The Ansley Collection - Fall 2019 The Ansley Collection - Fall 2019 | Page 17

Old School. U P D A T E D
The concept of luxury is getting a little blurry around
the edges, as you get younger generations becoming
more important, frequent buyers of high-end
products. Brands can sell high and low. How does
Mashburn define luxury and how do you appeal to
the client that’s 24 and the one that’s 50?
ANN: Luxury for me means something that is just the best.
In food, it can be a perfectly ripe tomato with lots of salt, eaten
outside on a beautiful day. The best pair of jeans for you may
be a pair of Levis- but they are perfectly fitted and they are
worn to a just-right shade of blue (that won’t last…and you will
have to work on another pair…) It could be a blouse in heavy
40-momme silk that feels amazing against your skin. I just
described things that are at both ends of the price spectrum.
Luxury does not have to be expensive – it just needs to be the
best for YOU. That is true for a 24-year-old, 50-year-old, an
85-year-old…
SID: I have never loved the word luxury, as it immediately
conjured something that was relegated to a higher & oftentimes
less-accessible price point. Ann helped re-frame my perspective,
so that luxury is not bound by price but really more about a
mindset, as in “one of life’s little luxuries” which could be a gift
as simple as some free time or something that made someone
think of you when they bought it, or some hand-picked flowers
from the side of the road or… anything.
Tell me about the culture you’ve created here and what
are the key elements your team takes to the floor/client
every day?
SID: In the beginning, it was just me, Randy, and our Master
Tailor Dau. There was no way to attend to more than a few
customers right away since there was so much square footage
to cover... and only three of us… so we had this expression
“hug them with your eyes.” Just truly make eye contact, make
someone feel at home... and pray you can get back to them
before they decide to leave! We don’t do everything right for
sure.. but we hope that with a great attitude, huge heart for
service and a lot of energy, we will do our best.
ANN: We want to serve our customers, but we – as the team
that makes it all happen – are each other’s customers, so to
speak. I am hopeful that I can make it a great place to come
to work at every day and give our employees the trust and
confidence and delight in doing their job well. I read a great
quote (on Instagram!) :
D
KIN
WORK HARD. BE
Who are you designing for?
ANN: Both Sid and I design for our own closets or FROM our
own closets. We are always thinking of what we want but don’t
already have… AND what we do have that is indispensable and
we need more of ! Clearly we are designing for our customers
– but we are comfortable with the fact that if it comes from our
point of view, the customer will likely share it.
What distinguishes the Mashburn experience?
ANN: In the store – we hope it is our fantastic hospitality
and amazing sales staff who are super warm and welcoming,
but also know what they are talking about! The way the shop
feels.. the vibe! Music ... scent... light... all of it. Online, it is our
“voice” which we hope comes through in both photography
and written word.
SID: It is not any one thing. It is a complex mix of some
blocking & tackling. It’s a combo of our core values –
hopefulness, helpfulness, hard work, honesty, humility &
honor – mixed with design, style, quality, value, service,
hospitality… in a cool setting that results in a great experience.
The only way I can think of it in my mind is a little like a
cross between Elgar’s “Nimrod” & James Brown’s “I Got the
Feelin’”…be loose, but play tight!
MEET THE MASHBURNS
SID: First for ourselves. We both are fairly practical with a
sense of wanderlust & the desire to add another dimension.
Since thinking & dreaming & inspiration is so public now
(Pinterest), it can appear that new & fresh ideas are more
difficult to imagine. The “luxury” of our experience (& age) is
that we are often inspired by something from our past that is
only interesting because of the context we’ve placed it in. As
Ann said, what’s not in our closet can be an excellent launching
pad. But while we design for ourselves, it’s democratic in
nature, and can be appropriate for a huge swatch of people…
at any given time in the store, you might see a high school kid,
a banker in his 50s, and a guy who plays in a band. The idea is
that the quality and timelessness of what we make allows people
to grow WITH the brand no matter where they are in life.
The sales people, tailors, artisans and behind the
scenes team you have assembled is extraordinary—
how do these people contribute to the value of
Mashburn and benefit the client?
ANN: Thank you for saying that! Our sales people are really
on the front lines, so to speak. They are the first impression
of our brand, even more than the clothing and the physical
environment, in my opinion. Our design, merchandising,
customer service, creative, warehouse teams – we have a whole
cast of characters that all work together and need each other to
make it happen every day. Having in-house tailoring is special in
that it adds to the experience to “see” what goes on behind the
scenes – performance art!
SID: Yes, the “open-air tailoring shop” was a part of the
business from the very beginning… like the “open air kitchen”
concept in a restaurant, whether that’s Spago or Waffle House.
When we hire, we’re looking for people who are equal parts
ambitious and kind. So with a team like that, they’re adding a
tremendous amount of personalized touches for the customer
& value to the brand.
S I D & A N N M A S H B U R N AT A G L A N C E
- Sid & Ann met in New York in the early 1980’s and are the proud parents of five daughters
- Sid has an accomplished design background working with the likes of Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and J.Crew
- Ann’s fashion background includes stints at Condé Nast as an assistant and editor at both Vogue and Glamour
- The Mashburn’s opened their first store in 2007 in Atlanta’s burgeoning west side, and now have five stores throughout the U.S.
- Their stores sell a combination of their own designed-and-produced clothing and favorite classic, iconic, and hard-to-find pieces...
all in a space designed to be as much about the experience as it is the items you go home with
Our digital edition at AnsleyAtlanta.com features additional photos and interview content. Check it out!