Ann Mashburn became a fashion editor in NYC when there were under 100 people in the world that held that title. She worked at Vogue when Cindy Crawford did her first photoshoot there. Later, when she partnered with menswear designer Sid Mashburn in work and life, they began redefining Southern retail, leaving an indelible mark on Atlanta and beyond. And she recently announced a new shop in Nashville!
Meet the woman whose stores feel like stepping into her personal closet for a game of dress-up.
Can you tell us about your early years?
I grew up all over the Midwest. My dad worked in management for the JCPenney Company, so we moved every two years. I majored in English at college in Colorado, and I always knew I wanted to move to New York. I thought I would go into advertising or something really creative. After college, I traveled around Europe with my brother for a few months and became interested in fashion.
When I finally moved to New York, I slept on a friend’s couch and started dropping my résumé everywhere. One was Condé Nast. They told me Polly Mellen, the fashion editor of Vogue at that time, wanted to see me right away. I got the job on the spot because I was in the right place at the right time and wore the right thing to the interview. It was very Devil Wears Prada, where she was a bit of a tyrant — super creative and flighty, but also very nurturing.
How did you meet Sid, and how did work lead you away from NYC?
I met Sid totally by chance on the beach. It was very romantic. He was this cute boy from Mississippi who had this awesome accent that felt very strange to me. Sid got a crazy break building up J. Crew in the 80s (as the menswear designer) with minimal technical experience. He went to Ralph Lauren after that.
We moved to Wisconsin when Sid got a great opportunity at Land’s End. I thought we’d be there a year or two, but we stayed for almost eight. When that gig ended, we were in our mid-forties, and Sid had always wanted to create a retail space. So, we took a bunch of our savings and started choosing a city.
Why Atlanta?
We looked at cities like Boston and D.C. and stumbled on a random article about Atlanta. My parents had returned to Savannah, so it made sense to look. We fell in love with this piece of real estate — there was an incredible food purveyor with a James Beard-award-winning restaurant and a beautiful baby store. We saw these tasteful people coming to shop, but there were no clothing stores. We said, “Let’s try it.” When you’re an entrepreneur, you just have to start.
How was Ann Mashburn, the brand, born?
Three years into the business, which was going really well, the landlord kept pushing me to open a women’s side. I was skeptical, but my girls said, “Mom, come on!” I had creatively helped Sid build the business, but I wasn’t a designer. I decided to try it quietly.
Sid helped me make enough pieces to fill the store with things I love, and I filled the rest with outside brands. I was confident I could tell people what they needed because I had worked in this business for so long. I knew the best pair of jeans and the best white shirt.
How do you shake things up in your retail spaces?
We had a blank space to warm up, and I wanted people to walk in and see our personality. We were on a budget, so we put a lot of our own stuff in it, like couches and rugs. When we built his first store, nobody in town knew us, so it was our way of introducing ourselves to strangers. It was Sid’s music, his hangout space.
Whenever I would go see Sid at his office or take the girls over the years, he had this little cubby where we’d compile all our favorite things: bottle caps, matchbooks, and photos of our family to show people our point of view. We’ve riffed on that in all our stores.
What’s a common misconception about fashion and retail?
My own misconception about retail was that it was boring! I was shoved into the JC Penny’s men’s accessory department over a family vacation. But when I actually opened a store, I found it so fun and inspiring. I admire retail people, and I am so grateful for those who choose that as a career because it’s tough. I hate it when people say they’d never work retail. It’s pretty awesome.
Any fun shopping tips?
I want to wear my clothes. I’m practical and don’t like dry cleaning a lot of stuff. At Vogue, I was taught why an Yves Saint Laurent piece was so important. I was a low-paid assistant and got it at the sample sale, but I still have it. The quality and timelessness are unbelievable. It also reminds me of that time in my life, and I remember what I was taught about it.
I’m all about buying something you will have for a long time and then giving it to your friends or children. But I also like pops of fun. If I want some frivolous thing with big color and impact, I might buy something cheap and cheerful, knowing I’ll pass it on to somebody else.
How about a tip for styling as we age?
It used to be that the only fashion inspiration was the latest 20-page magazine spread, television, and looking at people on the street. But now, [phones are] our mall and magazine. We see everything there. I watched these women with great style in New York, and they taught me things. Now, everybody has that same access.
My biggest tip is to find someone older than you with great style to be your inspiration. I love looking at a remarkable older woman and thinking, I want to look like that. It helps me not strive to be younger than I am or feel bad about aging. You don’t have to know the person. You can just look at them. The world’s filled with inspiring older women.
Where can we find you on your days off?
I work five days a week at our office with our design team. So, on my weekends, I’m almost always at home. I love my house and being domestic. I love to cook, and I find it incredibly relaxing to keep my space.
We have five daughters; two of them live at home with us because they have an incredibly crazy, rare disease. They’re in wheelchairs, so we don’t travel as often as we used to. But we have this full, multi-generational life close by in Atlanta.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
My parents were such “You can do it!” people who gave me so much confidence and courage to try things. My first boss in fashion, Polly Mellen, told me I show all my emotions on my face. She told me to be careful how I looked at others and not be so emotive. I can’t do it, but I think it’s excellent advice.
Name three things you can’t live without.
All the little mementos and things my kids have made over the years, my passport, and nature (having a yard!).
Lightning Round!
Favorite recent book or podcast: I love every Ann Patchett, but I am rereading Commonwealth. I like NYT‘s Opinion editorial podcasts for multiple political viewpoints.
Bucket list vacation destination: Japan
Favorite “hidden gem” in the South: Cumberland Island, Georgia
Go-to birthday present to give: I love to go to H Mart. Beyond the tanks of weird fish and an array of Asian foods, they have a home department with all this cute stuff that makes great gifts.
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