As San Diegans prepare for a flower-festooned weekend of events at Art Alive 2020, April 23-26, we’re chatting with Hillcrest resident and Project Runway winner Ashley Nell Tipton as well-heeled attendees flock to her flower crown workshops for their event headwear needs. Here, the body-positive visionary gets personal.
1. How did your love of fashion begin? It began when I was a child and my grandmother taught me how to sew. I knew then that in order for me to find and wear the styles I loved I would have to make them myself. That still holds true today.
2. Who would you love to see in your clothes? Lizzo. Her inner being matches her outer being, and I would love to be part of that.
3. People love your flower crown workshops! How can San Diego locals get involved? The response to my flower crowns has been the biggest surprise to me. I decided there was such a demand to learn this skill that I am now offering both in-studio classes and an online version via Skype.
4. What’s next for you? Launching my made-to-measure couture line through Balodana. I’m also developing my YouTube channel and want to bring my message of self-love to all of us who have been bullied.
5. My favorite place on earth is… San Diego, of course!