Behind the Scenes
Ashley Williams has built a reputation around fashion that feels playful, rebellious and unmistakably personal. Her Spring/Summer collection brought together teenage nostalgia, streetwear, glamour and exaggerated 1980s references, creating a world where pretty and punk could exist side by side. For CARRO, photographing the collection backstage offered a different perspective from the runway. Away from the full spectacle of the show, the photographs capture the details of the clothes, styling and personalities that made Ashley Williams’ presentation so distinctive.
Teenage Dreams and Nostalgia
The collection was inspired in part by the designer’s teenage years and by the cult figure of River Phoenix. That influence appeared through graphic T-shirts, slogan pieces and a nostalgic 1990s sensibility, while the presentation itself was transformed into an exaggerated teenage bedroom filled with furniture, toys, television sets and personal objects. This sense of adolescence was central to the collection, but Williams avoided making it simply sentimental. Instead, she mixed youthful references with sharper tailoring, glamour and a deliberately rebellious attitude.
Prints, Slogans and Statement Pieces
The clothes moved between contrasting identities. River Phoenix appeared on printed T-shirts, while angel and cherub motifs featured across pyjamas, two-piece looks and varsity jackets. Hoodies and knitwear carried bold slogans, alongside denim dungarees and colourful streetwear pieces. There was also a more sophisticated side to the collection. Grey checked tailoring, bright floral suits, tuxedo-inspired pieces and exaggerated 1980s silhouettes brought a sense of structure to the otherwise playful wardrobe. Boxy shoulders and loose proportions gave the tailoring a deliberately youthful feel.
The Beauty of Contrast
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Ashley Williams’ work is the way opposites are brought together. Frills were worn with streetwear, beaded pieces were layered over casual tops, and pretty dresses were toughened with chunky footwear and bold accessories. The styling continued this contrast. Crystal jewellery, oversized earrings, sparkling chokers, statement sunglasses and diamanté hair clips added glamour, while the models’ individual hair colours and unconventional beauty looks kept the overall mood rebellious and slightly unpredictable.
Backstage with CARRO
Backstage photography gives these clothes a different energy. Instead of seeing the collection only as a complete runway look, CARRO’s photographs can focus on the individual elements; the texture of a garment, a graphic print, a piece of jewellery, the attitude of a model or the preparation immediately before the show. That is particularly important with Ashley Williams, where styling is such an essential part of the story. The clothing, hair, makeup and accessories work together to create characters rather than simply outfits.
Ashley Williams’ collection demonstrated a very London approach to fashion: irreverent, nostalgic, individual and unafraid of mixing references. It brought together teenage memories, street culture, glamour and exaggerated tailoring without trying to make everything feel polished or conventional. Seen through CARRO’s lens, the backstage atmosphere becomes part of that story. The photographs preserve the moments before the models step onto the runway, capturing the personalities and details that give Ashley Williams’ clothes their unmistakable attitude.
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