You may have noticed that Kelsey Ashley’s Beyond Measure brand went dark after January of this year as she made the decision to temporarily step away from the brand. Taking a break, Ashley got into back creatively expressing herself through sketching and drawing, ultimately creating what would pose as her brand’s relaunch and next big collection.
Kelsey Ashley relaunched her Beyond Measure brand with the unveiling of the “Beyond Limit” capsule collection during her very first fashion show. The Brooklyn-bred and Orlando-raised celebrity stylist held a private screening of her digital show on Sunday, October 10th with guests including social media personality Blame It on Kway, hairstylist Tokyo Styles, rapper Lady London, and more. Additionally, the 8-piece collection was modeled by other familiar faces such as rapper Dreezy and Ashley’s client and R&B singer Keyshia Cole.
Going truly “beyond” fashion and clothes, you can say this collection is perhaps Kelsey Ashley’s most personal one yet. Known for her distinctive fashion aesthetic which usually includes head-turning corsets, Ashley decided to make her personal style available to her customers and fans. Ultimately, the Beyond Limit collection brings Kelsey Ashley and her keen fashion eye straight to your closet.
She shares: “As a wardrobe stylist and fashion influencer, a lot of people contact me with styling inquiries. Now, I have pieces they can purchase that reflect my style, so the Kelsey Ashley experience is always there for them.”
The pieces of the Beyond Limit collection include a corset, jeans, pantyhose, leather harness, two t-shirts, and two bodysuits with each possessing its own name and story to tell. For example, the “Alignment” jeans are meant to convey the concept of walking in one’s alignment and purpose in life. Based on its safety pin details, the “Safety” corset symbolizes security in yourself. The 3D bodysuit receives the name “Shape” as it is meant to show the wearer that they are beyond the shape of their body and what society deems as “perfect”.
For previous drops, Ashley also named products, e.g. “Beyond Gifted” and “Beyond Bare”. With the latest collection, she simply dropped the “beyond” as it is meant to be imagined and inferred by viewers. Whether you take it as an affirmation or aspiration, Kelsey Ashley wanted to make sure “people feel like they were walking in their purpose when they wear these clothes”.
She expresses: “Beyond Measure has a deeper meaning, it’s not just about clothes for me. When I first started Beyond Measure, it was a non-profit. As a wardrobe stylist, I clean out my clients’ closets with no direct cause to give the clothing back to. I wanted to create an avenue where I give back to the lower income communities and schools.“
With such an ultra-chic collection, we had to ask for Kelsey Ashley’s favorite pieces. She named the “Safety” corset, “Distinct” corset denim underwear, and “Transparency” pantyhose as her top three faves, but labeled the entire collection as her “baby”.
Of course, the corset was a no brainer as her number one choice. She describes the piece in detail, “My main thing is its versatility. The sleeves are detachable and attached by safety pins to the corset. It is like a three-in-one piece. You can wear it with the sleeves, one sleeve, sleeves hanging, or without. For me, I wanted it to be versatile as it is the only corset that I’m selling. I wanted to give a piece that can give many looks. So, the corset definitely means a lot to me.”
It is no secret that the corset has become somewhat of a signature piece of Ashley’s, used while styling clients and for her own personal style moments. So when it came to the relaunch, she definitely wanted to stay true to the piece that was indeed special to her. When asked what makes the corset that “it” piece, she says: “I love the Victorian and old Renaissance vibes it gives. I’m dramatic in the way I dress. For the corset (referring to her collection’s corset piece), I wanted a piece that could give a dramatic feel. I just love corsets in general because they mold the shape of a woman’s body and give you structure you desire.”
On the process of rebranding, she details, “The process was very long. I started designing this specific collection in February but of course, these have been ideas that have been on my mind and on my heart for years. With this specific collection, I took a completely different direction from when I first started the brand. I knew I wanted to sell corsets because that’s like my signature as a stylist and fashion influencer. I just felt like my brand wasn’t true to the aesthetic that I bring to the table, so I decided to rebrand and take that back. Once I started, it was very exciting.“
Kelsey Ashley wraps up our interview by expressing what Fashion Bomb Daily means to her as a fashion professional: “Fashion Bomb Daily is a very important platform to me. When I was in college at Howard University, I found my personal style and became confident enough to step into the fashion industry. Fashion Bomb Daily was an Instagram platform I saw every morning. I couldn’t afford half of the things, but the platform definitely inspired me.
I don’t follow those blogs that are messy with drama. Fashion Bomb Daily is a platform that literally spreads fashion, it’s not a toxic platform. It’s an outlet for us fashion girls to be able to go to. As a wardrobe stylist, I definitely appreciate Fashion Bomb Daily as it has definitely helped me. It has helped grow my platform as my work has been shared up there before. Fashion Bomb Daily is a staple platform in our industry that we definitely need.“
You can now shop Beyond Measure’s “Beyond Limit” collection on byondmeasure.com and you can experience the fashion show on YouTube.