Alumna Ashley Porter, who was recently profiled in Gambit New Orleans, creates jewelry inspired by southeast Louisiana with her Porter Lyons line. A school project at FIDM inspired her to design alligator belts, which led to a full collection including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. In addition to working with alligator skin, she also uses a lot of agate, Louisiana's state mineral, and a portion of the proceeds from the line go to wetland preservation. Prior to moving to New Orleans, Ashley worked for Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren in New York City.
