Bio
AMY POLEVOY
Founder: ANTES, The Style Heiress Consignment Boutique.
I wore THE MOST incredible outfit to my 8th grade graduation…. in hindsight, I’m quite sure not everyone would agree :).
The look included an ivory ruffled blouse of my mother’s, a high-waisted pair of crepe black wide-legged pants from God knows where, a western-inspired belt, a velvet choker necklace with a heart charm, black suede pumps & the most hideous hair-style imaginable. I LOVED IT…. ALL.
Each element was infused with meticulous thought. I was completely obsessed with putting it all together. The belt anchored the blouse into my pants, the blouse had an ethereal vintage feel and was not at all reminiscent of what the other kids were wearing at the time. My accessories were tough, current & fashion-forward. My shoes were classic. This eclectic “mix” was something that I would take with me into the rest of my “Fashion Life”:
Nothing matched, yet, everything matched perfectly.
That evening, amongst a sea of black velvet spaghetti strap dresses, I felt unique & I REALLY liked that feeling. Having dealt with severe anxiety my entire childhood, it felt wonderful to freely express myself and to receive accolades for it. I will never forget the compliments that I received that night on my “creation”.
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In high school, I fell deeply in love with vintage shopping as it, yet again, allowed me to source the perfect element of “different” that I had quickly become so passionate about. The perfectly distressed pair of Levi’s, patchwork jackets and tooled leather belts with ornate buckles. (It is still difficult for me to not pair a belt with EVERY outfit I wear today). I scoured the racks at Winners (the Canadian version of Saks Off Fifth) for brand named clothing because there are FEW THINGS THAT I LOVE MORE THAN THE THRILL OF A GREAT DEAL. No doubt, I was also a sucker for BIG STAR Jeans & INDIAN MOTORCYCLE Baby T’s back then, but, I still loved to wait until the big sample sales where I could buy even more, for less. The recognition of my elevated fashion sense grew amongst my peers (& so did my anxiety issues, unfortunately- more on that to follow).
In University, I worked at the trendiest, most popular clothing store in Toronto. “Mendocino” offered the best of the best from both a style and brand standpoint. As a manager, I received a clothing allowance of $750 per quarter and 50% off all of the other clothing that they sold. I didn’t FEEL as though I had won the lottery- I HAD WON THE FUCKING LOTTERY. As customers continuously requested to work with me and my friends called incessantly for fashion advice, my own confidence and my depth of love for the business of fashion grew.
As I moved through my twenties and into my early thirties, I was incredibly blessed to have held respected positions at Canadian super-brands such as Tribute Magazine, Much Music, MTV Canada and alongside brilliant mentors including Jamie Salter, currently the founder & CEO of www.Authenticbrandsgroup.com – take a peek- this dude is, like, a really big deal. 😊
My final position in the corporate realm is most notable for me as it was what I then deemed “my dream job”. When I landed at Canada’s #1 Fashion Magazine, FLARE, I felt like I had found the mothership- this fashion alien was home. There, surrounded by the height of people in fashion- I was still awarded with acknowledgement for my sense of style. When Rogers Communications Inc., the owner of FLARE, decided to restructure the company & to stop circulating the magazine, I decided I was ready to have something to call my own. I wanted to do something that permeated all of my passions & thus, THE STYLE HEIRESS CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE was born…
TSH, an abbreviation that is still used today, is a magical place where women come to see me to get styled, on a one-on-one, by-appointment-only basis, in designer clothing at a lesser cost. Some turned their noses up at consignment (pre-owned clothing) and I was determined to make it “cool”. In addition to pre-owned, I sold End-Of-Season items from top designer boutiques. From the 750 square feet “showroom” that I created in the basement of my own home, I amassed nearly 10,000 followers on Instagram and a jam packed schedule of new & regular shoppers. It was a tremendous success and continues to be…Thank God.
ENTER ANTES….
As I’ve mentioned, I have suffered with an anxiety disorder since my early teens. To make that even more fun (I jest- I JEST BIG TIME), I was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder called Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD – which made living through 50% of each month almost entirely unbearable at times. My decision to not take on the role of a mother was largely based on these two issues. I struggled with not becoming a mother for a long time…I believed that I was not “whole” as a woman given that (in my experience) it is quite taboo in society to choose not to have children when so many women are desperate to do so. I found solace in creating rich, meaningful relationships with my niece & nephew & becoming a close confidante to my dearest friends’ children. My role as an Aunt is undoubtedly one of the most important in my life. And so, the brand “ANTES” (pronounced Aunties) begins….(Do note that every ANTE is named after each of the children that I care so deeply about).
XXX,
TSH, ANTE AMY or just another creative chick trying to build awesome stuff & to live happily doing so.
