RB:  Anna, so excited to see you today. 

AR:  I'm so excited to be here.

RB:  Well, this is fun because we just did this really fun photo shoot. That was pretty impromptu.

AR:  The best things happen that way.

RB:  But the origin of it was that we got this amazing collection of pieces from somebody who had an archive of Y2K Prada and Dolce & Gabbana and all the things. And I was thinking about how to showcase the collection, and then we were hanging out, and I was like, I think Anna's the correct size for these things.

AR: I felt so seen.

RB:  Seriously, how did it feel to be in front of the camera in that way?

AR:  It felt nerve wracking at first. I said yes immediately, because it sounds fun. I trust you. I love your eye. And it was a classic… if someone sees something in you, you want to rise to the occasion, even though it's scary! Then you started sending pictures of the clothes and I started getting really excited. And then trying them on, I mean I've never tried on super nice designer vintage. And it really does make you stand up taller, walk a little differently. It was like playing dress up with the same enthusiasm I see my daughter have for putting on a costume, I was just like, this is this is me now! Once you're wearing a garment that is well made, you can feel it, you can see it. It does make you feel great. So fun.

RB:  I love that. So where did you grow up again?

AR:  Indianapolis, Indiana. Lived in southern Indiana for a little bit, and then my folks moved to the north side of Indy. That's where my dad still is. My sister's in Indianapolis. So, Midwest.

RB:  Well, Anna Reed is known as a fashionista around town. Where does that come from? What's the origin story? 

AR:  Ha! Well I think it's two things. One, my dad’s mom, we called her Gran. She was from a small town in Kentucky, but was one of those I go to the salon, I match my handbag to my shoes, kind of woman. She wasn’t over the top, but always put together. Whenever we would visit Kentucky, my sister and I would post up in her bathroom where she had one of those, remember those plastic books that could store your earrings? Incredible stuff. And she had a mirror cabinet full of lipsticks!

RB: Aha!

AR: Yeah. It was super influential to see her put effort into her appearance and be selective of what she chose to wear. And the second part of my fashion origin story came from…church clothes.  

RB: Gasp!

AR: I know! My dad is a retired minister so we were at church every single Sunday. My mom sewed a lot when we were growing up, and for special services, like on Easter and Christmas Eve, she would always make me a new dress. As I got older it became more of a collaboration, and that really lit something inside of me. One Easter sticks out in particular, probably ‘93 or ‘94, and I told my mom that I wanted a yellow floral dress with white full-length bloomers underneath, and she totally made it happen. 

RB: What! How old were you?

AR: Maybe, eight or nine? I was watching a TV show that was set back in the day and the girls wore bloomers under their dresses. And I was like, that's it, that’s what I want for Easter Sunday. Looking back, I guess it was the first taste of having a vision of something specific I wanted to wear and using clothes as a way to express myself. I feel so grateful my mom nurtured that and was open to my ideas. She could’ve easily shut me down and said I would look ridiculous (which I did, there’s a picture somewhere and I wish I had it for you). 

RB: This is not how I was expecting this story to go!

AR: Fashion inspo is everywhere! 

RB: Were you a fashion magazine reader? 

AR: Yes, as I got older, big into magazines. I still am, I’m a Vogue Stan, still subscribing to the print issue. As a teenager, I would rip out ads and pictures and collage them on my wall. And then in high school I started dabbling in vintage T shirts, going to Goodwill, to specifically find, like, an old character or band tee. And there was a place, it's still there in Indianapolis, called Broad Ripple vintage, which was like opening a whole new world to me, fashion-wise.

RB:  When I think of you, I think bold, patterns, florals, colors. I was trying to get you to wear black shoes for the shoot, which was a negotiation! Do you feel like that's been your persona for a long time?

AR: Actually, no. I used to think, like a lot of women, that you have to wear black, especially on the bottom. Even 10 years ago I would wear skinny jeans or black on black with a bold necklace. That was kind of my go-to, and it's only been within the last 10 to 12 years that I've really made a silly hard line like, nope, I don't want to do that anymore. It's intentional both as a rejection of the (false) messages about “figure-flattering colors,” and as a way to stand out. I don't ever want to blend in, like you see anybody walking, and they're wearing a black puffer or some sort of performance jacket. Especially in Portland

RB: So you made a conscious decision just to stop.

AR: I don't own a solid black T-shirt. I’ll wear black tights or a vintage black shirt with something else on it.

RB: Were you like, I want to stop wearing black and this is now what I'm gonna wear? Or was it kind of like an evolution into what you are now?

AR: An evolution. I don't really wear neutrals, gray, or beige. I'll do navy! .

RB: Is it hard to stick to those rules?

AR: I love it, not at all. 

RB: OK, when did you move to Portland and what brought you here?

AR: I moved in 2008 at the suggestion of my friend Bonnie! She got married right out of college, and moved to Portland and was like, come live with us, I think you’ll like it here! And so she flew out to Indy where I was living with my parents after college and we drove together. I was 22. 

RB: Love being 22, right?

AR: And it was before Google Maps, we had printed directions. I'm like, go us. But I moved here all those years ago, and here I am.

RB: To note, you are kind of like the accessory queen. When I told Scarlet I was going to ask you to do this shoot, she said, "Make sure she wears her accessories." Not even a question.

AR: Ha! That's so sweet. Yeah, jewelry really emerged as a form of expression for me. That was kind of part of the uniform I was referencing — I wasn't bland, I wasn't boring in black, and I really looked to accessories for the flourish. I came into jewelry hard, but I really adore all accessories. I love hats and shoes. I just became obsessed.

And the maker scene in Portland at that time — I know you experienced it too — it was just booming. There were so many cool designers doing pop-ups, little shops. I was going to everything.

RB: A different kind of pop-up. More organic.

AR: Totally. Instagram was just dawning, and I was having so much fun documenting my outfits, documenting my jewelry, really having a grand old time. I just wanted to get into fashion. There was a shop on Alberta for a while called Abraham & Duffy. Do you know Daisy?

RB: I know Daisy. Love her.

AR: So I just walked in one day and said, "Do you need help?" Daisy was about to have her second kid and they could use the extra hands. I worked half days on Fridays and one weekend day. But they also wanted help with their Instagram- this is like 2011, 2012-  so I started doing that in addition to my day job. This was my fun job. And they paid me in store credit, so I got to start dabbling in nicer things. Up until then it was all thrifted or fast fashion.

They carried a brand called Seaworthy. I got to know Marisa, the owner/designer of  that line, through the shop. Long story short, she needed a marketing intern, so during a summer when I was unemployed I started interning at Seaworthy- doing their Instagram, learning about behind-the-scenes stuff, ordering, casting, design. Doing photo shoots and lookbooks. That was the era of everyone doing a lookbook, just bringing friends together. So much fun.

And then Betsy (from Betsy & Iya) called. There was a blog called The Neat Sheet way back in the day that I started freelancing for — I had actually interviewed Betsy for them — so we'd stayed in touch. They needed help with social media and stuff, general marketing. 

RB: Love Betsy. I loved that old space they were in on Thurman.

AR: So cute. So I did that, and then from there I went to Rejuvenation — lighting and home goods.

RB: Wait, let's back up. While you were doing all this, your personal Instagram had kind of done a thing. It got big.

AR: I mean, I guess, in the local scene. It was just so fun and natural. And back then, before the algorithm, you would literally just see things in your feed. If you followed me, you'd see behind-the-scenes fun stuff from my job. Betsy and I really made personalities out of the staff, had them on camera, talked to them, and that translated online too. It worked so well for events. Make a Facebook event, people see it. Everyone scrolls until the last post they saw. 

RB: Bring that back.

AR: Bring it back. I feel so old, ha! But it was ultimately just so fun for me, I loved that kind of documenting.

RB: And you could control it. It was intentional in a different way.

AR: Totally. And I didn't really think about it that much, which made it more fun.

RB: What happened to your Instagram? Or actually, let's talk about stepping back from Instagram, because I feel like that was a big moment.

AR: The true reason for the initial step back from IG was that I lost my mom in a really sudden, tragic way, and I just could not handle it. I didn't want to open it and see messages. I didn't know what to say, but it felt weird to say nothing. I felt really private about it and I just had to stop, at least for a while. 

RB: And up until that point, you'd been pretty open. Very active.

AR: Very. So that was a turning point. After a few months, I started to come back a little bit, but once you break that initial habit, it's easier to stay away. And if I’m being honest, having young kids factored in as well. I still am figuring out how I’d share that part of my life, if I even would at this point.

RB: Do you even think about it day to day?

AR: Sometimes if I have a particularly great outfit, I'm like, oh this would be fun to share. I miss sharing general observations/thoughts about fashion or posting about a shop or brand I like. And I miss keeping up with people I don’t see often or ever IRL. But mostly I think about it if I'm going somewhere like to a restaurant or traveling, because Instagram is still the most updated source for that kind of thing! I also have the advantage of being able to take an extended break when I know so many people’s livelihoods depend on it, at least partly. And it might come back. I do miss sharing outfits!

RB: So, instead of IG you do a lot of Substack and online shopping. Are there other people you look to now for style inspiration?

AR: I’ve always loved Rihanna. Leandra fka ManRepeller. People who take risks and wear weird shit. I feel like there's been this wave lately where everyone is dressing the same: neutral palette, “quiet luxury.” So I like people who have fun with it. Mostly I'm inspired by pieces I see, or writers I like, or honestly, these Substacks.

RB: Okay, send me some. I know you love to shop. Tell me about your shopping.

AR: I love my email! Gmail's promotions tab. If I like a shop or a brand, I'm on their newsletter. I read your emails every week. It's direct, I see it on my own time. It's replaced a lot of what Instagram used to do for me. And Noihsaf. I'm on there probably every day, or at least a few times a week.

RB: Are you selling on it too?

AR: No, just buying. I love Noihsaf, I love Etsy, I love eBay.

RB: When you're on Noihsaf and Etsy and eBay, are you searching for things or just scrolling?

AR: On Noihsaf I just go to vintage and scroll until I've caught up. They have fun filters… on sale, expiring soon, a following feed. Etsy is more search-based. I also love doing a Google image search if I have a screenshot of something, it'll pull up listings or similar items so I can see if the price is normal, or if the size I want exists. Depop is good for that too. 

RB: Would you say you shop mostly vintage?

AR: Mostly secondhand, broadly. There's like a two-decade sweet spot for me, 80s-90s. I get weirded out by stuff from before the '70s. But generally, yeah, vintage and second hand as much as possible!

RB: Is there anything else you want to cover?

AR: Something I've really admired about you is this idea of, when am I going to wear this? I don't want to buy something nice if I'm never going to wear it. And that's why I love what you do at the shop, it's like, stop thinking about that. Have some fun.

RB: Just go to dinner. Or who cares! Just wear it. You'll find an occasion. Or make one.

AR: Wear sneakers. Make it more casual. The older I get, the more I want everyone to have confidence. Own it. Have fun. Try something new.

RB: Even if you wear it once — you can consign it!

AR: Consigning is beautiful. Plug for consigning! So fun. I love the shops we have. Love the work you all do. It's hard work.

RB: It is, but it's great work. Alright, how are you feeling?

AR: Feeling good. I could talk about this all day.