I am sooooo excited to introduce our newest member to the Collective! Ashley is one of the people you meet and you just know is pure magic! She is inspiring in all of her creative endeavours and you'll have to stay tuned to see what we cook up together. In the meantime I sat down to get a little background on where this ray of light came from........
What are your 3 big signs? (Sun, Moon, Rising)
Libra Sun
Leo Moon
Aries Rising
Where did you grow up?
I grew up just outside of Toronto!
What were you like as a child?
What immediately comes to mind is an image of me playing with Polly Pockets on my bedroom floor, turning my carpet into an entirely different world. I had a big imagination, and loved to create stories—and especially dress up my Polly Pockets in the cutest outfits! I was a somewhat quiet child, but also had a really silly and playful side when I was around my closest friends. I think I always walked around with a lot of caution, aware of what people thought of me, and trying to understand my place in the world. I definitely had an entrepreneurial spirit—another core childhood memory is turning my bedroom into “The A&S Spa” when I was around 10 years old with my older sister, Simone. We would book appointments by our landline phone and I would paint the nails of my extended family and all of my mom’s friends. We offered lemon water and frozen grapes as a snack, had a stamp card for returning “clients”, and a questionnaire to fill out after the appointment.
What did you do before starting Poesie?
It feels like I have already lived 100 lives! Right after high school I opted out of university and instead travelled—I spent 9 months on a work visa in Australia, and then 5 months backpacking through Mexico and Guatemala. I then decided to study Holistic Nutrition back in Toronto, which led me to a co-op position on a farm on Vancouver Island, which is when I fell in love with the Island. After graduating, I ended up getting a job here as an Executive Assistant for an entrepreneur, and that role had at least ten roles within it, so I learned a lot in my 6.5 years with the company. In 2023, I left that job to pursue my creative passions, and since then I’ve been a photographer and brand builder for women entrepreneurs, all while sharing fun thrift videos on the side. Which is how I ended up here, with Poesie, creating my dream preloved clothing brand, and basically becoming the little girl who loved dressing up Polly Pockets again :)
Where does the name Poesie come from?
It’s a pretty magical story about how the name Poesie came to be! This past December I joined a market to write custom poems for people—oh yeah, I also love poetry (and have since childhood!). My passion for poetry was returning when the opportunity to join The Cream Collective arose. I was wracking my brain for names for my brand, and wanted to incorporate something around poetry. I kept thinking of the name “Poetrie”, and when I would think about it, I would hear in my brain, “Poesie” (spelled just like that). After about a week of this happening, I finally decided to look up the word “Poesie” and see what it meant. To my absolute surprise, this is what came up in the Google search: : a poem or body of poems. You can imagine how my jaw dropped!!! So I knew it was meant to be.
What was the catalyst in choosing to be an entrepreneur?
In many ways, I think becoming an entrepreneur was always a part of my path. Looking back at my earliest examples, the drive was always within me. However middle and high school really messed with my confidence and voice, and it took me many years to truly see myself as a leader.
In recent years, the biggest catalyst was probably seeing first-hand how male-dominated the business world still is. I’m so grateful there are so many women now rising into entrepreneurship, but the gap between women and men is still far greater than it should be (60–65% of entrepreneurs are still men), and don’t even get me started on the income gap! But it’s in our power as women to change that. We need to step up and see ourselves as the leaders and power makers, because the people who currently hold the power sure won’t. I could go on and on about this, but simply put, I want to be the change I want to see.
What is your favourite Vintage/Preloved item that you own?
Ooohhh this is hard!!! My favourite items that I consistently wear are definitely my black cowboy boots and black penny lane coat. Both make me feel so alive and sexy no matter the rest of the outfit!!
I have to give an honourable mention to my highschool prom dress, which I thrifted and had altered by a seamstress (added a slit and two cutouts in the stomach area). It’s honestly pretty dang timeless, and I’m extra proud that younger me went against the norm to wear something secondhand.
When you're not curating vintage, taking photos, or working on brand designs, where can we find you?
This made me laugh because these days it’s where you can find me most! Otherwise it’s going for a stroll or sitting on a bench by the ocean. Or most likely at my home, cooking something yummy or cuddling up on the couch with my fiancé!
What is on your nightstand?
A cool circle lamp, two crystals (rose & clear quartz quartz), two hair elastics and a scrunchie, and a pack of Mintier Mouth tape (which I haven’t used in months, but probably should get back into the habit of).
Who are your favourite bands/musicians/songs?
I know this is weird, but I’ve never been a person to consistently listen to one band/musician/song. I kind of just have a rotation going. I was pretty obsessed with Lily Allen’s new album “West End Girl” when it came out last year (it blew my mind lol). Some songs I love: Shy Girl - Haute & Freddy, Mary Boone - Vampire Weekend, It’s Called: Freefall - Paris Paloma, Stockholmsvy - Hannes, Waterbaby. And then my absolute favourite artist of all time has to be my fiancé, Elijah Flowers (shameless plug). Double Down and Afterlife are my favs 🤭
Why are you excited to join this collective?
Oh gosh, where do I start?! I feel like the answer instantly appears as soon as I walk in the door of Cream. A space that is filled with art, beauty, magic, and whimsy. Intentionally curated and created to support local creatives of all kinds. I wrote this earlier this month, and haven’t shared it yet, so this feels like the perfect place.
What Stacey has created is nothing short of incredible. A space for artists, makers and healers of all kinds to share their magic in the world. I felt it the first time I stepped into Cream—something was different. Actually, even before Cream was a physical space, I bought a sun catcher that Stacey made (not knowing who she was) and immediately felt the magic. Over four years later, it is still one of my favourite pieces in my home and something I’ve bought for many people I love. I think sun catchers are the perfect metaphor for Stacey’s magic—she captures light and turns it into something even more beautiful for the world to see. That is how I feel joining Cream Collective. An entirely new wave of creativity unleashed. Dreams my teenage self had coming to fruition. A community of likeminded souls sharing their creative expression. It could not be more special or aligned. The synchronicities that led to this are purely divine! Thank you Stacey for creating such a safe, epic, and powerful space. I am so excited for what this next chapter will hold!!!!
And to anyone reading this, I hope to meet you and chat with you soon! This community is so dang special, and it’s an honour to share my outpouring of creative love through Poesie. If you have any questions or just want to say hi, connect with me on IG @poesie.preloved or @ashleylovecreatives.