Former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts talks about balancing life between south west London and Los Angeles, and tells us about her new shoe venture.
How’s living in London compared to LA?
I love both for such different reasons. LA I’ve got my beaches, sunshine and outdoor activities. My family is close by and replenishes my soul. But london is my creativity playground. I love the city. And I’ve also made such amazing friends. They both feel like home.
Where are your favourite places in the area?
I have two loves – eating and exercising. I tend to run around Battersea Park, it is a great 6km run and you don’t feel like you are in central London. If I work out, I head to Kobox; it’s this awesome boxing gym on the Kings Road. The Dairy in Clapham Common is totally delicious and The Queenswood in Battersea is a great healthy eating place as well.
Is there a notable difference in sense of style in London compared to LA?
Absolutely. LA peeps got style. But London ups the level. Brits are eclectic and eccentric. Plus everyone is outside.
So the streets are your runway. I’m always inspired by British fashion.
You’ve recently launched your own shoe range ‘Allyn’ through Larizia, how did it all come about?
I have been thinking about setting up my own business for some time. I love shoes, I collect them and have pairs from every moment in my career. I can safely say that I have hundreds of pairs. It was about two years ago that I decided I wanted to make my dream a reality. I have this beautiful pair of shoes and I couldn’t wear them anymore. I saw a shoe brand on Instagram that I had always loved and sent their creative team a message, and
everything went from there.
In the Pussycat Dolls, you had to dance in high heels – did this make you work harder to create extra comfortable shoes?
OMG absolutely. Dancing in heels can be a killer. I think we’ve created one of the most comfortable high heel
shoes out there. We worked with a premium Italian factory and the footwear is really high end. We have thought about all the tiny details. Continue reading…
