zzy Polanco has worn many hats since moving to St. Louis in 2013 by way of New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Florida. A native of the Dominican Republic, she's done closet edits, worked as a fashion stylist, sold vintage clothes online, and, until the pandemic forced her to “put it on the back burner,” dipped her toes into the world of high-end designer rentals. ¶ She is now the), which specializes in vintage resale, consignment items, and on-trend garments that Polanco buys at clothing auctions, saving some of the inventory from ending up in a landfill or being donated to large thrift stores that might offload them to other countries. ¶ The shop is stocked with garments in a range of styles: A white cotton dress with a sweetheart neckline and puff sleeves. A silk lingerie top and sash that can be restyled as a dress, worn as a kimono with pants, or beneath a tailored blazer. “I'm not a big floral person,” Polanco says of the top, “but this print is pretty special.” Then there's a plus-size minidress with a corset bodice. She can see a client wearing it to a baby shower or to a courthouse wedding. ¶ The ethos here is to revel in the reuse of items. Many of the clothes Polanco carries aren't necessarily sustainable. “The sustainability part comes from buying it over and over and over again,” she says. “If I've already worn a piece and I know that I'm not going to use it again, why not bring it to a consignment or resale shop, get some money, and let somebody else use it?” ¶ Here, Polanco, dressed as cool as ever in Juan Carlos Obando, Zara, and Jimmy Choo loafers, all purchased secondhand, shares more about her new business.
