MOUNT Gambier milliner Ashlee Kalantarian will give New York City slickers a taste of South East style next month.
In September, the mother-of-two will showcase her Ashlee Lauren headwear at one of the world’s biggest celebrations of style, New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
The accessories will also hit the runway at the Adelaide Fashion Festival in October.
From crafting the bespoke headpieces in her garage to gracing the catwalk in just five years, Ms Kalantarian said her label was about attention to detail.
“I create my pieces all from my garage, which I have transformed into a studio,” she said.
“It is a slow process, it takes hours to complete one piece.”
With the South East’s social scene thriving on horse racing events, Ms Kalantarian launched her first race-wear collection in March this year.
“That is what blew me out of the water and that’s where NYFW picked me up from,” she said.
A collection of 10 Ashlee Lauren pieces will be showcased through NYFW’s Fashion Palette, a platform which elevates Australian designers and connects them with the big players.
The Mount Gambier community helped raise $22,000 to support Ms Kalantarian’s participation, while $11,000 was raised through an online crowdfunder.
Ashlee Lauren will hit the peak of the South Australia fashion scene on October 12 for the Adelaide Fashion Festival Couture Culture runway show.
“I’m really fortunate to go to New York, but the Adelaide event will connect me to local people,” she said.
Ms Kalantarian began her love affair with design while studying visual communications at university before catching the travel bug and living in London, Canada and Dubai.
Dubai was where she became a flight attendant for Emirates and met her husband Ali.
After becoming pregnant with their first child, the pair relocated to Mount Gambier to be closer to Ms Kalantarian’s family and raise their children in the country.
The Ashlee Lauren label took flight when she made a brooch bouquet for her own wedding in 2012.
Word of her talent soon spread and her accessories were selling on popular online marketplace Etsy and featured in Bride Australia magazine.
Now around 20pc of her customer base is overseas while her accessories also retail at Adelaide couture label Alexis George.
“Living here has given me so much love and support, I don’t know if I would have been able to get that anywhere else,” Ms Kalantarian said.
