Whenever Mahro Anfield’s mother says goodbye over the phone, she makes sure to tell her daughter, “Mama loves you.” So when the mother-daughter duo teamed up to open a vintage clothing store, it was only fitting that they chose a name that reflected their cherished relationship.
“People love it when they call on the phone and I say, ‘Mama loves you,’ laughs Mahro. “A girl yesterday told me, ‘I’m going to call whenever I’m sad just to hear you say that to me.’”
Mahro’s mom, Melo, lives in Vancouver and has been a purveyor of vintage for years while Mahro, a graduate of Ryerson University’s fashion communications program, has spent the majority of her adult life working in retail.
“We said, ‘This is silly, let’s just do it ourselves’,” recalls Mahro, and in December 2012 Mama Loves You Vintage opened.
Mahro takes care of day-to-day operations and sales, while her mom does all the buying.
“We have our own aesthetic that we try to focus on in the store with a focus on the 1960s to ’70s,” she says.