Ashley wants the start of her 28th year to be more than just a birthday  but as an emotional evidence of her blossoming and marking the beginning of a new age.  A groovy stylist and arguably one of the continent’s superb IT girls.  She’s taking us on a journey on how she spent her years bridging worlds of fashion, creative direction, and unrestrained performance. Ashley is using A28  to break down the walls between her craft and her actual identity. 

She sat down for an openhearted interview with Deeds Magazine to talk about moving on her own terms, finding absolute peace, and accepting vulnerability in the midst of a chaotic creative life.

Hi Ashley , how’re you?  What have you been up to lately? First off, Happy birthday in advance!  Let’s talk about A28, how does it feel to be 28? 

‍Ashley:  I’m doing waay better than I started the week, so that’s a huge win for me. Definitely felt like the world (my mind)  was out to get me. Ayy! Thank you so much! Truly appreciate the birthday wish.

What have I been up to? PLOTTING! Hustling like I've never hustled in my life.  

How it feels? Ask me how it feels again, in a couple days hehe!

Back to A28, your work crosses creative direction, styling, performance and many more. but A28 explores the friction between these different versions of yourself.  How have you been able to build and navigate these layers as a creative when they are so deeply intertwined with your actual identity and who you represent as a person?

‍Ashley:  The friction between these versions is actually where everything interesting and authentic about me comes from. There were moments this year where I genuinely couldn't tell if I was creating or collapsing. And A28 kind of came from just  deciding that distinction doesn't matter. My story and work inspired by these stories hold all the power.

‍Becoming older is one of the greatest blessings life gives us. Reflecting back on your years so far, what is something you’ll always be grateful for? And on the other side of the coin, what is something you wished had happened but never did because you waited or doubted yourself and what has that taught you? 

‍Ashley: I'll always be grateful for my ability to genuinely learn from my mistakes and not just move past them, but let them actually change me. It makes me even more  excited about aging. If I'm honest, It’ll be my first real paid opportunity as a creative. I had significant money in my hands for the first time, and I didn't have the financial knowledge to use it wisely. But I don't fully regret it, because most of it went toward seeing the world and  travelling internationally for the first time, on my own terms. I was learning how to be the person that opportunity was meant for. 

In a broader sense, I don't really doubt myself,  I just get stuck between seeking clarity and realising it was always inside me.

My focus now is making sure I'm moving toward what I actually want, which is peace of mind and stability. There's no manual. Not repeating what I know doesn't serve me.

If you could look back at the years that molded you, what are the mistakes you're most grateful for  and what would you tell the younger version of yourself who was still figuring out how to carry all these different parts and layers of yourself? 

‍Ashley: - BREATHE,

it’ll ALL make sense soon That’s exactly what I will tell a younger version of me. I wouldn’t say being rebellious, outspoken and a go-getter is a mistake, but I am extremely grateful for my mind and resilience.

Why A28? What inspired the Film A28? What was the thought process ? and what was it like? 

Ashley: A28, whew! Firstly, i didn’t want just another traditional instagram post

I wanted to mark turning 28 in a way that felt honest, but a real reflection. Because 27 was a lot. It was the year I felt the most powerful I'd ever felt, and also the most stripped. And I couldn't find a way to talk about that in a caption or a conversation, so I made a film instead.

The thought process was really just - “ What did this year actually feel like in my body?” Not what I achieved, not what I lost, but the actual feelings attached to it. I won't lie,  it wasn't easy to make. I'm someone who doesn't find it easy to be an open book, so there's something very exposing about being in front of a camera when the subject is yourself. But I think that discomfort was kind of the point. It was a quiet act of courage for me, even if it doesn't look like it from the outside. 

A28 is what I made at the end of a year that tried to undo me  and didn't quite manage it.

With A28, Ashley isn’t glamorizing becoming. She is showing it as it is: the uncertainty, the confusion, and the exhaustion. A year held together by both clarity and chaos becomes something she learns to sit with, rather than escape.

In leaving 27 behind, she begins to trust herself more — even when things feel open and unresolved. The need to perfect her story falls away, replaced by something more honest: experience.

If A28 is any sign, her 28th year won’t be about having everything figured out. It will be about continuing to choose herself.

Happy Birthday, Ashley.

‍Team Credits:

Written & Directed by Ashley Okoli
Nwobu Kenechukwu (@onlykene) - Producer & Set design
Uzuegbunam Gabriel Ebuka (@slumhabibi) - Asst. Director & Editor
Gospel Coker Chibueze (@isboyyeenagram - Sound design/Composer
Ayanfe Olarinde (@un.earthical) - Photgrapher
Ashley Okoli - Stylist
Lolu Pinheiro (@loludoesmakeup) - Makeup Artist
Joke Lawal (@nifemilarj) - Hairstylist