Ashley Stewart Archives

Ashley Stewart partners with Loni Love for holiday 2019 collection

November 7, 2019

The following is a press release from Ashley Stewart:

Ashley Stewart®, the leading lifestyle, fashion and social commerce brand, is excited to announce an exclusive holiday collection in partnership with Loni Love, long-time friend, two-time Finding Ashley Stewart finale host, Emmy Award winning comedian, actress, author and Celebrity Host of The Real.

Launching just in time for the upcoming holiday season, the 2019 Fall/Winter collection consists of trend-focused pieces curated by the comedic icon herself, offering the perfect holiday wardrobe for the modern day woman.

“As someone that has been wearing Ashley Stewart for as long as I can remember, collaborating with the Ashley family on my first-ever fashion partnership has been a dream come true,” said Loni Love. “Ashley Stewart is so much more than a clothing brand; it’s a movement and a lifestyle empowering and changing the lives of every day women. After serving as the host of the Finding Ashley Stewart finale for two consecutive years, I’ve experienced that sense of community firsthand. I’m honored and so excited to grow my partnership with Ashley Stewart by curating this year’s Fall/Winter holiday collection, and can’t wait to see how my curvy community rocks these looks all season long!”

Incorporating festive holiday colors, textiles, and textures, the exclusive Ashley Stewart X Loni Love Holiday collection includes 10 special occasion styles hand-selected by Loni. Offering consumers a peek into Loni’s Ashley Stewart closet, each of these pieces aims to seamlessly fit into Loni’s lifestyle and yours with festive loungewear for hanging out with family at home to statement styles ready for the spotlight, so everyone has the chance to rock their favorite style just like Loni Love this holiday season. The Loni Love x Ashley Stewart Holiday Collection is available for purchase beginning today in-stores and online at AshleyStewart.com in sizes 10 – 3X, and ranging in price from $40 – $80.

“Ashley Stewart has always strived to be more than a retailer, standing for individuality, community, and fun,” said James Rhee, Ashley Stewart Chairman and CEO. “Loni Love has been a great friend and ally in our mission for years. Partnering with her on this holiday collection and her first fashion partnership was a natural progression of our friendship and we couldn’t be happier to share her collection with the Ashley family.”

For more information and to shop the new Ashley Stewart X Loni Love holiday collection, visit AshleyStewart.com and follow @ByAshleyStewart and @ByAshleyTV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart is a global fashion and lifestyle brand that has propelled itself to be on the vanguard of social commerce and purpose-driven business. Since its founding in 1991 in Brooklyn, New York, Ashley Stewart has always stood for uncompromising style, fashion, confidence & empowerment for the woman who flaunts her curves. Today, Ashley Stewart offers the hottest looks with 88 stores across the United States, a leading and global e-commerce presence at www.ashleystewart.com, a powerful social media presence @byashleystewart and a growing multimedia and events arm at AshleyTV. Every year, through the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour, Ashley Stewart traverses the country looking to recognize women who embody the ideals of the Ashley Stewart women: kindness, resilience, confidence, and community leadership. Through #ASGives, Ashley Stewart engages in programs such as the #AshleyCollegeTour to make long-term investments into the communities that have supported the brand for close to 30 years.

About Loni Love
Loni Love is a comedienne, actress, 2-time NAACP Image Award and Emmy winning co-host of TV’s “The Real” and the nationally syndicated radio show “Café Mocha”.

Ashley Stewart has Salt-N-Pepa, Faith Evans, Loni Love at 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart event

September 16, 2019

The following is a press release from Ashley Stewart:

On September 14, Ashley Stewart, the leading lifestyle, fashion and social commerce brand, hosted its third annual, star-studded Finding Ashley Stewart finale event in search of their 2019 brand ambassador, naming Addlia Edwards as this year’s winner.

Edwards is a hairstylist and makeup artist, hailing from Atlanta, GA. She has a love for dancing, reading, singing, and bling things, and has always encouraged young girls to rise up and embrace their strength. Edwards uses her voice to empower others to “do what you want to do, and be who you want to be.”

2019 Finding Ashley Stewart finalists with host Loni Love (third from left) winner, Addlia Edwards (holding flowers) at the 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart Finale Event at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on September 14, 2019. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)

“‘I Am Ashley’ – always have been, always will be – but now, to say I am officially Ashley Stewart 2019, is truly an honor,” said Addlia Edwards Ashley Stewart 2019. “Ashley Stewart has always meant so much more to me than just another fashion brand. Visiting an Ashley Stewart store is like going to your best friend’s house. It’s a home away from home and a place to go to reignite your confidence and feel empowered, and now by telling my story, hopefully I can inspire other girls, teens and women across the country to embark on their own journey to becoming the best versions of themselves – and who knows, maybe even Ashley Stewart 2020.”

The sold-out event celebrated all women who stand for leadership, confidence, resilience, kindness and public service, with special feature performances that brought down the house by legendary American hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa, Faith Evans, Kid Capri, DJ Olivia Dope, BK United Drumline & Dancers, and more, along with Power 105.1’s Honey German, who hosted the pink carpet pre-show.

“We heard all about the Finding Ashley Stewart finale from year’s passed, but had no idea what we really signed up for until we stepped foot on that stage Saturday night,” said Salt-N-Pepa. “It was the most amazing night, with the most lively audience, celebrating a shared love of community. We were so honored to be part of this year’s event and are proud to say that ‘We are Ashley Stewart’.”

Loni Love at the 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart Finale Event at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on September 14, 2019. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)

The Finding Ashley Stewart finale was hosted by comedian, actress and Emmy Award-winning host of “The Real,” Loni Love, whose jokes kept the audience on their toes and entertained through the night.

Celebrity judges and special guests attended and had the crowd going wild, including producer and media mogul Yandy Smith, drag queen, performer and Season 11 contestant of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Silky Ganache, American journalist and essayist Charisse Jones, Partner & Chief Relationship Officer at Egami Group Mike Warner, and former 2018 and 2017 Ashley Stewart winners Tiffany Flamer and Theresa Larsen.

2019 Finding Ashley Stewart Scholarship winners with Sekou Kaalund, head of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Advancing Black Pathways (second from right) and James Rhee, chairman and CEO of Ashley Stewart (far right) at the 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart Finale Event at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on September 14, 2019. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)

As part of Ashley Stewart’s #ASGives initiative – a philanthropic platform for long-term investments in the communities that have supported the brand for close to 30 years – the 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart finale event awarded over $300,000 in scholarships and charitable donations, partnering with organizations such as Susan G. Komen, Black Retail Action Group, and others. Ashley Stewart surprised Loni Love at the end of the night by awarding scholarships to two students, Alexis Hunter and Jamelarmeshia Reddick, from her alma mater, Prairie View University. Sekou Kaalund, head of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Advancing Black Pathways, appeared on stage to help present additional $5,000 individual scholarships to Spelman College students Diop Russell and Chablise Davis, Montclair State University students Kristen Walsh and Jordanne Nelson, Rutgers University students Erica Lassiter and Heba Hallak, Hampton University student Jayla Brown, Medgar Evers College students Ginette Dimanche and Brooke Lugo Smith, Texas Southern University students Meghan Narcisse and Asia Bryant, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University student Zoë Mitchell, New Jersey City University students Evana Lyka Jornales and Georgina Moore, Georgia State University student Taylor McNeil, and North Carolina A&T State University student Lauren Atkinson.

For more information on this year’s Finding Ashley Stewart finale event, 2019 winner Addlia Edwards as well as past year’s winners Theresa Royals and Tiffany Flamer, watch the 2019 recap at YouTube.com/FindingAshleyStewart, and visit AshleyStewart.com/FindingAshleyStewart. Follow @ByAshleyStewart and @ByAshleyTV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to learn more #FindingAshleyStewart and #AshleyCollegeTour news.

Judges Yandy Smith, Silky Ganache, Theresa Royals and Mike Warner at the 2019 Finding Ashley Stewart Finale Event at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on September 14, 2019. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)

About Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart is a global fashion and lifestyle brand that has propelled itself to be on the vanguard of social commerce and purpose-driven business. Since its founding in 1991 in Brooklyn, New York, Ashley Stewart has always stood for uncompromising style, fashion, confidence & empowerment for the woman who flaunts her curves. Today, Ashley Stewart offers the hottest looks with 88 stores across the United States, a leading and global e-commerce presence at www.ashleystewart.com, a powerful social media presence @byashleystewart and a growing multimedia and events arm at AshleyTV. Every year, through the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour, Ashley Stewart traverses the country looking to recognize women who embody the ideals of the Ashley Stewart women: leadership, confidence, resilience, kindness and public service. Through #ASGives, Ashley Stewart engages in programs such as the #AshleyCollegeTour to make long-term investments into the communities that have supported the brand for close to 30 years.

Ashley Stewart announces performers for 2018 Finding Ashley Stewart finale: Naughty by Nature, SWV, MC Lyte, Denise Belfon, DJ Kid Capri

July 10, 2018

The following is a press release from Ashley Stewart:

Ashley Stewart®, a leading fashion and social commerce brand, is excited to announce additional award-winning celebrities and an initial slate of judges for the second annual #FindingAshleyStewart Finale event at the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, September 15^th.

The legendary, award-winning hip-hop trio, Naughty By Nature, comprised of Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee, will be performing at this year’s star-studded event and help celebrate the crowning of Miss Ashley Stewart 2018. They will be joining previously announced performers SWV, MC Lyte, Denise Belfon and DJ Kid Capri.

There will also be a special presentation by award-winning broadcast journalist and executive producer, Soledad O’Brien, who will help award Ashley Stewart College Tour scholarships to deserving students selected from local institutions as part of the #AshleyCollegeTour. Ms. O’Brien is the founder and CEO of Starfish Media Group and an award-winning journalist, public speaker, author and philanthropist.

The exciting, initial lineup of celebrity judges represent leaders from industries ranging from fashion and wellness to entertainment and technology. Joining Ashley Stewart for the evening will be Sonia Jackson Myles, Founder of The Sister Accord® and Author of “The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To LOVE Your Sister”; Kathryn Finney, Founder and Managing Director of the groundbreaking social enterprise didtechnology/digitalundivided (DID); Sharon Quinn, Pioneer, Talk Show Host and The ORIGINAL Runway Diva!; and Mikki Taylor, ESSENCE Magazine Editor-at-Large, Leading Authority on “Inner and outer” beauty and Author of “Editor in Chic.”

A total of 20 semi-finalists will be selected from the expansive seven month-long national tour and digital search, and narrowed down through an online voting contest from July 27 to August 8, resulting in the top eight finalists who will be named on August 10 These eight women will be competing at the Finding Ashley Stewart Finale at the Kings Theatre on September 15^th in front of a panel of influential judges to be crowned as Miss Ashley Stewart 2018. The Finale winner will also receive a $10,000 prize package, head-to-toe makeover, new Ashley Stewart wardrobe, exclusive photoshoots, Ashley TV segments, sponsored prizes, and so much more! There is still time to enter the digital contest, before it closes on Saturday, July 21. Visit AshleyStewart.com/FindingAshleyStewartDigitalContest to register.

Dazzle amongst your favorite stars on the Pink Carpet with your friends and family, and join us in celebrating this powerful night. Tickets are selling out quickly, get yours now at Ticketmaster before it’s too late. Learn more about #FindingAshleyStewart, our partners including Creme of Nature®, the exclusive hair product sponsor for a second year in a row, and #AshleyCollegeTour news by visiting AshleyStewart.com/FindingAshleyStewart and following @ByAshleyStewart and @ByAshleyTV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Ashley Stewart

Ashley Stewart is a global fashion and lifestyle brand that has propelled itself to be on the vanguard of social commerce. Since its founding in 1991 in Brooklyn, New York, Ashley Stewart has always stood for uncompromising style, fashion, confidence & empowerment for the woman who flaunts her curves. Today, Ashley Stewart offers the hottest looks with 89 stores across the United States, a leading and global e-commerce presence at www.ashleystewart.com, a powerful social media presence @byashleystewart and a growing multimedia and events arm at AshleyTV. Every year, through the Findiing Ashley Stewart Tour, Ashley Stewart traverses the country looking to recognize women who embody the ideals of the Ashley Stewart women: kindness, resilience, confidence, community and fashion. Through #ASGives, Ashley Stewart engages in programs such as the #AshleyCollegeTour to make long-term investments into the communities that have supported the brand for close to 30 years.

Ashley Stewart launches first concept store in Newark

April 3, 2017

Ashley Stewart Newark (Photo courtesy of Ashley Stewart)

The following is an excerpt from an Ashley Stewart press release:

Ashley Stewart, the premier lifestyle destination for plus-size women’s fashion, announced today that it has unveiled it’s first-ever concept store in Newark, New Jersey. To serve Ashley’s community of women, the new 4,500 square feet store offers a completely revolutionary shopping experience. Coined “The Ashley Stewart Lab,” the shop houses a full range of branded apparel, jewelry and handbags, and for the first-time ever, incorporates a social lounge, which ultimately houses a marketplace dedicated to a curated selection of Ashley’s favorite non-apparel brands.

In a move to engage customers into Ashley’s incredibly powerful, women-driven social universe, the concept store features a social lounge that serves as a fashion haven for girlfriends to gather and celebrate their curves. The store also has large fitting rooms that lead to a runway-ready lounge, complete with a digital display that streams the brand’s Ashley TV multimedia content. To customize the shopping experience, the store also features dedicated vignettes, including a Casual Shop, Career Shop and Intimates Shop, all for women who love their curves.

As the first brick-and-mortar opening since the reinvention of Ashley Stewart in 2013, this new store marks a significant move for the brand because it is also a return to Newark; a city that encompasses many of the same traits – perseverance, resilience, and hope – which drove Ashley Stewart to prevail.

“We are particularly excited for Ashley Stewart’s return to Newark,” remarked Nicole Goodman, Manager of Ashley Stewart Newark. “In many ways Ashley is reconnecting with a good friend from the past, and we are thrilled to give her something to talk about with this new store concept.

The new Ashley Stewart store is located in the Springfield Avenue Marketplace at 204 Springfield Avenue, Newark, New Jersey and is the retail chain’s 90th store. To celebrate the opening, Ashley Stewart had an opening party for their Divas on April 1 and will have a ribbon cutting with the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation and Mayor Ras Baraka on April 13, 2017.

On April 22, 2017, Ashley Stewart will host Finding Ashley Stewart 2017 at the store. The event is the fourth of eight stops on a national tour which, combined with an online search for finalists this summer, which will culminate in New York City with a grand finale in September. This nationwide search will award the title of “Ashley Stewart 2017” to a woman who embodies and exudes the confidence, strength and fierceness that has become synonymous with Ashley Stewart.