UNWRP Founder Ashley L. Fouyolle on Her Career Journey, Partnership With Teva and more

Meet designer Ashley London Fouyolle, founder of UNWRP. Launched in 2017 in the small bedroom of Ashley’s Brooklyn apartment, the brand is celebrating their fifth anniversary in a very special way. We’ll get to that in just a few, but first, here’s a little more on Ashley and the business she has created. Combining her love for art, fashion, vibrant colors, unique patterns, and the gifting experience, UNWRP is the result of all of her favorite things combined in the exquisite form of luxury gift wrap. 

Finding a void in the market, Ashley created a one-stop-shop for all your gifting needs which includes wrapping paper, fabric wraps, greeting cards, and home goods, making UNWRP one of the most popular, Instagram-worthy, luxury gift wrapping companies. This latest collaboration with original sport sandal brand, Teva, is a limited-edition holiday footwear capsule for men, women, and kids that launches today.

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We spoke with Ashley to learn more about her journey, and this collaboration.

ONE37pm: Great to connect Ashley! Let’s start by talking about all things UNWRP. Could you tell us more about the brand from its inception to now?

Fouyolle: I worked in the industry for a really long time as a graphic designer in fashion, marketing, and publishing. I’m also redesigning the world around me, and it came down to simple things like gift wrap. When I would gift friends and family members, I would always customize the gift wrap to make sure it fit their personality and interests. My defining moment for the brand came when a friend owed me $40, and I literally wrapped that on his gift in Supreme’s font.

From afar it looked like I gifted him something from Supreme, but it really said “you still owe me $40.” Everybody pulled out their phones, started taking pictures, and laughing at the gift wrap, and it let me know that people are interested in gift wrap, and that I should take it more seriously. From there I started a business around it, and I had no ideas that this is where I would be five years later.

ONE37pm: And this based on both you and TEVA’s love for storytelling and the outdoors, correct? When did you first discover that love?

Fouyolle: Correct! I’ve always been the adventurous type. I have never shied away from the adventures outside of beach vacations. I’ve always been the type to want to try skiing, parasailing, tubing, etc., and just explore and have fun. It wasn’t until 2020 when lockdown happened where I was losing my mind staying indoors, that I really just wanted to sit in the sun and feel the grass in between my toes. I was able to find a sense of calm that was outside my personal home space.

That’s when I truly took it more seriously. We always talk about work-life balance between work and your personal life, but we also have to consider that balance between indoors behind a computer/phone, and exploring the outdoors.

ONE37pm: And how was that working on a shoe? Was that your first time doing something like that?

Fouyolle: Yes and no, because I’m a graphic designer, I’ve always done style and fashion stuff for my roles, but I had never done something like that for UNWRP. This was my first design for the brand, so I was stoked for that. I am a huge lover of this Teva shoe, and I love the fact that it is slip-on. I’m very much a cozy girl, so when given the opportunity to work on this, my head just spun in circles. I wanted to do it all!

It was great having Teva as partners because they were able to give me great insight on what would work best on a shoe because you want to do everything, but not everything translates well onto certain materials. What we landed and finalized on was the perfect shoe. I couldn’t have done a better job. I’m super excited about it!

Ashley certainly has a lot to look forward to this upcoming holiday season. Make sure to keep up with her and all things UNWRP through Instagram.

And be sure to check out the new collection here.