Along the Way With Ashley Pinchev, Founder of Worthington Corners

This week, as part of my Along the Way Interview Series, I’m talking to Ashley Pinchev. As the founder of Worthington Corners, a luxury scarves e-commerce company, Ashley brings her passion for timeless fashion to life.

Today, she shares with us how she found her inspiration and maintains the highest quality in her products.

The Along the Way Interview Series features kick-ass women who are putting their heart and soul into achieving their dreams. Rather than talking to those who have already “made it,” this series focuses on learning from those who are right next to us in the daily hustle.

If you want to follow Ashley, you can find her here:

Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest

Without further ado, let’s chat with Ashley about how she pursues her vision.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you begin designing scarves?

I studied abroad at the University of Oxford during college and was inspired by the classic, traditional fashions throughout Britain, Scotland, and Ireland. I’ve always been drawn to accessories and consistently wear scarves throughout the winter months. It was natural for me to begin with a product that I love and wear regularly.  

Why was it important to you to have the scarves made in Ireland?

I am deeply passionate about both quality of material and production. Our textiles are woven of all natural wool materials at a mill that dates back to the 19th century. After experiencing Irish textiles while living in England, I knew that their level of quality and experience were exactly what I wanted in my products. And as a history lover, it's poignant and special to have our pieces made at a significant mill with a storied pedigree.

What does your design process look like? Where do you get your inspiration from?

At Worthington Corners, we do not follow trends but rather focus on effortlessly elegant designs that are truly timeless. Our most iconic collection is the Herringbone Collection and what many don’t know is that the herringbone pattern can actually be seen throughout fashion and even architecture dating back to the Roman Empire.

We are gearing up to launch a brand new collection of Buffalo Check scarves mid-September. The Buffalo Check pattern dates back to 1850 though we’ve put a modern spin on the traditionally red and black print.

What did you do before you started designing scarves?

I currently work full time in the interior design industry in addition to Worthington Corners.

What are the biggest challenges of owning your own business? What are the most rewarding parts?

Owning your own business is definitely a passion project. There are some great highs and painful lows. I think the biggest challenge about owning a small business is remembering that the setbacks aren’t personal. There’s always a reason to keep on moving forward!

I’ve been lucky enough to meet some amazing and inspiring women business owners. I love collaborating with fellow female entrepreneurs and learning about their creative passions and unique products.

When is the last time you made a mistake? What did you learn from it?

We all make mistakes. I think one of my most recent, and unfortunately frequent, mistakes is not recognizing when to ask for help. As a business owner, we tend to take on all of the responsibility and it is hard to always identify when someone else may have an answer that we ourselves do not. I’ve made a goal for myself to focus on networking with other small business owners and making connections across e-commerce industries.

What do you do for fun?

I love spending time with my wonderful husband and our sweet 7-year-old Maltese, Portia.

Anything else you would like for us to know?

I hope that you’ll follow along with our social media! We are launching a new collection in mid-September and have a lot of fun things coming for Fall/Winter ‘18.