Fashion Exchange Consignment opened for business in 1995 dedicated to the belief that great women's fashion should and can be available without breaking the bank.
Growing up, whenever Ann Condit would dramatically declare “Well, I’m never going to…”, her dad would always gently correct her saying “Annie, never say never”. It was sage advice.
Ann started out her adult life working in the mortgage banking industry in Richmond, Virginia. She loved that she got to be involved in making people’s dreams come true by helping them with the biggest purchase of their lives, a home. As the years went by Ann did everything from processing and closing loans to originating them to selling them to investors to earning a Series 7 license and working on mortgage backed securities. Mortgage banking took her from Richmond to Atlanta, Georgia to Northern Virginia. Ann loved what she did and it was a good living. She wasn’t looking for a new career and never imagined that she would ever do anything else.
Enter a friend and her dad’s advice to “never say never”. You see, this friend had a bee in her bonnet to open a consignment store devoted to women’s clothing and accessories and wanted Ann to join her. It seemed fascinating except Ann was happy where she was. BUT it was intriguing. After all, the summer between graduating from high school and going to college Ann worked in a large department store in Richmond. She loved clothes and especially shoes and would routinely spend her money on the ones she just couldn’t live without. Never mind that they didn’t go with anything in her closet…..minor detail. She’d find the perfect dress, skirt or coat to go with those must have shoes. By the way, one of those pairs of shoes were lime green Pappagallos with turquoise trim and Ann did find the perfect coat, a lime green wool boucle which she wore for years. Ask her for pictures. She’ll be happy to show you!
The thought of opening up a consignment store seemed a bit daunting at first but exciting and not at all impossible. Ann was used to taking risks so decided to go for it and Fashion Exchange Consignment was born. It’s been twenty-two years and although she’s the sole owner now, she’s never looked back and it’s been one of the best decisions of her life.
