CONVERSATION WITH ASHLEY PORTER
Founder of Porter Lyons, Ashley Porter has been designing jewelry for over a decade—pieces that act as amulets of transformation, energy, and memory. Through her work, she explores the mystical unknown and the stories that live in between worlds.
THE FOUNDATION
NAME:
Ashley Porter
CURRENT LOCATION:
New Orleans
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?
A new collection centered on Superstitions, exploring how we make meaning out of mystery and how folklore shapes our understanding of the unknown.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I started my brand thirteen years ago with a fascination for found alligator backbones. That curiosity eventually evolved into fine jewelry, where I fell in love with the idea of creating something that lasts—something that might be passed down or never taken off.
Each piece, to me, acts as an amulet—a way to mark transformation, to hold energy and memory.
NEW ORLEANS
CITY NOTES
A personal take on the place you call home—or know best
I grew up in San Francisco, spent time in New York with Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren, and lived in Los Angeles before finding my heart in New Orleans. This city holds a pulse that just moves differently.
It’s soulful, alive, and beautifully unpredictable—like time itself bends here. There’s magic in the air.
MORNING RITUAL:
Coffee (and sippy cups) on the porch with my three kids, watching the cardinals at the bird feeder. It’s our little moment of stillness before the day begins.
FAVORITE SPOT:
The Chime Tree in City Park. The sound, the wind, the stillness—it feels like a little portal.
RHYTHM AND RITUAL
Your daily path through the city
When I need to reset, I always find my way to City Park. There’s something about being under those oaks that recenters me.
New Orleans invites you to slow down, to be fully in it—to savor life as it is.
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:
N7 — Hidden, romantic, and somehow untouched.
San Lorenzo — A modern nod to classic Italian dining.
FOR A DRINK:
Tell Me Bar or Fives — both low-lit, moody, and a little bit Paris.
DESIGN & INSPIRATION
Places, people, and details that reflect the spirit of the city
My designs are born from curiosity and meaning. I believe jewelry isn’t just adornment—it’s a way to carry stories.
Each piece holds an intention, an invisible thread that connects past and present.
IF NEW ORLEANS HAD A TEXTURE OR SCENT:
Soft velvet soaked in magnolia, with candle wax and the sound of a saxophone melting into the night.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
Places, people, and details that reflect the spirit of the city
MOST SACRED RITUAL:
Watching the morning cardinals with my kids.
MANTRA:
Be here, now.
LESSONS FROM THE CITY:
To embrace the strange, the beautiful, the moment in front of you.
