Ashley Nell Tipton: Project Runway Season 14 Champ talks the ups and downs of being the first plus size designer to win the title.

Ashley has always loved fashion since she was a little girl, learning how to sew from her grandma who is one of her biggest inspirations. Growing up plus size, Ashley often felt very frustrated that there were no clothes out there to reflect her self expression of how she felt on the inside... she longed for clothes to wear that were fun, in fashion, and told the story she wanted to tell about her personality. So since they didn’t exist, she started making her own. That journey led her to Project Runway where she became the first person to win for designing plus size. After winning, she got her own line at JCPenny and was flooded with opportunities... at the same time she decided she wanted to get weight loss surgery to feel better and healthier. She said it was very difficult being criticized for this decision and losing deals on top of it bc people thought she was “selling out.” This led Ashley to a period of feeling lost and having to reevaluate. We talk about why she started teaching “self love” courses and how she has found her way in fashion making custom masks and offering sewing classes and flower crown courses to teach others how to design and create. Ashley’s story is one of determination, strength, beauty, inclusivity, creativity and paving her own way.

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