Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Bousquet.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My business started while I was backpacking in India. I was at the end of an around the world trip when I discovered the magic of India. I was in complete awe of the colors that were constantly swirling around me and the confidence of the women that were dripping in them. I knew I had to expose this beautiful madness to the Western World. While shopping at a market one day, I met a young woman who told me she could make me anything I wanted.
I hopped on the back of her motorbike, went to her house and we started sifting through used Indian Saris. We created my first kimono and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on. I knew I had something special. I was envisioning women beaming with confidence and people on the dance floor swirling around with these gorgeous colorful silks. I continued to make kimonos, dresses and collect treasures throughout my trip.
When I came home to San Diego, one of my first experiments was at Lightning in a Bottle. I had to see if this was all in my head. I set up a clothing rack outside my tent on the campgrounds with my kimonos. Within seconds I had a crowd around my clothing rack which naturally turned into a dance party. I sold out within 45 minutes. Throughout my travels, I have always attempted to put into words the magic that I find across the world. I felt like I had finally been heard. I finally found a way to show my world at home a piece of what I have been discovering all these years. Setting my clothing rack up at Lightning in a Bottle was only about a year and a half ago. I am now selling in stores and festivals all over the country. My business has blossomed in a way I could never imagine.
A few months after starting Luna Wild, I realized that I am an employer, I can CHOOSE who is involved in my business. Since India has allowed me to discover my purpose, I wanted to give back in any way that I can. Through networking and a lot of research, I found an organization in Mumbai that rehabilitates victims of human trafficking. The whole purpose is not to deal with the symptoms but dealing with the root causes bringing systematic change. They’ve established a drop-in center that is located right in the middle of the red light area in Sonapur, Mumbai. It caters to the women in the brothels, most of them victims of human trafficking. By building relationships and providing an opportunity through trainings and various events, they can learn and enhance skills that can help them consider moving on to a better and more respectable future.
It also serves as a daycare center to provide the children in the area an opportunity to restore their childhood, protection from vulnerable surroundings, access to quality education, a nutritious feeding program and conduct regular activities to promote hygiene and good health. There is also a serrate training center that runs a rehabilitation program that has a formal literacy program and livelihood training preparing trainees for mainstream society and lives independent lives.
During this program, Purnata provides safe housing, food, clothing and healthcare to victims. Not only does Purnata work directly with the women in the rehab program and in the red light area but they also work alongside concerned state and law enforcement agencies to create a higher risk for traffickers in transit routes to ensure safe and regulated migration. Their team does surveillance at major railway stations in Mumbai and children rescue missions in transit and railway stations.
How does Luna Wild play a part? After the rehabilitation program, the women do vocational training in tailoring that way. They can actually obtain a skill set that will promote a healthy and lively lifestyle. When they are done with this program, they are then hired to create the beautiful pieces that are offered to you. Currently, there are four women that have graduated from this program and are working for Luna Wild Collection! Not only are these women provided with a job, they are receiving love and support which can have a huge effect on the choices that they make daily. Their recovery process is a battle they face every single day and it is important that we show them they are living a life of purpose.
The clothing that is created in my collection gives people the power to be bold and feel confident with their self-expression, not only by the colors and intricate detail but by the hands of hope that created them. Luna Wild does not only allow me to live with purpose but it also allows my customers to live with purpose too. Their support is providing jobs to women who desperately need them. My main motive with my business is to put as much purpose into it as possible. I want to continue to provide jobs to people who need them most and connect cultures by celebrating traditional artistry all around the world.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Luna Wild started off as a passion project. I have no experience in business or fashion! It has been a wild road starting a business with zero experience. I am so incredibly grateful to be in San Diego and be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals that are entrepreneurs filled with passion. I do not know where I would be if I didn’t have the support of other business owners climbing the ladder of success. I have also struggled with working with people from abroad. It is incredibly difficult to find people that you can trust that have completely different values, work ethic and standards of quality. From phone calls at 4 am to racing around the chaotic streets of India myself, this is a 24-hour job!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Luna Wild Collection story. Tell us more about the business.
What I am proud of the most is that my business doesn’t just represent clothing. It represents empowerment, confidence and connection. My clothes are made from recycled materials that were found through adventure and made by the hands of women that are destined for a better future. They carry an energy that instantly lights you up. The people that choose to support me are making a conscious decision to support a business that is deciding to do more. I want to use this business as a platform to change lives however, that may be.
As a single person, I can only do so much. But with this incredible business, I finally have a way to be bigger and make a bigger impact. Not only for me but the people that support me. Everything I have is one of a kind, just like all of us. I love being on the dance floor and spotting people twirling around in my kimonos having the time of their life. A lot of times people approach me afterwards or message me online and tell me how beautiful they feel wearing their piece. It is the best feeling in the world to be able to give someone the feeling of self-love. Clothing goes so beyond something physical. We should all dress to express ourselves, our individuality and feel good about where exactly that clothing came from.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There is no such thing as luck, I worked hard to be where I am and I made the decisions to do so. People tell me all the time that I am so “lucky” I get to travel. It’s not that I am lucky, I made a choice to work multiple jobs, prioritize my spending and make the sacrifices necessary to be able to live the life that I do. I also had the courage to not give up on myself and trust the process. I knew I was not fit for an office job and I would not settle on a career that did not put purpose in my life. I continued to do what I love most, traveling.
And because of that, I found my purpose organically. Too many people try to create a life that isn’t fit for them and it creates a tunnel vision blocking out the doors that were meant for them in the first place. I never thought I would be in fashion nor would I have had a goal to be in fashion. However, this business gives me a purpose in this world, allows me to travel, connects me to my community, gives me the ability to empower others and so on. It was never luck, it was all making wise choices, having the confidence that what is meant for me will find it’s way and continue to do what I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.lunawildcollection.com
- Phone: 18608366032
- Instagram: Lunawildcollection
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