Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Galloway.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I studied photography at the University of Illinois. I was always fascinated with fashion publishing and magazines, namely Vogue, W, and Interview—everything produced in New York.
After college, I moved to New York and assisted on photo shoots for clients like Mercedes Benz, Williams-Sonoma, and the Barefoot Contessa. I applied for a job at Teen Vogue magazine. With determination and perseverance, I got an interview after six months of reminding them I existed. I was hired as a photo assistant, working with the first generation of editors and art directors. We built the roster of photographers, stylists, and hair and makeup professionals, as well as Teen Vogue’s look and feel.
After two and a half years, I moved to London for a master’s in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. I wanted to stay in the creative sector while learning the business acumen behind it and in one of the world’s art centers. I worked at art galleries, as well as the Victoria & Albert Museum and Tate, in their sponsorships department. At Tate, I partnered with BP, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and LVMH to help build their presence, hospitality, and marketing at the museum.
After four years in London, I moved to L.A. to join Who What Wear as they were building the company. I was their first photo producer. I produced Look of the Day, which pioneered shop-able fashion content, and advertising for Cadillac, Cover Girl, and Puma’s collaboration with Solange. I did trend forecasting too, identifying what was happening in fashion and culture to craft stories for Who What Wear and our clients. It was a fun time to be there, to help shape the company’s direction.
Four years ago, I moved back to Chicago, my hometown. To build Perrier’s market and cultural programming, I partnered with the MCA and curator Naomi Beckwith to launch a national art prize, and with Michigan Avenue magazine on a Perrier-sponsored arts and culture issue.
Throughout the city, I produced cultural events for the brand that were drawing 10,000 to 50,000 people a month. It was a great way to meet and collaborate with the people who are creating a culture in Chicago.
I joined the Chicago Architecture Biennial team last spring to produce their opening week, their VIP communications and visitor experience, parties, Mayor’s Dinner, and an Opening Celebration that 4,000 people attended. Now I’m partnering with various clients, including The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize at IIT, and Dirk Denison Architects on marketing and strategy for his new book, which comes out this fall.
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?
I moved to New York soon after 9/11, and New York was still recovering.
In London, the economy crashed as I started graduate school. Moving and building a network is challenging, and even more so during uncertain times in history.
We’re very focused on the day-to-day, and the immediate, but those big shifts can really affect opportunities and the general mood. We don’t always realize it until later, but it has taught me a lot, and I’m happy to be where I am now.
What do you specialize in, and what are you known for?
I thrive on cultivating audiences, getting people excited, and getting people to pay attention. Whether that means enticing them to physically come to space and experience an event or cultural happening. Or creating something like a digital asset or print product that will really grab them.
I think creatively about what an audience will like, and then find the best way to get it in front of them. I love surveying what’s being done in a market, and then trusting my gut to push the conversation forward and make something even better. I know the right people to call, and we get it done.
What are you most proud of about your work?
I’m really proud of the network I’ve built, and the relationships I have, in Chicago and other major cities in the U.S. and overseas. I’m also proud of how much fun we have when we collaborate—I don’t take that for granted. The result of each project feels like an achievement: It’s so rewarding to have a beautiful image, a magazine or cultural experience that people love and talk about.
Is Chicago is a good place to be in a business such as yours?
Chicagoans are invested in their city and its culture. They have civic pride, which creates an exciting atmosphere for getting to know people and creating deep relationships. The city has world-class culture and business, and still, there is a lot of potential and room for growth. That’s ideal if you’re a maker or an innovator and you want to create new opportunities.
What about someone starting out in their career? Would you recommend Chicago as a place to establish themselves?
This city is rife with opportunity if you are professional, innovative, and good at following through. People are enthusiastic, and they want more. They work hard, and they care. You couldn’t find a better audience. New York and L.A. may speak louder sometimes, but Chicago is moving in a direction where that is changing more and more. People come here and love it. You meet interesting, international people who are making moves.
For creative people who want to start out in a big industry, Chicago also has some of the world’s best firms in the business, architecture, design, advertising, and PR. You can get amazing, tangible experience and then spin off and start your own business with that knowledge. It’s easy to build a network and put things in motion.
Contact Info:
- Website: ashleygalloway.com
- Email: mail@ashleygalloway.com
- Instagram: @ashley.galloway
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
