Mackenzie’s Blog

Walking into the Sullivan’s Island home, it was immediately apparent that talent and creativity had made a living here. Decorated with a classy blend of southern charm and an eclectic beach ambiance, it was a true resemblance of it’s owner, Ashley Reid. A designer, entrepreneur, jewelry maker, environmentalist and teacher, Ashley wears many hats on a daily basis but maintains a laid-back, carefree attitude. Here to check our her latest collection, titled Clewis Reid, Ashley invites us back to her studio. WIth a degree in anthropology and the opportunity to travel the world while in school, it was clear that other cultures were a source of inspiration for Ashley. Ethnic looking beads were sprawled across her work table for a jewelry line she was designing. Later that day she would be headed downtown to the Art Institute of Charleston to teach a retail management class. She begins showing us her latest Summer collection for Clewis Reid. An easy to wear line with a subtle ethnic slant.

Mackenzie Image Consulting (MIC): Tell us about your latest line and what inspired you.
Ashley Reid (AR): The Clewis Reid line is made from eco-friendly materials such as 100% bamboo. The fits is really simple, loose, easy to wear and has bold prints, which I designed myself. I had found these native american symbols which were the inspiration for the patterns. I replicated them in watercolor paintings and then had them put into repeat and enlarged with two Pantone colors to what you see now.

MIC: This is the first collection you’ve actually sold. How did it go?
AR: I went to a trade show in Texas where I sold my first wholesale orders. Even though I don’t have anything left to sell for this line, the show was still quite slow. With future collections, I will probably aim to market towards resort type areas. It was interesting however, that people either walked over and absolutely loved the collection or they walked right by. I’m happy with that though. I don’t want to try to design for everyone.

MIC: What was the hardest part of designing the collection and then making it a reality?
AR: Well the easy part was the design. It’s the marketing and all the other things involved that are hard. It’s overwhelming to think about everything that’s involved with producing a collection.

MIC: Are you planning on continuing to design your own patterns for future collections?
AR: I would love to but it’s so expensive; the next collection will not be custom patterns. However, I will still have bright, bold colors put together in interesting colorblocked ways.

MIC: How about the eco-friendly elements?
AR: Yes, I will definitely continue to design in an eco-friendly fashion. Especially since I bought 2000 yards of this fabric! I love designing but I want to do what I love in a good way. In the beginning, I tried to use recycled materials and vintage fabric but it’s limiting. There’s only so much vintage fabric you can get and only so much you can do with recycled materials.

MIC: What inspired you to go the eco-friendly route?
AR: One of the big things is teaching textiles at the Art Institute (of Charleston). It has taught me a lot about the manufacturing process. It’s a crazy industry of waste. It’s such a luxury to be doing something I love and feel good about what it is. I feel good that I’m not adding to the waste but minimizing the impact of it instead.

MIC: You work out of a home studio, do you set a schedule for yourself? And do you have any advice for other people who work out of their home on how to stay focused?
AR: If I were to set an alarm for 7:00 a.m. and say to myself, ‘ok, I’ll be in the studio at eight’, it wouldn’t happen. I can’t be inspired that way. Sometimes I’ll be in my studio until 2 a.m. I let the inspiration come when it wants to come and a set schedule won’t help that. I do get sidetracked with a lot of cleaning and organizing. And sometimes I do feel guilty … it can be 1:00 p.m. and beautiful outside and I’ll say, ‘I’m going to the beach!’ I’m very lucky to be able to do my own thing and I appreciate that I get this opportunity to be my own boss. I may work non-stop for three days straight and then take three days off. That’s what works for me.

MIC: What is your overall goal for your career?
AR: My goal is to continue to grow the line in an eco-friendly way. I would also love to open a boutique down the road and have a flagship store in Charleston with several stores across the country.

MIC: Do you think you’ll continue to teach?
AR: Definitely! I love teaching and working with my students. It gets me out of the house also … you know, into “the city”. It’s a possibility I would never leave this island without it!

MIC: When did you make the transition into working for yourself and starting your design business?
AR: I was assistant designer at Putumayo for awhile and then did retail but it wasn’t for me. I feel like people spend so much time doing something that isn’t suited for them. I knew what I wanted to do and that was design. I’d say my first step toward my passion was creating and showing my line at Charleston Fashion Week last year in the Emerging Designers showcase.

MIC: Even though you knew you always wanted to be a designer, was it scary to take that leap into self-employment?
AR: It was definitely scary, especially in this economy. I launched in January which was probably the worst possible time. I spent a lot of money on it right away because I wanted it to work out so badly but there were more things involved than I anticipated. In some ways I like to call the shots and be the boss but sometimes I do wish I had a partner on the business side. I’m not good with the business aspects. Everything I’ve done this far with starting the business, I’ve had to learn myself.

MIC: Do you have any tips for those looking to start a business?
AR: Plan as much as possible! It’s so exciting to have a great idea and want to jump right into it head first. But I do wish I would have spent a good six months planning and writing a solid business plan. I have such a go-with-the-flow personality but I do wish I would have stopped and asked myself, what’s the reality of this? I would never talk anyone out of it though. It’s so freeing.

MIC: As a designer, any advice on how to cultivate a personal style?
AR: Get over the fear of what everyone else thinks. Wear your clothes confidently. If you can wear things confidently, you *are* developing a personal style and people will notice. When you’re confident, your attitude shows it and you feel good. I will spend all this time getting ready because once I leave the house, I don’t want to think about what I’m wearing anymore. I feel totally confident. Sometimes I’ll look back at photos and say, ‘oh that looked awful!’ But at the time, I walked out of the house feeling great about how I looked. Wear what you love and wear it with confidence.

Everything from her house, the decorations, the art on the walls, her clothing collections and jewelry designs had her own mark on it that no one could mistake for anyone but Ashley Reid. True to herself and true to her collection, Ashley has an incredible ability to design in a way that reflects her personal vision but doesn’t lack public appeal. Her next collection will be Spring/Summer 2010 and will be available for retail the early part of next year. Check out her website (www.clewisreid.com) later this summer for a sneak preview of the line.

Click the photo below for the complete photo album of our visit with Ashley Reid.

-Shauna

Mackenzie Image Consulting

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Charleston, SC

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