My name is Olivia Ash. I am 4 years old and the youngest of two children (I have an older brother I like to love on and annoy at the same time, lol). My life is just like any other little girl's but with 1 small exception. Instead of just playing in dress up clothing, I'm actually learning how to make them!
You see... I was born into an exceptional family craft (or shall I say "a crafty family" đ¤). My family's business is fashion! I am now the 4th generation in my family to learn this skill and it all started with my Great-Grandmother E. {1st generation}.
Nana tells me that she was a true lover of fashion. She was a mother of many children but always stayed fashion forward. She wore broches, furs, gloves, high heels, jewelry, & handbags. She never left the house without a full face of makeup and she drove a red convertible with the top down & head scarf in tow. Glamorous right! đ My great-grandmother began to teach Nana how to sew at age 8. It was their special hobby to do together because my Nana was the only girl surrounded by brothers in her age group. Great-grandma E. went to heaven when my Nana was 13, but Nana never stopped their special hobby.
My Nana, Maria Harper {2nd generation}, grew her skills in sewing and while attending high school & college she would make clothing for herself , her family, friends, & neighbors. In between she had her own little family and worked all the time, so she had little time for sewing. Years later as a single mom of 2 girls, she worked in a factory as a seamstress for a huge company that manufactured undergarments, but later moved and begin to work in another industry. It was at this time that she had a devastating accident that caused her so much pain she had to dust off her machine and start sewing again just for therapy to get her mind off the pain. Soon after people started asking her to make things and she never put it down again! It was during this time that she began teaching my mom the basics of sewing & fashion. Nana has worked with countless celebrities & major TV/film networks... and still owns her custom fashion design company today!
Next comes my Mommy, Joy Harper Ash {3rd generation}. My mommy started in fashion at the age of 9 months, modeling for local & major corporate clothing brands in Chicago, IL (also landing a commercial with Kraft Mac & Cheese). After watching her mother sew most of her life... mommy began working under her apprenticeship at the age of 12, making her 3rd generation in her family craft. She learned (involuntarily at first) how to design, cut patterns, sew, embellish garments, etc. Mommy still laughs at the idea of her mother trusting a 12-year-old with client orders {Thankfully she never ruined an order}. Fashion has always been her world, though it is in college that she also discovered a love for Marketing, which became her major. She took a position as a Marketing Director for a sports company, and later worked as a Corporate Recruiter until she decided to get back to her first love full time.
Mommy took on a position in her mother's boutique fashion design company, Maria Harper Designs LLC (MHD), overseeing several dimensions of the business: Fashion Design, Marketing, Sourcing/Research, Web Design, eCommerce, PR, Fashion Show & Photo Shoot Directing (you name it, she's done it). She has had the pleasure of designing for countless celebrity clients under the MHD brand and though she still very lovingly collaborates with the company, the majority of her focus has shifted towards designing her own ready-to-wear clothing brands for her online retail stores, fashion illustration & writing. Her latest project was the creation and design of the women's clothing brand "Pink Glam"(a line she originally created for her mom, but was recently gifted back to her as "her baby"). She saw the entire line through from concept (creating everything from the name, logo, designs, photo shoot, website, etc.) to launch. The brand will re-launch in Fall 2018 under the new brand name "JOY HARPER ASH". The new brand will be amongst other projects & labels coming soon... including my own label "Olivia Ash." She is also the writer & creator this blog â¤
Finally there's me, Olivia Ash! 4th generation fashionista in training.
Come along with me on my adventurous journey as I learn and share what I'm learning, my look book, style tips, crafting/sewing tips, product reviews & much more!
Thanks for stopping by, come back often!
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