Ashley Avignone. Courtesy of Ashley Avignone/Instagram

Ashley Avignone has been in Taylor Swift’s inner circle since long before the duo attended Kansas City Chiefs games together.

Avignone was in Swift’s star-studded suite in October 2023 when the Chiefs played the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. She was by Swift’s side in December 2023 at the Chiefs game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, and Avignone joined Swift again the following month to see the Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs at Highmark Stadium.

Keep scrolling to get to know Avignone:

Where is Ashley Avignone From?

Avignone was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Arizona. When it was time to go to college, she moved back to LA to attend the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) to study fashion design. She moved to New York City in 2013.

What Is Ashley Avignone’s Job?

After finishing her studies, Avignone began her career as a stylist. She got her start as an assistant celebrity stylist and appeared on season 3 of The Rachel Zoe Project in 2010. Two years later, Avignone went out on her own and signed with the agency, The Wall Group.

“I assisted the best stylists in the game for about 6 years, and when I decided to break out on my own I was nervous,” she said of her accomplishment in an October 2013 interview with Simply. “I was extremely lucky in finding representation right away. You have to believe in yourself, but it also helps when others believe in you too.”

She later moved away from red carpet styling, focusing on styling directly with major fashion brands on various campaigns as well as interior design.

Avignone also runs her own company, aptly titled Avignone Studio.

Taylor Swift, Ashley Avignone. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

How Did Ashley Avignone Meet Taylor Swift?

Avignone and Swift connected through mutual friend Emma Stone, who also grew up in Arizona. In addition to being childhood friends, Avignone previously styled Stone for events. While Swift and Avignone met through Stone, the duo’s friendship has flourished over the years. In December 2019, Avignone posted a touching tribute in honor of Swift’s birthday.

“30 years of life for you, 11 years of friendship for us. Thanks for being the bestest friend, listener, dance party-starter, story teller, haircut enthusiast, with the biggest, warmest, and most generous heart,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “Happy Birthday Tay!! Love you to pieces ❤️.”

Which Taylor Swift Era Are You in Right Now?

Who Else Is Ashley Avignone Friends With?

In addition to being close with Swift and Stone, Avignone is also close to other members of Swift’s squad. Avignone has been spotted hanging out with Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively, Antoni Porowski, Justin Theroux, Michelle Pfeiffer, Este Haim, Alana Haim, Sabrina Carpenter and others.

Does Ashley Avignone Only Work in Fashion?

While Avignone got her start in fashion, she has expanded into social media, public relations, event planning, interior design and more.

“I have a background in traditional styling — red carpet, editorial, advertising, etc. I’ve lived in NY for six years, previously in LA,” she told Neely and Chloe in 2019. “I don’t do so much celebrity dressing anymore, I now work more directly with brands on a range of creative and strategic projects.”

Taylor Swift spent quality time with Travis Kelce’s sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills playoff game on Sunday, January 21.

The pop star, 34, sat in a private suite with Kylie, 31, and her husband, Jason Kelce, who is Travis’ brother. The ladies were seen chatting in the box before the game. The NFL star’s parents’, Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce, were also in attendance for the family outing, along with Taylor’s longtime friend Ashley Avignone.

While Taylor has been dating Travis, 34, since July 2023, this is the first time she’s been seen publicly hanging out with Kylie and Jason, 36. However, she has been photographed chatting with her boyfriend’s parents at a number of games during the 2023 NFL season.

taylor swift bonds with kylie kelce at travis playoff game
The elder Kelce brother and his wife normally can’t attend Travis’ games, as Jason had his own football schedule with the Philadelphia Eagles to worry about. The Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs after losing their game on January 15, making the couple available to make the trek to Buffalo to watch the Chiefs’ Divisional Round game.

It’s been an emotional week for Jason, with many speculating that he will soon be announcing his retirement from football. After the Eagles’ playoff loss, the team’s center was seen getting emotional on the sidelines. It was reported that he told his teammates about his retirement plans in the locker room after the game.

“I don’t know what next year’s gonna look like,” Jason revealed on the January 17 episode of his “New Heights” podcast with Travis. “I didn’t announce what I was doing on purpose, despite, I guess, what’s been leaked to the media. I just don’t think you’re in a position after a game like that to really make that decision. I just don’t. There’s too much emotion in the moment, there’s too much going down in the moment to fully grasp that decision.”

The podcast host assured listeners that he will make his official announcement “in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me and what has led to the career I have.”

Jason and Kylie met on a dating app in 2015 and went public with their romance in November of that year. They got married in April 2018 and went on to have three children together. Their daughter Wyatt was born in October 2019, followed by daughters Elliotte and Bennett in March 2021 and February 2023, respectively. Kylie was just days away from giving birth when she supported Jason at the 2023 Super Bowl, where the Eagles and the Chiefs faced off in an epic family showdown. Travis and the Chiefs won the game 38-35.

Taylor Swift celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs win against the Buffalo Bills with Brittany Mahomes, Kylie Kelce and more.

“Went there, did that,” Brittany, 28, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, January 21, alongside two photos of the group celebrating in their private suite. “On to the next.”

The first photo showed a group of women including Brittany, Taylor, 34, Kylie, 31, Cara Delevingne, Lyndsay Bell and Ashley Avignone smiling for the camera with their arms wrapped around each other. Meanwhile, the second snapshot captured the friends celebrating as they threw their hands into the air and cheered.

While the “Enchanted” singer was surrounded by friends during the game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, the outing also marked the first time she’s met Kylie and Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce.

Jason, 36, also celebrated throughout the game, and was even seen taking his shirt off and jumping out of their suite to chug a beer with fans after Travis, 34, scored a touchdown.

Following his first of two touchdowns during the game, Travis gave a shoutout to Taylor by making his hands into the shape of a heart. The gesture is one of the Pennsylvania native’s signature moves. She first popularized the hand heart early on in her career, while she continues to do it during the Fearless set of her Eras tour.

The “You’re Losing Me” singer has become a staple at Travis’ games since they publicly confirmed their romance in September 2023. However, they both revealed that their relationship has been going on longer than most people realize.

Back in July 2023, Travis attempted to give Taylor a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it when he attended the Eras tour. He recalled the failed attempt during his “New Heights” podcast, which ultimately got Taylor’s attention. He told The Wall Street Journal in November 2023 that someone in her camp heard about the situation and acted as “Cupid” to help them meet.

Taylor eventually reached out to the professional athlete to explain “exactly what was going on and how [he] got lucky enough to get her to reach out.”

Taylor Swift Celebrates Chiefs Win With Brittany Mahomes, Kylie Kelce, More: ‘Went There, Did That’
Meanwhile, Taylor also opened up about the beginning of their romance during a December 2023 interview with TIME. “This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” she shared. “We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to know each other.”

The “August” singer also clapped back at critics that complained about her regularly being featured on the jumbotron during the games. “I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,” Taylor said. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads and Chads.”
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