Ally wears: The Claire Cord Skirt and her own Tee

Where are you from?

I grew up in New York, USA 

Do you have any nicknames?

My full name is Alexandra! So Ally could be considered a nickname, and AL too :)

Ally wears: The Alice Slip dress.

What made you want to start your own coffee brand?

Casey and I both wanted to start something together for a while, but weren't quite sure exactly what that would be. I was also ready to do something in addition to / other than modeling. We always loved coffee. When we traveled, we’d hunt for local roasters; at home, we loved starting every day making it for each other. We just kept learning more and more about the process, out of passion, and deciding to turn it into a business came about naturally—almost as a byproduct. And from the moment we had the idea, we’ve had so much support from our friends and community. It really encouraged us to go for it!

Ally wears: The Claire Cord Skirt and her own Tee

Where did the name Canyon Coffee come from?

Casey and I met in Beachwood Canyon 4 1/2 years ago! We also love the imagery Canyon brings up for us… it seemed to encapsulate the whole vision we had for the brand perfectly.

What is your perfect coffee?

Black. A pour over of our Chochajau.

Ally wears: Claire Cord Jacket and her own denim jeans

What else do you do with yourself?

I model full time as well.

Favourite place to be?

Anywhere in the sun!  

What are you listening to at the moment?

The XX, Frank Ocean and Toro y Moi on repeat!

What are you reading at the moment?

I feel like I’m always reading 10 things at once! But right now I’m almost finished with “Swing Time” by Zadie Smith. It’s so, so good. I also just got “What Belongs to You” by Garth Greenwell & “Marlena” by Julie Buntin. Looking forward to starting those two!

Dream location?

I just got back from Japan and I already want to go back! I would love to go to some of the islands, especially Naoshima… and into the mountains as well!

Ally wears: The Alice Slip dress.

Describe a typical day in your life. I assume it starts with a Canyon brew?

Yes! Always starts with a cup of Canyon. I wake up early—around 7-7:30—sit up, and do a 20 minute meditation. I always make time for my morning routine. After that, my days vary. Some days I have a modeling job, and I’ll work on Canyon stuff from my phone, emailing, figuring out how much to roast for the week, and keeping up with accounts. Days I don’t have a modeling shoot are spent working on Canyon: making deliveries, fulfilling orders, running errands, meetings, getting events organized… whatever the day brings! While I commute I like listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Right now, I’m in NYC, and this past week has been super busy with meetings for Canyon and castings! I am enjoying all of it. I like being busy. At home in Los Angeles, we live right on the beach, and I always try to make time for a beach walk, or even just a walk out to the water. I try to end most nights with a bath and making dinner at home.

Any tips on making the perfect home brew?

There are some basics, for sure! Use about 2 tbsp’s per cup of coffee you want to make. Grind according to what kind of brewing method you’re using (coarse for french press, medium for pour-overs, fine for moka pots / espresso). Never put boiling water on your coffee! Let it cool for 30 seconds after it boils. When you’re using a kettle, always “bloom” the coffee—just get all the grounds wet first, and let is sit for about 30 seconds. Then pour slowly over the coffee until you’ve filled it up!

Thanks for having us into your beautiful home Ally! x

Follow Ally: @allylwalsh