A couple of months ago I did a photoshoot and was looking for peices to help complete a look. I stumbled upon this designer, Ashley Zaba. The clothes stood out to me. I love her silhouettes and jewlery details. Her clothes are definitley made for a confident girl who enjoys playing with fashion.
Here’s my mini interview that I did with her this past month.
1. Why fashion? What about fashion that you had to travel down that road?
Growing up I was always doing something creative; my mother was an avid artist, painting, drawing, sewing mine and my sisters skating or dance costumes, that is pretty much where it started! During high school I was not very interested in anything else.. I look back at my grades and I definitely excelled in art and fashion.. math not so much! After graduation from college it took a couple years to build up to the fact that I wanted to start my own business. It’s an ever-changing career, there’s always something new and happening that’s what I like most about it. I am not the type of person that can go into a desk job and work the same thing day in day out. I love to design new ideas, travel to various cities and countries to find that inspiration and I love most that im not tied down to a particular place, I can do this anywhere I want!!
2. Who do you design for? What demographic?
I design for myself first, I think of what I don’t have or what I want and then go from there. My clients range in age from 20s to mid 30s, I do not really have a set person that buys my clothing, I truly design and make for whoever wants it and likes it. When I’m shopping I mix and match lots of different stores together to create my style and that’s what I expect from my clients.

3. What celebrity or public figure would you love to dress?
I would have loved to have dressed the stars of the 1950s!, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, and even the men, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck. They all had such great style, grace and poise. The latest collection for spring summer 2009 was a throw back to those times.
To choose a current public figure I would have to say the ladies of the Sport Illustrated swimsuit calendars, a goal of mine is to feature a swimsuit in an issue!
4. In your opinion, can clothes bring confidence to a person?
I think self esteem and fashion go hand and hand. You feel good in the clothes you are wearing its going to show through. A staple piece in my collections is a leather jacket, when I wear it or my clients put it on it brings out a confidence. Whether it be powerful, rebelliousness or sex appeal. Bottom line if you love what you are wearing you are going to have the self esteem and confidence to do whatever you need to do (walk down the street, go for that job interview, talk to that person you wanted to)
5. My favourite quote is, “What tries to limit me, only makes me stronger” ..what obstacles have you overcome to be where you are today?
My biggest obstacle and daily struggle is putting myself out there. Designing and sewing come natural to me, that’s the fun part!! Sometimes I find it hard to put my ideas out there and have them displayed and judged by others. All the positive feedback and my clients make this struggle a lot easier and realistic I know not everyone is going to like what I do and I don’t always like what others do as well, we are only human.
As I look back on the last few years with my company things that I thought didn’t turn out the way I wanted or an event didn’t go as planned, I take that and look at the big picture and those details fade to the back. In this business you have to have the drive, I’m a big believer in that, you have to want this business and as you said the limitations only make you want it more!!
Ashley is a fellow blogger too. Check her at www.ashleyzabablog.com
You can purchase Ashley’s designs at www.shopmudshark.com !
peace,
JOJO
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