Living Out Loud

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Lisa Burwell and Ashley Longshore at Ashley's pop-up grand opening on the seventh floor at Bergdorf Goodman on January 11, 2018. | Photo by Carlo Pieroni

by Lisa Burwell

In a world of monotonous homogeneity, it is a breath of fresh air to meet a real original, someone who is a leader and not a follower. Meet pop artist Ashley Longshore. She wears her pied piper persona boldly while projecting confidence, joy, inspiration, and sincerity to her countless fans and art collectors alike. She is a social marketing wizard and uses various digital platforms to communicate her thoughts, beliefs, moods, wisdom, advice, and, of course, her coveted art in an irreverent—but always honest—way. Many who follow Ashley daily on Instagram can only dream of being able to own a piece of her artwork, but they find amusement, great comfort, and a boost of confidence as she preaches that if they work hard and believe in themselves, then greatness can be theirs for the taking.

When visiting Ashley’s Instagram feed, I am often inspired to pause and think. She truly lives out loud and boldly attacks each day to follow her dreams. While on the road to finding her success, Ashley makes a lot of people laugh and smile. She’s an artist who not only creates bold and eye-catching art but she crafts joy as well. There are so many people in this world who do not shine as brightly as they could; that may be because they are not living out loud and being who they are truly meant to be. Think how different the world would be if more people lived a free and liberated life, doing what they were intended to do. The world would be a much more diverse, dynamic, and dramatic place!

Lisa Burwell and Ashley Longshore at Ashley’s pop-up grand opening on the seventh floor at Bergdorf Goodman on January 11, 2018. | Photo by Carlo Pieroni

A Longshore Audrey (Audrey Hepburn is one of Ashley’s favorite muses) graced the cover of VIE’s 2013 Artist Issue (May/June). Ashley was already well on her way to fame and fortune by then. Today, the queen herself is on the cover of our 2018 Couture Issue. We are thrilled to show off this inspirational woman who is making her mark—and making the world a better place while doing it. So, grab a glass of wine, settle into your favorite easy chair, and read Melanie Cissone’s story, “Pop Art’s Rebel Queen,” to learn a lot more about my friend, Ashley Longshore, a soon-to-be legend. Enjoy!

Be bold and brilliant this year, and let joy be your constant companion!

To Life!