ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Inside her Royal Oak studio, designer Ashley Harris is giving old Detroit sportswear new life one stitch at a time.
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Harris, a metro Detroit native, is turning previously loved tee's, denim jackets, flags and even old stadium memorabilia into hand-sewn jackets, tops and bags. Each piece is crafted using upcycled materials and tells a distinctly Detroit story.
“This one I just created for Tigers Opening Day,” Harris said, showing off a vibrant jacket assembled from thrifted team tees and denim.
Her unique creations started as personal passion projects, outfits she wore to games herself. The reaction has been outstanding.
“People are always like, ‘You made it?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, in my basement last night,’” Harris said with a laugh.
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One of those messages came from Dena Calhoun, a devoted Detroit Lions fan who was grieving the recent loss of several close family members, including her father, cousin and uncles. She reached out to Harris with an idea: could she turn her family's old Lions memorabilia into a jacket?
“A lot of the big pieces are from my dad’s shirts,” Calhoun said. “One of our favorite thing to do together was go to Lions games.”
The custom piece that Harris made is stitched with not just fabric but meaning. It features team logos, handwritten notes and personal photos, all woven into a jacket Calhoun now treasures.
“It’s kind of indescribable, really,” Harris said.
While some pieces Harris creates are custom commissions like Calhoun’s, others come straight from Harris’ creative instincts. No two are alike, and that’s exactly the point.
“Sometimes, I just make things and I just go,” Harris said. “For people to see my work and like what I’m doing means absolutely everything to me.”
Each jacket tells a story of a team, a memory or a city, and that’s what Harris hopes will continue to resonate.
To view Harris’ designs or commission a custom piece, visit ashleyharrisdesign.com.
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