Ashley Worrall started Borough to combine her two loves: textiles and Charleston. Southern Lady caught back up with the Southern designer and entrepreneur after previously featuring her in the July/August 2016 issue. Got to the next page to read more.
By Elizabeth Bonner Czapski
SL: What have you been up to since we last spoke?
Ashley: I’ve been busy with new prints, products, and collaborations! Last October we introduced a mini fall/winter print collection that featured a cotton boll print and a tailgating print. In March, we debuted our spring/summer mini print collection with Weekend Getaway and Catch of the Day. Weekend Getaway showcases vacation essentials, and Catch of the Day is a nautical print that’s perfect for summer. We’ve also expanded our offerings with a line of clutches, one of my favorite accessories. Along the way I’ve had the opportunity to partner with some fantastic ladies and companies! One unique collaboration was working with Charleston Food Writer, Candice Herriott, to dress her for the Charleston Wine and Food Festival. It was a fun crossover of fashion and food, which are big aspects of Charleston life.
SL: What has inspired your new products and prints?
Ashley: With our new line of clutches I wanted to add more flexibility and give Borough customers the opportunity to bring our prints everywhere. They’re such an easy way to add some color and personality to your outfit! Also, they give our customers another price point, and since they’re all under $50 they make fantastic gifts! I love the mini clutch as a hostess gift with a little thank you note tucked inside.
Deciding which new prints to release is always hard! My list of print ideas is constantly growing, so I think I’m good for the next few years. I try to match the prints to the time of year and keep the offering balanced between colors and featured items—I don’t want too much of one color, or too many prints around one topic, or too many prints with small designs. Our new Weekend Getaway print features the items you would bring on a mini vacation. As soon as it gets warm out, we all seem to get the travel bug and that itch to get out of town. I loved creating the little icons on this dress and was excited about the pink champagne background color that I haven’t used before. It’s a very feminine and soft color. The Catch of the Day print is our first nautical print and features ropes and local sea creatures. This navy print has that classic coastal vibe! I wanted to give a nod to seafood since it’s a large part of coastal living in the South.
SL: Tell us about your new clutches and why they’re great for summer accessorizing. (https://www.shopborough.com/collections/accessories)
Ashley: I’m so excited about our new line of clutches. They come in three styles—foldover, clutch, and mini—and are available in all our prints. They bring a bright pop of color to any outfit and really polish your look, elevating jeans and a t-shirt or pairing perfectly with your Sunday best. I’ve had a lot of fun mixing and matching our clutches and dresses, seeing which print combos are my favorite.
They’re also the perfect size for summer. In summer we really tend to strip down to the essentials. Suddenly I’m able to leave the house with just lip-gloss, sunglasses, and my phone! So our clutches are the perfect size for your summer needs, plus you can easily drop them into your beach tote!
SL: What’s next for Borough?
Ashley: Right now I’m busy working on fall prints, scheduling more pop-ups and collaborations, and playing with offering some new styles. It’s always so fun to meet our customers in person so I can see them in Borough dresses and hear their ideas and desires. Follow us on social media to keep up with events, find out where you can shop in-person, and stay informed about all of our big announcements!
For information, visit shopborough.com.
Enter below for a chance to win a clutch! One lucky person will win one clutch of their choice from Borough’s beautiful selections. The giveaway will accept entries July 26-August 2, 2017. Good luck and please note the giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.
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