You were formerly the New York Creative Director for Escada. What inspired your move to South Florida, and professional pivot?

After a long career in Fashion spanning from Barneys NY, Escada and D&G as VP of Merchandising and Creative Services, the return to South Florida came as a surprise, even to me. The world of antiques and stockpiling fabulous things, however, was not new to me. Immediately following my return to South Florida, I was reminded the shopping was some of the best in the world. I started squirreling away estate pieces in a local storage unit, and to my dismay one hot sunny day a woman driving through stuck her head out of some fancy SUV and said, "Hey, is this for sale?!" to which I gasped, "No!" But then she yelled a number that was a multiplier I couldn't refuse; after she scavenged through my unit and wrote a giant check, it hit me, 'that was easy.' The rest is history.  

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Show Pony has a name that's impossible to forget. What's the story behind it?

Show Pony is an old nickname from my days in NY Fashion. So many of the huge design houses and brands I worked with for years would throw elaborate parties, often booking the most expensive venue they could find and hiring any local model they could get a hold of. What would inevitably happen after the budget drain would be the realization they hadn't sourced any entertainment, nor invested in a presentation. That is always when they would come begging to 'drag out the Show Pony.' After decades of entertaining fashion's masses, the name stuck. 

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How would you describe the curation at Show Pony to someone who hasn't been in?

Show Pony was built on the age-old principle of, 'Do what you love, and the success will follow.' In my case, what I love is to collect incredible things. Show Pony possesses the ability to merchandise 16th century antiques all the way through contemporary pieces harmoniously in one vignette. The mix is what matters — the high and low, the formal and casual, the comfortable but impressive. We do our best to collect items that you have been hunting for, and we merchandise them with things that you didn't even know you needed. At first glance it could seem intimidating; however, once your eye starts to absorb each story, you realize patterns and mixes you may not have put together yourself, but it's exactly what you were looking for. The other incredible element of Show Pony is that each piece has a tear sheet; you can shop online at ShowPonyPalmBeach.com any time of the day. Each item has been photographed and measured so you can take the information home and make the perfect decision! 

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Authentication is a big part of what you do. How does that process actually work, and why does it matter so much in this market?

Authentication in antiques is definitely a large part of the business; however, in reality design and curation is always based in style and taste. A piece doesn't have to be marked authentic to make a room a space to yearn for. However, Palm Beach for decades has maintained its reputation of displaying the best of the best, which often lends itself to tagged authentic furniture. Palm Beach is full of collectors who have trained their eye over decades of sourcing. Multigenerations have become addicted to the thrill of loving a piece even prior to discovering its original tag, which could often be older than the purchaser. Show Pony prides itself on keeping the discerning audience of Palm Beach satiated with authentic and interesting finds that keep our clientele making an almost weekly pilgrimage to our three showrooms.

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Walk us through how consignment works at Show Pony. What are you looking for, and what makes you say yes to a piece?

Consignment at Show Pony happened really out of sheer coincidence. So many of our friends and patrons have been collecting and come from a lineage of collectors. It was inevitable that shopping with me would lead to them needing to make space. While the amount of consignment is kept low, what it has become is simply helping rehome treasures that deserve to continue adding to their provenance. We have been lucky enough to establish relationships with some of the greatest tastemakers of the 21st century, and often that translates into working together on multiple projects. It has happened more than once that we have furnished, emptied and rehoused, then refurnished the same home!

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There's enormous interest in the Palm Beach Regency aesthetic, especially in vintage rattan and bamboo. How has such enthusiasm around the maximalist tropical look changed your business?

Suggesting that the Palm Beach Regency aesthetic is new in any way makes me laugh. Classic French and Italian bent bamboo has filled some of the most prolific estates in history. Designers often talk with me about their excitement of getting a client that 'gets it.' The layered look of a room is what makes it feel curated and collected over time, because it often is. Show Pony works hard to help you collect items across styles and centuries all in one trip. The movement of younger people returning to a collected, layered look has definitely proven to be positive in terms of antique sales. While Palm Beach Regency remains tried and true, the overall mix from English stately furniture to important Mid-Century Modern pieces remains just as prevalent. Happily for us, there seems to have been a divergence from marrying yourself to one aesthetic to truly collecting across styles and genres. 

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Who's your typical client? Is it mostly local Palm Beach clients/interior designers, or do you see a real mix?

"Typical" is not a word we would ever use for any of our esteemed clientele. Show Pony's success is based in its ability to appeal to so many styles and genres. With the eclectic mix comes an eclectic group of people, all with a different vision for their spaces. There is one common thread amongst our clientele: a strong, clear vision and the passion to execute it.

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What's the one piece of advice you'd give someone who's new to buying vintage and feels a little intimidated by the process?

My advice to everyone, regardless of their stage in life, is to buy what they love. Never rush to fill a room — take your time. Collect. Investing slowly in pieces that you love results in a room you love and enjoy spending time in.  ​​

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What do you love most about being part of the Pacommunity  Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, this whole little universe?

Having grown up in South Florida, Palm Beach will always hold a level of nostalgia for me. Palm Beach's international influence has only increased with the influx of the world's wealth and their enchantment with perpetual sunshine. Palm Beach has long been considered a mecca for interior design and lifestyle; working among some of the world's most discerning clientele and their designers allows us to play at a level that really is unmatched in other places. Palm Beach County has witnessed record-breaking growth over the past decade, and with the increase of young families comes an evolution in furniture needs. The curated and collected look morphs over the course of a family's lifetime. That is what we love about interior design so much — it is not static; it is constantly evolving. We relish in sharing the stage of Palm Beach with other visionary shops like Paula Romer, Casa Gusto, James and Jeffrey, Authentic Provence and Devonshire. The landscape of Palm Beach retail just keeps reinventing itself and expanding into amazing lifestyle brands like The Bungalow by Gypsy, Tuke Bazaar, Coniglio Palm Beach and Living with Ivey. We love being a part of what makes Palm Beach shopping the best in the world.