Most of you know Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport, the social ladder-climbing publicist on the scandalous (and not to mention addictive) ABC show “Revenge.” But what you might not know is that the 30-year-old actress is also an avid fashion blogger. The British starlet started Ring My Bell when she moved to the U.S. in 2009 and now has more than 15,000 followers. We caught up with Madekwe to find out what inspired to her start blogging and how to avoid the guilt of, say, dropping a paycheck on Chanel.
What made you start RMB?
When I moved to New York my boyfriend would take a ton of pictures of me and I would put them on a blog so that my friends and family could keep updated on what I was doing. I really liked reading style blogs and it came from a place of wanting to join in.
What are your aspirations for the blog?
I want to keep it how it is. I like to read blogs about real girls, what they’re wearing. I don’t want too much chitchat and I want to see great pictures. There are other blogs that do lifestyle and cooking way better than I ever would. I mean, people would die if I tried to put recipes on my blog.
Has Ashley Davenport influenced your style?
I think my style’s influenced hers. Because I’ve always had an interest in fashion, Jill Hanestan, our costume designer, creates the look with me. We talk about what’s going to happen in that episode and she lets me take the pick from the choices she brings. She puts all my jewelry in my trailer so I can style the look.
What can we expect next on “Revenge”?
I’m lucky enough to be part of one of the flashback episodes, which I’ve never been part of before, so we see her six years previously in New York and it’s before she knew the Graysons.
What are some items that you’re loving for fall?
Tory Burch flats with a fox face on the front. I treated myself to a new Chanel bag, it’s blue and velvet. And my Isabel Marant sneakers, [I’m] loving those. I also bought a couple of Kenzo sweaters with big animal heads on the front.
What do you have your eye on at the moment?
I think I need to chill out after that Chanel bag. If you buy everything you want all the time, there’s nothing to look forward to. I’m not one of those people who can buy an expensive item and suffer from guilt. So when I’ve [splurged] I kind of try to not buy anything else for a while.
How would you describe your personal style?
I would say that’s it’s uncommitted. There are some girls who are girly or they’re into the rock chick look or something like that. I kind of slip between all of them and have pieces from all of the main looks. I’m greedy — I want to try it all.
