Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Alexiss.
Hi Ashley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Ashley Alexiss. I’m a 33-year-old, Boston native who is completely self-made. Starting my professional modeling career in 2010, I was always nagged for my height and weight and told I’d “Never be a real model.” I tried numerous agencies, managers, you name it, I reached out and tried it; nobody would give me a chance. So, I chose to figure it out on my own. To this day, in 2024, I still have never had any help and am proud to consider myself self-made.
It definitely hasn’t been easy, but I live by, “if it was easy, everyone would do it.” I’ve been extremely lucky for the creation of social media. I was always social media savvy. Stemming back to 2004 on Myspace days. I was able to connect with people through my authenticity & that grew through to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. I like to say I was popular on social media before “influencers” were even a thing. I used those platforms to create relationships with people who wanted to be part of my journey and allowed them to follow along. Not just for the good parts either! Good, bad, and ugly, I’ve chosen to remain open and honest about my life and the steps I’ve taken to get where I am.
Looking back on 14 years of my career, I still feel like I’m just getting started. Yes, I’ve worked with the big dogs like Maxim and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, among many others. But I still have a lot to prove to myself. I’m definitely my own worst critic, and I believe I can do more. When people ask me what my end goal is, my response is always “to create something that will outlive me.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being only 5’3 in this industry is not for the weak, haha. Then you add curves on top of that, and it’s an entirely different ball game. There were times I would walk into a potential manager’s office and be told to my face “You cannot be short AND fat and consider yourself a model.” My thick skin isn’t just in pictures, it’s internalized because I knew there was something in me worth taking a chance on, I’d just have to make my own path in order to make something happen.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Alexiss Swimwear?
In 2014, I had a rather large chest and noticed a lot of my female followers would comment on my swim tops that I usually had custom-made. They would beg to know where I got my tops, and a lightbulb went off for me: Let create a swimwear line for women to feel proud of. As I mentioned previously, I’ve always had the driving force of creating something that outlived me, and this could be that. I started researching the most common problems women had with swimwear, along with my own experiences. I would spend hours at fabrics shops and go through numerous samples until I believed I had a product worth sharing. In 2016 I really stepped it up and launched a bunch of new designs and fabrics and at that time, Alexiss Swimwear went from an A-G cup tops and S-2X bottoms. I allowed customers to share their experiences with the brand for a discount code on a future order and used those photos & testimonials across our socials. Our customers were the models. Real, everyday people with everyday experiences of every shape and size we offer. It was life-changing for me to read emails from women thanking me for helping them find their confidence again. Honestly, many brought tears to my eyes. Fast forward to 2018, and we expanded our sizing to A-L cup tops and S-5X bottoms to really align with our tagline “Beauty is Not a Size.” It was welcomed with open arms & thoroughly embraced. In 2024, we will be the most inclusive, USA-made luxury swimwear brand. It’s my baby and something I’ve worked so hard to create and share with others.
Right now, we’re in a bit of a lull due to extenuating circumstances but I’m hopeful that I’ll have my hands back on the brand and drive it to further success.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a total nerd. Truly, lol. Growing up, I was a straight-A student. I think I got my first B in high school. I was president of the National Honor Society, did tons of community service, was a student ambassador representing the United States in Australia for 3 weeks when I was 14. I mean I was buuuuussssyyyy. I also danced competitively and was a cheerleader. I’m exhausted even thinking about how I was able to even have friends while growing up.
As a little girl, believe it or not, I hated photos. I would put a big puss on my face if I saw a camera. (surprise, little Ashley, you love the camera now) Talk about a plot twist. I’m not sure why I hated the camera as much as I did. I think I just wasn’t confident. I had braces & glasses, and with both of those things, there was always a problem. I was notorious for one of my braces coming unglued and just sliding across the wire; super sexy I know.
Dance was an amazing outlet for me. I was never really popular. People knew who I was, but it wasn’t like I was the “it girl” in high school I was bullied heavily throughout Kindergarden-senior year in high school. It weighed heavily on me and affected me to the point of physically being sick. As much as I hated that time in my life, I’m really glad I had it because it helped me adjust to having a thick skin. It’s truly created an armor for me to take on the industry I’m in and succeed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ShopAlexiss.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/AshAlexiss
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshleyAlexiss
- Twitter: @AshAlexiss
- Other: Tiktok: @AshAlexiss
