Ashtyn Williams

Adornment is a collection of bodily adornments handmade by Ashtyn Williams that question conventional jewelry and how we interact with the items that we hold closest to our bodies. This collection centers around personal storytelling and how bodies are used as communicative mediums to express our identities, true or perceived. The tension between differentiation and conformity is explored in the creations as they are intended to be unique and personal to the wearer, which develops a hard-to-find sense of adornment, yet provides a sense of ‘fitting in’ by being artistic pieces that won’t go out of fashion. Through exploring my intersectional identity, I learned how sacred adorning the body can be and how nonlinear storytelling can be told within my creations. That the duality of sustainability through timelessness and expressing unique parts of our beings is not something we must all need to conquer, but a concept to be pushed, pulled, and played with.

At the end of my four-year experience in the Fashion Communication program, I can say that I have evolved as an overall creative. From the foundation of learning new software, refining skills, and gaining an expanded perspective of the fashion industry as a whole, each year has brought me closer to understanding the person I am meant to be. I particularly cherish the knowledge I have learned about sustainability and principles that are important to me, and how I can apply them to my work. Although, I think that the biggest takeaway for me is understanding my passions within fashion such as styling, creative direction, and photography, but most importantly, jewelry design. Jewelry design and handmade bodily adornments are such an intrinsic part of me now and I’m grateful to have found this passion. Having a better understanding of my route in fashion has allowed me to be more confident in my designs and work while making creations that are a reflection of me.