Meet Ashley Riley | Founder of For the SoULE: Writer, Designer & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Riley from the Boston area and we’ve shared our conversation below. If you haven’t already, check out Ashely’s blog, For The Soule.

Hi Ashley, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have my online blog and social platforms where I discuss and give the opportunity for conversations around music, sneakers, fashion and sport (with a large focus on music). As a business and a creative, I have additionally created an apparel and accessory collection, of pieces which I have designed, printed and pressed myself. Each design goes along with the themes of music, sneakers and fashion.

I came up with the idea for my business, as I have always had such strong feelings and opinions on the music industry, and fashion as a whole. I began to realize that my excitement of discussing what was going on in the industry was never reciprocated, and that I needed an outlet to truly be myself. Behind For the Soule, I not only am sharing updates and thoughts on what is going on in the music space, but asking others to chime in with their thoughts in their opinions, as well. It is meant to be a community, expressing everyone’s thoughts and passions, no matter who they are or where they come from.

As a graduated fashion design student, I have came up with my own collection of designs to accompany the passion points behind For the Soule. I have been able to design the graphics, print and press them myself in my own home. Additionally, I have been working on an up-cycle collection, reworking old pieces into something new, which is a huge trend of the streetwear fashion space in which my brand discusses.

The name of my business, For the Soule, stems from my senior collection in college. SOUL, being what drives and motivates you internally, combined with the SOLE of your sneakers, that creates your entire outfit, and mood for the day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art definitely makes me who I am, as a person. Since elementary school, it was very well known that I loved art, I loved writing, and would become obsessed with music. I would say what sets me apart from others, is how much this space means so much more to me than just entertainment – it means equality, inclusivity, and opportunity.

The goal behind this brand is to fully be yourself, speak on your biggest passions, share your thoughts no matter how crazy or different they are then one another. In my blog, I review a lot of new music, breakdown certain lyrics or aspects of songs, or what the artist is portraying or going through at the time. The same goes for athletes, or sneaker/fashion releases. My ideas may not be what the public is thinking, but best believe I have context to back up my reasoning.

When I worked in retail, the turn-over rate was incredibly high, even for management. I began to get worried, how many people do I have to prove to, that I am good at my job, before this gets old and I become worn out? Similarly, because of my skin-tone, my height, my gender, etc., I wondered who would trust me and what I do, with my business. Before launching my blog, I thought about making it anonymous, so people would take me more seriously. Well, I am over 2.5 years into my blog, and almost 29 years into being my full, true self. I have only received positive feedback on the blog, plus encouragement and excitement from people I encounter in real life. Being completely authentic to myself, and respected in the space, has got to be what I am most excited and proud of, on top of keeping my dream going for this long, with no signs of slowing down.

As far as letting the world know about For the Soule, and my story, I would like them to know where it all came from. I grew up, listening to hip-hop with my uncle. He used to sneak me CDs whenever I would see him, since they were by no means appropriate for my age, at the time. My grandmother used to take me to Champs, and the store clerk and myself would trick her into buying me the latest Jordans over whatever she was thinking. My parents always instilled in me to be competitive, ensure you stand out over others, whatever path you may take. I have taken these qualities to my day job, as well as my personal brand, and in both circumstances look to make a difference by given others the opportunity to have a platform to not only be themselves, but highlight their skills and passions in a meaningful way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have lived just north of Boston my whole life, and having a friend visiting the city, would have loads to explore!

When it comes to the sport aspect of my brand, Fenway Park is one of my all time favorite spots. No matter if you are sports fan, a Boston fan, no matter where the Red Sox are in the current standings, Fenway Park is always a full house of amazing energy. The House of Blues is right across from the stadium as well, so we can always catch some good music after, as well.

Additionally, for music, Harvard University has it’s own Hip-Hop Archive & Research Institution. I would love to set up a tour of the space, experiencing some amazing knowledge and art on our favorite topic. We would then definitely have to head to the The Garment District to thrift some hip-hop inspired pieces to rework into something trendy and brand new, followed by some drinks and apps around Harvard Square.

Aside from this, the North End is mandatory for a nice Italian dinner, the Seaport District for drinks and water views, and definitely the Museum of Fine Arts and/or the Isabella Stewart Gardner for amazing art and inspiration.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am the oldest child in my family, and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. After working in retail for a few years, I had a friend who went to school for fashion, and I decided that is what I wanted to do, for sneaker design. However, the school that I went to for fashion did not offer sneaker design at the time, and everyone else in my class was designing wedding gowns, a much different lane than I had intended on going down in my experience.

Two years in, halfway done with college, I thought I may have made a mistake in the direction I took. That was, until I sat with one of my professors who had a better understanding of what I wanted, than I did myself. It was a CAD course, and I had to design my own collection, digitally. This was the first time we were asked to really design multiple pieces, and I was lost. After sitting down and chatting with my professor, he told me, “Ashley – the music, the sneakers, the idea of sport behind it, you love streetwear. This is your angle, you need to design a streetwear collection.” This was way before Virgil and all the GOATS of streetwear really got their recognition, and completely different than anything we’d been learning in our curriculum, so this was a shock to me. And, I would say to everyone else around me. I started doing things my way, and my professors who did not take me seriously prior, came up to me telling me how impressed they were with my improvement, and seeing out my passions in the space, beyond just what the books were telling me to create and be inspired by.

Thanks to this realization, I excelled in completing school with my own streetwear collection, For the Soule, as my final runway project. I took inspiration from hip-hop and sneakers, as well as the NBA Draft looks that always made headlines, to design my looks and runway aesthetic. Thanks to my professor, I was aware of all the different angles I could take in this industry, and fully be myself. Now, I have taken my passions to my blog and apparel collection.

My professor’s name is Jesse Kahn. There is no way he knows all of this, but I will be thrilled to share. He really opened my eyes to what it is that I wanted, for myself.

Website: https://forthesoule.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyriley_/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshleyRiley_