Born to style: Woman builds the vintage shop of her dreams

A year ago Lili Quiveiro spent $10 to buy a Valentino navy blue blazer with gold-button detailing at the Calle Ocho Goodwill store. A month later, she sold the jacket, which was manufactured in the 1990s, for $250. It was originally worth over $1,000. 

“It was beautiful,” she said. “It was a classic piece.”

Now 37 years old, Quiveiro is a self-employed stylist, collector and founder of  “Annonce Vintage,’‘ a website where she sells dozens of items picked up at South Florida thrift stores. She also collaborates with “Alchemist,” a retail shop located in Miami Design District. 

The business of selling goods bought at thrift stores and then sold over the internet is showing promise. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer the thrifting market is expected to double from $36 billion to $77 billion from 2020 to 2025. Generation Z seem to be the leading buyers. 

“I just feel like they have a better understanding and appreciation for vintage, that maybe the generation before lost or just not necessarily got as much,” she said. “This generation values individuality and it does not necessarily have to be a label.”

Quiveiro is a first-generation Cuban immigrant who arrived in Miami at four years old. Her love for clothing began two years later when her mother introduced her to the world of second-hand shopping.

“When I was in fourth grade and all of those teen publications like ‘Seventeen’ and ‘YM Magazine’ came out, that’s when I started to really get into fashion,” she said. “I used to thrift with my mom when I was little, like her and her friends would go thrifting and I would tag along – so I’ve always known of it.”

Quiveiro graduated from Miami Sunset Senior High School in 2010. She attended classes at Miami Dade College, but in 2012 decided to work in sales for Alchemist. Soon she was promoted to social media strategist and brand ambassador for their Paris and Los Angeles launches.

One of the people she met was Virgil Abloh, an American fashion designer. He worked as an artistic director for Louis Vuitton Men’s and was the CEO of the streetwear label Off-White. Abloh passed away in November of 2021.

“I’ve known Virgil for over 6 years, I met him when he was down here for the Twisted Fantasy tour at a party,” she said. “The first collab we did was on the Off White Chrome Hearts collection.” 

“When I worked for Alchemist I met the most incredible people, I worked with Virgil and Colette boutique,” she said. 

Quiveiro worked for Italian fashion houses such as Marni in 2015 as an assistant manager. From 2019 to 2021 she was a sales associate for Prada. 

“Working for Prada and Marni gave me a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship of Italian design,” she said. “It all ties back into the vintage aspect. Pieces like that, that you buy second-hand, they will hold up due to the incredible quality.”

After working for these opulent shops throughout the years and witnessing clothing being thrown away carelessly, Quiveiro was inspired to start her own sustainable high-end apparel business. She named it  “Annonce Vintage.” Prices range from $40 to $300.

“I started my business in April of this year, 2022,” she said. “It is something I had envisioned for a long time and decided to finally move forward with.”

While her main buyers are from Miami, the site has gained attention from clients in New York, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Spain. The store launch party was hosted on May 7 and gathered about 20 people. Among other pieces, Quivero sold a Brooks Brothers Vintage Blazer for $73 and a Diane von Furstenberg dress for $90. 

Quiveiro is currently focusing on her shop full-time since it launched this year.

“I quit my full-time job as a sales associate at Prada to focus on launching it, you know businesses take a lot of time to build,” she said. “But this is my main focus and I want to build it little by little.”

She also addresses the importance of actively buying second-hand, donating and having the community be more mindful of the environment. The “United Nations Environment Program” reports that 1.4 million trillion plastic fibers that make up our clothing end in the ocean every year. 

“In the grand scheme of it all, when it comes to sustainability and the environment, if we all actively do it, it can make a major impact,” she said. “I feel like that is the main goal, to have it become the new norm.”

Quiveiro’s collection of vintage apparel is displaying success to her clients. Rachel Lezcano, a customer of “Annonce Vintage,” said she is content knowing that she is purchasing resourceful pieces. 

“I personally purchased one of her blazers and I’ve been able to style it in so many ways,” she said. “The pieces are timeless, therefore making them versatile.”

Sabrina Larsh, an FIU Sustainability and the Environment alumna and also a fashion lover, said that she was excited to hear about Quiveiro’s eco-friendly vintage clothing shop. 

“She is breaking the social norms of fast fashion by selling and encouraging others to buy vintage,” she said. “I hope her shop takes off and she continues to reduce her carbon footprint and fight fast fashion pollution, while also doing it with style.”

Quiveiro believes that one less thing that is purchased in retail means less unsustainable production.

“If I were to put the Valentino jacket on my site people would not have to feel like they have to buy it brand new,” she said. “Pieces like that stand the test of time. This encourages people to not spend as much but still look good.”

Gabriela Perez is a senior FIU student majoring in Digital Media and communications/Broadcasting Journalism. After graduation, she would like to work in the entertainment industry as either a magazine editor or as an Anchor/Presenter. Her favorite getaway places are New York City and Los Angeles California. She enjoys reading, watching films, traveling and writing. She hopes to inspire others, to go after what their hearts desire.

Maria Lozada is a junior at Florida International University majoring in Digital Broadcast. She has a passion for writing and editing videos. She looks forward to graduating and pursuing a career in the media industry.