About Ashton
The Story So Far
Like most boys his age, Ashton Nowers is into Roblox, Fortnite, playing handball, and watching TV. He studies hard at school, plays for his local rugby union team, and he’s actively involved in musical theatre, tennis and dance. He’s also taking piano lessons and he also plays bass guitar in his school band.
But for Ashton, there’s something else that overrides all other pursuits and interests…
Fashion.
The Story So Far
Like most boys his age, Ashton Nowers is into Roblox, Fortnite, playing handball, and watching TV. He studies hard at school, plays for his local rugby union team, and he’s actively involved in musical theatre, tennis and dance. He’s also taking piano lessons and he also plays bass guitar in his school band.
But for Ashton, there’s something else that overrides all other pursuits and interests…
Fashion.
“I just love drawing and all kinds of dresses and one day I just started sketching my own designs.”
His mum remembers a day driving with an 8 year old Ashton beside her. Ashton had been busy doodling in his notebook, and she caught a glimpse of what he’d been drawing.
These weren’t doodles. They were more like professional fashion sketches.
Family Roots
The Nowers family live in Brisbane. Jennie and Steve have three boys: Callum (13), Ashton (10), and Lucas (6).
Jennie is a doctor with 15 years of experience as a GP, and Steve works as a technician in the Visual Arts department at QUT. His pickup truck is parked in the garage; her Kia Carnival is parked in the driveway.
At first glance, the compositional elements are there for a picture of everyday suburban normality.
But life in the Nowers household is anything but “normal”.
Ashton’s younger brother Lucas was diagnosed shortly after birth with KCNQ2 encephalopathy, a very rare and devastating genetic condition resulting in epilepsy, autism, and severe physical and developmental limitations. Lucas requires high levels of care, and the majority of family decisions are dictated by these circumstances. Lucas is an incredibly happy child, and this is a happy home, but it’s fair to say family life can get hectic at times with his complex needs.
It also means that Ashton is a young carer, a role he performs with unwavering love and compassion.
Due to the needs of her children, Jennie stopped clinical practice last year and works part time as a tutor at the University of Queensland, teaching our next generation of doctors.
Raw Talent
Born in Australia to a Scottish mother and a South African father, Ashton was exposed from an early age to diverse colours, patterns, and ideas… and before long, exposed to conflicting loyalties at certain international rugby fixtures!
Ashton wasn’t influenced by any particular exposure to the fashion world. His appetite for designing comes entirely from raw talent – he says it’s all just “in my head”!
Ashton’s mum Jennie wanted to encourage his passion and nurture his obvious gift, but she didn’t know where to start. A self-confessed rugby-top-and-sandals kind of girl, she had no knowledge of the fashion world.
So she got in touch with Kidz Fashion Week, a company that stages events across the country promoting some of the latest designs in Australian and international childrenswear, and providing a platform for aspiring pre-teen and teenage models.
Kidz Fashion Week
Jennie was only hoping for a bit of helpful advice, but when she opened the email reply from Teri Svoronous, director of Kidz Fashion Week, she was in for a surprise: Teri was blown away by Ashton’s sketches, and immediately proposed that if Jennie could find a seamstress to make one of Ashton’s designs, KFW would showcase his first creation at their upcoming Get Festive fashion show!
The event was only a few months away, and Ashton wanted to design something new. Going from a blank page to a finished runway-ready garment was no mean feat, but they succeeded with some help from their local community and a talented seamstress who kindly donated her time.
Breakthrough Moment
And so it came to pass that on July 20th 2024, at KFW Gets Festive in the Gold Coast, Ashton Nowers unveiled his debut creation. He was even introduced to the audience, walking the runway to rapturous applause.
It was a dream come true for young Ashton, and he was such a hit that Kidz Fashion Week invited him to come to their KFW Gets Spooky event in Melbourne in October. His mum was delighted for him, although a little daunted by the prospect of another madcap dress-making gauntlet… not to mention the logistics of organising the trip from Brisbane!
But let’s not allow our frothy précis to get bogged down with too much real-life detail. 
Ashton will remember 2024 as the year he got his first breakthrough in the fashion industry – seeing his designs come to life, experiencing the glitz and glamour of TWO big fashion shows, and rubbing shoulders with professional designers representing established industry brands in affordable childrenswear. But what does the future hold for this talented young boy?
“I just love drawing and all kinds of dresses and one day I just started sketching my own designs”
His mum remembers a day driving with an 8 year old Ashton beside her. Ashton had been busy doodling in his notebook, and she caught a glimpse of what he’d been drawing. These weren’t doodles. They were more like professional fashion sketches.
But for Ashton, there’s something else that overrides all other pursuits and interests…
What My Clients Says
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