Ashley & Nicole Boiardi — sisters, best friends, and business partners. Six years strong, they’ve mastered their side hustle and moved AshBmarie into its first brick-and-mortar earlier this year. Making statements in fashion accessories + home, AshBmarie is a collaboration of accessories and collectibles; trend setting jewelry, handbags, sunglasses, and antiques. From unique statement earrings and necklaces to ‘just gotta have’ bracelets, sunglasses, and handbags, AshBmarie’s costume accessories are on trend and affordable. Pairing the new with the old through timeless antiques; vintage radios, cameras, record players, sewing machines and so much more
–they truly have something for everyone.
Ashley { AshB } comes from a background of fashion
merchandising and design with a BA from Framingham
State University. She worked the trade show circuit for
a few years with a women’s accessory wholesale company
where she learned a lot about the industry. Nicole { Marie }
is an interior design guru who spent half of her career in
Florida soaking in all that southern charm and international
style. Together they’ve created the perfect marriage,
melding their strengths and expertise with their roots of
hard work, creativity, and affinity for old things.
​
These two are old souls and the spaces they create, the boutique shopping experience, it’s like peering through a looking glass of polished nostalgia. The best parts of our past, polished and repurposed for today. These two powerhouses got their start with home parties. Calling on their friends and family to host get togethers, one upping the birthday party and BBQ scene. Their earring game was strong, varying from sophisticated small studs for the everyday work week, to flirty statement earrings that were swoon worthy. The sunglass collection was full of fun shapes, bold colors, and trendy styles; these were showstoppers that you couldn’t NOT try on. Targeting the young professional on a modest budget, their hand selected collection was a hit and so well received that they quickly realized they were on to something and needed to tap into a larger audience. Malls brought guaranteed traffic and brand exposure, and kiosks allowed for a month to month tenancy. What started out preliminary for
one month, grew into four, and a while later, flourished to two malls.
Ashley & Nicole Boiardi The pro.Found
Vintage Market, September 2 0 1 9
-Polished Nostalgia
Square One Mall, 2018
This is where the real hustle began. Ashley working her 9 to 5 at Regan Communications Group in the heart of the North End; dipping out around 4 to fight rush hour traffic on the Pike, to get to the Natick Mall by 5 where she moonlighted her day dream just to pinch pennies. While Nicole was in Florida pumping up their online presence and going on buying trips to Atlanta and Miami to keep their collection competitive. After being a resident of the sunshine state for 10 long years, this single momma made the big decision to pack up her small family and head north. It was time to make the leap, strengthen the business, and pursue her passion alongside her sister. As if their lives weren’t intertwined enough, they decided to buy a house together too! Landing in Saugus, just one mile from the Square One Mall, they certainly couldn’t pass up this convenient opportunity. Nicole would drop Van-Taj at school, open up the shop at the mall in Saugus, and finish the day with a night shift at Boston’s historical Prudential Center, Top of the Hub. Exhausted, over worked, and fulfilled with their their exposure, the shops vintage chic vibe just didn’t align with the mall culture, AshBmarie knew it was time to level up!
Settling into their brand with a clear vision for the future, Nicole & Ashley traded in their square footage for an 18- foot van, made like gypsies, and took their collection on the road. Popping up all over Massachusetts at farms and festivals, antique shows and farmers markets, curating 10x10 booths that drew a crowd. Everything perfectly placed and all for sale, these spaces were like something out of Alice in Wonderland. They were collaborating with antiquers and shabby chicers from all over New England, filling up on inspiration and recognition, the shows felt like home. The season came to an end and the sisters were ambitious for next year. They spent the off season mapping out the next 12 months; looking for new shows, pinning the profitable spots while weeding out the duds; perfecting their business plan and developing their online presence.
Dublin Vintage Market, 2019
The pro.Found Vintage Market, June 2019
Vintage Bazaar NE, 2019
It was a weekend in November and the girls were in the mood to do some thrifting. They punched Habitat for Humanity, Peabody into their GPS and headed for Pulaski Street. As they turned left, they were distracted by the antiques flag waving in the wind affixed to the giant brick mill. They both perked up and said “we have to check that place out”. They finished at Habitat and parked in front of the black awning that read Mills58. There was a brewery down on the left end and a day care on the other. They started on the right side deciding they’d end with a brew. Before they knew it 4 hours had gone by, they wandered each floor talking to each of the business owners, and purchased some treasures. They were certain they found a
gem in Mills58 and even drafted an email inquiring about vacancies while sipping on beer flights at the close of the afternoon.
2020 commenced, negotiations were had, and a move in date was set – April! The Boiardi sisters are hustlers, they have a fire inside of them that is fierce and their drive is unbeatable. Following suit, these bootstrappers didn’t let the pandemic, politics, or pandemonium of this tumultuous year stand in between them and their dream. Plagued with uncertainty, from finances to futures, a decision had to be made; were they willing to gamble on themselves? All their past decisions, hard work, it all lead up to this moment and come hell or high water AshBmarie was opening its doors. And that’s just what they did in June, these bosses opened their first brick-and-mortar!
Everything happens for a reason, although the world was in turmoil and layoffs were wide spread, suddenly these two sisters had all the time they needed to transform their 10x10 experience to a 1,000 square foot retail haven of personal passion and creativity. The girls were knee deep in demolition, sheet rock, and
electrical for the next four weeks; installing a 15-unit window wall separating the work shop from the goods and traded in the double door frontage for two 8-foot long sliding palette barn doors. Being a retail space, their one light bulb just
58 Pulaski St. Peabody, MA| 2020
wasn’t cutting it, cue the lighting plan! 650 records and 12 hours later, the floor was laid and the space was ready to be accessorized. AshBmarie is an experience; the curation stops you in your tracks, the merchandise is familiar to all, and the hospitality is genuine. Mills58 is a recently remodeled 200,000 square foot mill building located at 58 Pulaski Street in the city of Peabody, MA. Originally built in 1890 operating as a leather mill, Mills58 features a variety of businesses from antique and consignment shops, a 5,000 square foot artisan food court, to fitness centers, photography studios, a craft brewery, dance studios, a co-work space, and even a day care center! The independent businesses collaborate with each other creating a unique experience for visitors of all ages and interests. With new businesses and entrepreneurs joining monthly, there is always something new and exciting to experience.
P.S. We’ve finally achieved what we’ve always strived for and wanted from this life changing gamble. Our ambition, hobby as some would say, will march on and our creativity will continue to transform from both of our influences, only to deliver a look, a product, that truly transcends.
-Nicole & Ashley Boiardi
