You might know the bubbly blonde from her time in the famous American girl band The PussyCat Dolls, or more recently as a regular presence on popular British prime time television shows. Now, Roberts is turning her hand to designing, with the launch of her new footwear collection, ALLYN. We spoke to the celeb about the inspirations behind her collection, the future of the brand, and other projects she has planned.
Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Ashley Roberts has been in the limelight for over a decade, building a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Mainly known for being part of a successful girl group, Ashley longed for something of her very own. “I have always been passionate about footwear and wanted to create something that I own, from scratch,” the new entrepreneur said.
Earlier this week, Ashley launched ALLYN, taking to Instagram to tell her 224K followers that she “screamed” when she saw her “very own shoe boxes,” for her beloved brand that had been “a year in the making”. The launch took place on the evening of Wednesday 8th February at Larizia in North London, with a host of celebrity friends in attendance, such as singer Ella Eyre and ex-PussyCat Dolls Melody Thornton and Kimberly Wyatt.
What inspired you to start your own footwear collection?
My inspiration for ALLYN came from my love for fashion – shoes in particular, combined with my family’s musical background. I got involved in the design and creative process from start to finish and have loved creating this kickass footwear range.I wanted to create a footwear brand so that all women can kick ass in their shoes.
The pieces are all named after 1990’s icons such as Prince, Liv and Cindy. How did you come up with this idea?
It’s my way of paying tribute to such great stars. My inspiration for ALLYN also stemmed from my love for music; it’s an inherent part of who I am and I wanted the collection to reflect that as much as possible.
Which is your favourite piece in the collection?
This is a hard one. I would actually wear all of them given the occasion! The range of the designs reflects the way I dress, which is quite varied and not limited to one style. The Cindy boot looks amazing with jeans, leather, a dress or whatever is in your wardrobe. All my girlfriends love this one!
What would be your dream design collaboration?
I would love to work with Mary Katrantzou. Her designs stand out for their uniqueness and quirkiness.
How do you see ALLYN growing/evolving in the future?
I am so excited about what lies ahead for ALLYN! I am already working on expanding the collection with more designs in a wider range of materials and colours. We have nearly finalised AW17
Do you have other exciting projects planned for the future? i.e. TV shows, singing etc
I am currently working on 1st Look in the States [a travel show on NBC] and have just signed as a guest judge on [British talent search show] Let It Shine.
You are regularly in London – what is it that you love about the city?
I split my time between London and the US. I thoroughly enjoy my stay in the UK each time and have formed strong ties with people here. Now that ALLYN officially launched in London, I will certainly be around for longer periods of time.
ALLYN is available exclusively from Larizia.com
