Spending most of her childhood in Ridgway and eventually moving to Telluride for high school, Shupp used art as an outlet for her boundless energy. 

“Art doesn’t have rules,” Shupp explained with a smile. 

Former Telluride High School teacher Lynn Gershman first identified Shupp’s artistic talent. 

“She started telling people, ‘Ashley should be a graphic designer,’” Shupp said.

Taking the cue, Shupp moved to Pennsylvania after high school to study art. It was there, while horseback riding (another of Shupp’s passions) that she met her husband, Justin. The couple wed, became parents and in 2015 found their way back to Telluride. 

“I knew I wanted to raise my kids here,” Shupp said. It didn’t take long for her family to find their groove in the box canyon and after a stint working as an office manager for a homeowners’ association, Shupp’s artistic muscles began twitching.

“I wanted to do creative stuff … I wanted to learn how to sew,” she said.

Shupp found a willing tutor in Lorena Ortiz of Lorena’s Alterations of Telluride. 

“We traded sewing lessons for horseback rides,” Shupp said. 

Once she started sewing, Shupp found it hard to stop. 

“I learned to sew in November and had 22 pieces by February,” Shupp noted. 

Her initial clothing line, a collection of quilted pants and jackets made from mostly upcycled materials, found an enthusiastic audience in Telluride and beyond. In addition to selling her products online, for the past three years, Shupp’s designs have been showcased in the TAB fashion show.

It’s an achievement, Shupp said, that has been “so exciting, the best feeling.” 

In April of 2026, Shupp dipped her toe into a fresh creative pond: bathing suit design. 

“I just wanted to see if I could,” she said. 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, Shupp reported, with swimsuits selling almost as fast as she can make them. 

The designer commented on the fulfillment she experiences while creating: “There’s nothing better than when you turn that bathing suit the right way out and you see the finished product. There’s a high. And there’s nothing better than when someone loves their suit.” 

Shupp’s suits are all one of a kind, she explained. “I keep track of everything I make. You’ll never see anyone wearing the same bathing suit.” 

Customizable designs enhance each bathing suit’s unique quality; clients may select a style and fabric and may even choose a reversible suit. 

In creating custom swimwear, Shupp emphasized her sustainability goals. 

“There is so much textile waste in the world and when I work I am very aware of that,” Shupp said. “I can be really efficient.” 

In today’s world of fast fashion, where industry standards are often questionable, Shupp’s homegrown creations offer an alternative. 

“Today, we often have no idea where our stuff is coming from,” Shupp remarked. “And a lot of the time it’s not coming from a good place. When you buy one of my bathing suits, you know where it came from.” 

A return to the art of practical crafts is an added benefit of Shupp’s work, she said.

“We’re forgetting how to do things. It’s a disconnect. It wasn’t that long ago that grandparents made our clothes. I’m tapping into that energy.”

• By Jennifer Julia Times contributor