Community Highlights: Meet Ashley-Victoria Smith of Voglia Swimwear

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley-Victoria Smith.

Hi Ashley-Victoria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
I literally dreamed this whole shebang, this vision – so when I woke up, I said to myself that I had to bring this to life. I actually dreamt that I had models walking the NYFW catwalk in NASA-inspired swimwear, with exhaust steaming from the sides as if the spaceship had just landed, Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” song was playing, and the smell of coconut oil lingered in the air. I knew if I was going to do this, it had to have purpose I didn’t want to be just another swimwear brand – so after five years of researching everything from fashion waste to climate change to better sustainable practices, I decided to bring Voglia Swimwear to life. 

Voglia means “wish” in Italian, and our wish is for a cleaner, healthier, better world for us all, which starts by cleaning up our oceans, waterways, beaches and saving marine life, which is why our swimwear is made from regenerated nylon, eco-friendly inks, biodegradable packaging & shipping and NEVER any one-time use plastics. 

My collections are very much a part of me as the prints are inspired by my passions, my love for fine art and nature; the prints are exclusively hand-painted first before producing to the suits. The suits themselves are also named after women who inspire us for greatness; for instance, I have a suit named after my Aunt Valerie, who was one of the first woman of color to desegregate her High School in Virginia, and a suit named after surf legend, Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13 but never gave up on her dream of becoming a pro-surfer. 

Lastly, Voglia is more than just a luxury sustainable line – we talk the talk & walk the walk by participating in ocean and beach clean-ups along with proceeds benefiting charities and organizations that aid in helping to clean up our oceans, plant trees, and give back to communities in need. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Certainly not – the struggle has been REAL. Starting this business has really tested my patience within myself and quite a humbling experience to just accept what I can’t do on my own and reach out for help. Since this is my baby, my heart, it’s hard to ‘let go’ and delegate tasks to a team member or agency in fear that dollars will be wasted with no results produced or not the vision I was looking for. But I am grateful for these challenges; I mean after all, the saying is, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Voglia Swimwear?
Voglia Swimwear is a luxury, sustainable, bespoke line helping to clean up our oceans one bikini at a time. We’re a slow fashion with only one (1) collection produced a year; our styles are designed to be versatile and reversible. For instance, our Ruth Bikini Top is not only reversible but it can be worn six (6) different ways, ultimately creating 12 looks for one top. 

Why is this important? 

It’s part of our mission to educate consumers about our fashion waste and share with them ways to incorporate sustainable habits into their daily lifestyles, and with that, it’s buying LESS, reducing, and reusing. So, when you have a bikini top that can be worn up to six different ways, you can pack less for a vacation yet still have a different look/style every day without having ten or more so bikinis. 

What makes you happy?
Life. I’ve been given an opportunity to share my gifts and my talents to the world every day while I have a chance. Being able to live off my creativity, my passion is a blessing; not to mention my fur babies. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vogliaswim.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/vogliaswimwear
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vogliaswimwear
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@vogliaswimwear

Image Credits
Ron Contarsy