The Working Wardrobe: Sophie Ashby
A tastemaker in contemporary interiors, designer and studio owner SOPHIE ASHBY is famed for her fresh, eclectic approach to curating unique spaces – and she’s just as considered when it comes to her closet. Here, the South-African-born, London-based talent shares her love of suiting with GRACE COOK, and reveals why sculptural accessories are her fail-safe staples
Those familiar with the interior designer Sophie Ashby’s aesthetic will be unsurprised to hear she approaches her closet as she would a home for a client. Within her carefully curated wardrobe, she favors a mix of tactile, elegant pieces – some classic, others more unexpected – and mixes them with solid building blocks that act as a base upon which to layer adornments.
“Since meeting my husband [designer and tailor Charlie Casely-Hayford], and having a child, I’ve really gotten into suiting,” says the 34-year-old, who is today dressed in a neutral-hued blazer that complements her porcelain complexion and blonde bob. “I find that idea of a uniform really seductive; it just takes the stress out of getting dressed every morning.” For her, wide-cut pants and tailored jackets with structured shoulders telegraph a put-together polish with relative ease. And while it’s simple to shrug on each morning, it helps to set the right tone when meeting clients.
“I’m judged, probably quite rightly, on what I wear,” she says. “If [clients] thought I wasn’t considered, it could make them less confident I can achieve something beautiful for their home,” she says. The interior designer, twice awarded designer of the year by leading publications in 2022, has become renowned for her artful and uplifting approach to curating home spaces since establishing her London-based company, Studio Ashby, in 2014. Meanwhile, the house she shares with her family is a mixture of the contemporary and the antique, set against colorful walls that are decorated with a vibrant mix of photography, paintings and other art works.
“I’ve always loved clothes as a tool to talk about who you are, and your identity. I think it’s a real mistake to underestimate the power of what you wear
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It’s an aesthetic that is all her own – and one she’s careful to protect by being disciplined on social media. “Fashion and interiors are so intertwined these days,” she says. But each is subject to trends, which Ashby is keen to avoid. She wants her wardrobe, like the homes she designs, to retain a timeless edge. “Whether it’s a dress, a vase or a chair, if you see something so many times, there’s a visceral feeling that makes you think it’s cool,” she says. That’s why she advises pausing for thought before committing to any purchase: “Ask yourself if you’ll love it in a year’s time.”
Ashby has been creative since she was a child. “I loved art at school, and fashion,” she says. For a while, she even toyed with the idea of becoming a womenswear designer – her mother was a fashion buyer with a closet full of treasures that Ashby enjoyed dressing up in as a child. “I’ve always loved clothes as a tool to talk about who you are, and your identity. I think it’s a real mistake to underestimate the power of what you wear.”
Taking a modular approach to her wardrobe staples offers a blank canvas for more playful pieces, too – it’s akin to a vast white wall within the home. “I prefer to have fun with accessories, which I feel can really uplift and transform an outfit,” she says. “I have lots of jewelry, scarves, bags and shoes.” And the process of layering is similar to the way she’d approach a living space – the scarves are tactile, like cushions, while jewelry is the artwork on the walls.
Ashby found her pathway into interiors after moving house a lot when she was younger. Her forever-visual mind became attached to certain objects as a means of grounding her within each new bedroom, and the notion of home – and its associated paraphernalia – became an intimate idea. “The experience of moving and unpacking and putting things in their place… it was in those moments of realization – that these things coming out of boxes are what make you feel at peace – when the home became really important to me,” she says.
Today, her clothes perform the same function. “I’ve had a coming-of-age, post-baby moment where I know who I am, and I’m not trying to chase after something else anymore,” she says. “Your clothes need to represent what you’re all about. But you also need to then do that in your own way. Like objects make a home, I’ve refined what wardrobe pieces suit me best and make me feel like myself,” she says. “That’s when I feel the most comfortable, strong and confident.”
“I’ve always enjoyed the ritual of getting dressed. And while I love to buy timeless pieces, I’m also a big believer in clearing out the things you no longer wear and don’t like any more
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Find your fit, then fill your wardrobe with it
“Gone are the days when I want to wear anything that’s close to the body or uncomfortable. I’ve found wide-legged, high-waisted suits really work for me, and I have them in many colors for different scenarios, whether it’s for work or a wedding. If I’m going to an event, it’s so much easier to just wear one of the 10 suits that I’ve got, and style it in a different way.”
Embrace the closet clear-out
“I’ve always enjoyed the ritual of getting dressed. And while I love to buy timeless pieces, I’m also a big believer in clearing out the things you no longer wear and don’t like any more. Those pieces don’t reflect the current you. So, if you cull them, you’re opening a wardrobe each morning full of things that you like, and you feel good in, and that generally all work together. It makes the experience so much nicer.”
Invest in a forever bag
“I discovered Métier recently, a London-based accessories label, and I now have about five of its bags. They are so functional and cleverly designed; inside, they’re like a mini briefcase, with all these functional clips, so you can clip pouches on and off, or zip bits in to curate the everyday bag of your dreams. It helps me stay organized. But beyond that, I like the fact that there’s practically no logo, so you don’t really know what it is. It’s just epic quality; beautiful leather. They’re totally timeless. I can see myself giving those to my daughter one day.”
“When I’m buying accessories, I really look for pieces with interesting details that can feel quite sculptural, as if they are an art piece of their own accord
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Pay attention to form as well as function
“I wear Birkenstocks most days – my favorite is a black pair with white buckles, which are a bit more elevated than the normal styles – but when I’m buying accessories, I really look for pieces with interesting details that can feel quite sculptural, as if they are an art piece of their own accord. I have a lot of shoes from Neous, another London-based brand, and its heels always have such interesting shapes; the toe silhouette is so interesting. You won’t tire of them if you appreciate their form as an arty object.”
Don’t be afraid to say no to trends
“There’s this girlish trend happening across interiors and fashion at the moment – lots of frills, oversized bows, floral prints and very feminine, sexy shapes [in clothing], with lots of ribbons. And I love it – I think it suits so many people. But I’m not a very girly person, and I’ve gotten better at allowing myself to acknowledge and identify the trends, but then let them wash by me. I can appreciate them, but I’m OK with realizing that they just aren’t for me.”