This collection has a bit of schoolgirl flair as most of Ashley’s collections tend to have with tartan plaid in multiple colorways and a collegiate varsity jacket. This collection is also heavy on the country western wear and features cow print, cowboy hats, fringe bralettes and leather. A funky pop hi-contrast Hawaiian print gives the collection a bit of zany flair. There is a bit less emphasis on the Swarovski crystals in this collection than in previous seasons, but it creates a more androgynous, down to earth feel.
At her SS18 show, sticks of dried sage, given as invitations meant to cleanse, reset, and purge existing physical and emotional environments. The looks in Ashley Williams collection give off acid-natural vibes. Continuing on the theme of paranoia from the previous season, she emblazoned many of the garments with the bold phrase. Many of the looks feature a bold neon zebra print, contrasting natural motifs and animal prints with a retro 80’s and 90’s rave aesthetic. On the natural side of the collection, models are draped up in straw safari hats and some of the garments feature feather accents. A dinosaur skeleton, dolphins, and the phrase “thank you nature” makes its way into the graphic assortment, paying tribute to the natural world. On the flip side, the rave portion of the collection features bold barbed wire print, poppy flowers, the phrases “sex” and “ecstasy” which hint at emotional damage, superficiality and underground club culture. A riff on Birkenstock sandals, the footwear consists of all black strappy camping-casual basics adorned in Ashley Williams signature Swarovski crystals. In this collection, she seamlessly integrates sweatshirts, sweatpants, and her signature extra long sleeved tshirts with high heels, tailored garments and collared dresses successfully merging sportswear with luxury fashion staples.
Ashley Williams FW18- photo credit: Guillaume Roujas for NowFashion
For Ashley Williams most recent collection, AW18, the show invitations came with rocks and the runway setup featured Stonehenge-like boulders, suggesting a return to the natural world. This seasons collection was inspired by a return to reality in this hyper-accelerated age of social media by ditching technology. For AW18 Ashley Williams designed clothes to sneak out of parties in. Not feeling the small talk? Her full tracksuits and comfortable clothing allows you to conspicuously slip away at any time of day or night.
Blending Patagonia and REI type camping wear with dark, current underground trends such as streetwear, mesh, tiny sunglasses and black lipstick. Zebra and leopard prints are infused with allover typographic prints reading “sex”, evoking a lust for the natural world and glamorizing the luxury of going off the grid. A scorpion graphic is paired with the phrase “trust me”, calling for a return to reality. Other mottos emblazoned on garments for this season include “don’t know, don’t care”, “anxiety”, and a peculiar illustration of Albert Einstein with the laid back quote “you can call me Al”. Stonehenge allover prints and natural tye dye washes are paired with Camping gear staples such as fleece jackets that riff on the ever-popular lightweight North Face jackets, heavy corduroy, fanny packs and overalls are more utilitarian than in previous collections. Ashley Williams trademark long-sleeved skater tees and novelty print button-downs were layered under impressive suiting, including a lilac corduroy blazer with matching carpenter pants. Swarovski crystals adorn the models as usual, this season coming in other colors such as green and lavender. Chokers, earrings, hairpins, and furry slides with crystal typography upgrade the natural aesthetic to luxury. The makeup is red around the eyes, suggesting that the models may have been up all night partying or are red after crying from technology-induced anxiety.
Whether you want to serve gothic looks or professional urban vibes, Ashley Williams has incredible garments for every type of chick. Check her brand out online at www.ashleywilliamslondon.com, give her a follow on Instagram at @ashleywilliamslondon, and peep her Twitter at @happyashleyland.