A Thoughtful Q&A w/ Ashley Ladouceur
Amongst all the inter web clutter out there, sometimes you stumble upon a hidden gem. It's not necessarily always the loudest that gets heard. And it's not necessarily what's merely in front of you that's most important. We must learn to decipher and build what we truly believe in; only then will they come.
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I took some time to really reflect on answering these questions as best as I could which truly dug deep to be my true self. I didn't want to base my answers on hype and current styles. I wanted the answers to be legit so that in a week, couple months, years down the road, I can look back and say:
"Yeah, that's me."
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Ashley Ladouceur
What inspires you?
Travel inspires me. When I travel, I experience culture which allows me to immerse myself in another way of thinking. It allows me to be adventurous and anonymous, you can be and do as you please to a certain degree. You’re like a little mystery roaming around the city that is unknown to you and which you are unknown to them. I learn so many things.
How long have you been collecting sneakers?
I have been collecting for about 12 years now.
How would you stylistically describe your fave pair of sneakers in 10 words or less?
High tops, leather, black and red, comfortable, those are the Breds.
If your sneaker room was burning down (sorry, I would never wish that upon you, just being dramatic) and you can only grab 3 pairs, what would they be?
Wow! Didn’t see that one coming… I would scoop up my Air Jordan 1 Retro High ‘Bred’, my Air Fear of God Raid ‘Black’ and my Air Jordan 1 Retro High ‘Balvin’.
Top 3 fave sneakers that you don't own?
OFF-WHITE X Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Chicago’, Dior X Air Jordan 1 High and Dunk High SP ‘Ambush – Spruce Aura’
Top 3 fave sneakers that you want (that are not Nike)?
YEEZY BOOST 350 ‘Turtle Dove”, GUCCI White embroidered Bee Ace sneaker and OFF-WHITE Grey Suede Vulcanized Low sneaker.
Rank your top 5 favorite sneaker brands.
Nike/Jordan, adidas, Vans and Converse
What are your top 3 favorite clothing brands?
That’s really tough, top 3 would be:
Essentials by Fear of God, John Elliott and G-Star Raw.
Most comfortable sneaker to wear when roaming around the city streets shooting?
Air Jordan 1 Retro High ‘Shadow’, they come with me on all my trips. They’ve walked the streets of Barcelona, New York, Montreal. They’ve climbed hills and mountains in Colombia and Peru. They have LOTS of mileage making them extra comfy!
What's the story behind Cholula and what's your fave thing to put it on?
You know, I tried Cholula hot sauce once on tacos and I was hooked. I put that stuff on everything! It’s basically the only hot sauce I eat. It’s perfect to me. When Kanye West dropped The Life of Pablo album I played off of “I feel like Pablo” with “I feel like Cholula”.
How do you like your coffee?
Black.
Fave spot to buy kicks (and other fresh gear) in Ontario?
I mainly shop online at Stadium Goods and Flight Club but a new shop in Ottawa just opened called Oakshop. I think that’ll be the spot.
Best sneaker boutique in the world?
Stadium Goods
Favorite 1) athlete, 2) clothing brand, 3) photographer and 4) book?
1) Dwayne Wade
2) G-Star RAW
3) Raven B Varona
4) Becoming by Michelle Obama
How would you describe your graphic design style?
I’ve got a minimalism graphic design style. In my opinion it’s all about using the most essential elements to communicate a message. Straight to the point. Done right, it can come off looking very luxurious.
On a more serious note, sincere respect w/ your interest in early childhood education - how/why did you specifically get involved with Pies Descalzos Foundation based in Bogotá, Colombia? And also Fundación Fútbol Con Corazón?
Thank you very much! I have been volunteering with the Pies Descalzos Foundation for a little over 13 years now. Kids are our future and they deserve a fair chance at an education, we need to help and invest in that. Colombia is beautiful and the people in it are beautiful. The Foundation helps so many kids attain quality education in cities like Barranquilla, Cartagena and Quibdó. They have grown and provided so much; I can’t imagine not being a part of it. Fundación Fútbol Con Corazón (Soccer with Heart) is also based in Colombia. They use soccer as a way to help develop values and life skills, giving kids a chance to learn how to make good life decisions, faced with the challenges of their environment. I highly recommend checking out both foundations, making donations, I’m always available to answer questions and to pass along.
That's super cool. I've been pondering a lot as well in this regard. What personally touches me so that I'd like to devote some time forever into a cause for bettering the world in my own little way...
If you could hop on a plane right now and spend a full day, where would you go and what would you do?
NEW YORK CITY! First thing would be a quick stop at Le Pain Quotidien for an espresso and a pastry then off to the MoMa. From there, I would hit up a couple stores on 5th Avenue (Nike and the NBA store) and make my way down to SoHo to pick up a few pairs of kicks at Stadium Goods. Grab a meal at the Shake Shack and head down to Brooklyn to finish up my day walking around Dumbo, snapping some pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Future goals, dreams, purpose in life...last words?
I want to travel more and become a citizen of the world. I want an Audi. I hope to keep doing things that inspire people either it would be to start their own sneaker collection or to continue them. I hope to touch and inspire people to join a good cause and volunteer their time and skills towards it. I want to thank Solscience for reaching out. This has been a great experience. Stay fresh.