N’Used owner, Rosemary Edwards, is a long-time Reston resident who was raised amidst a retail setting; her mother and grandparents have owned shoe stores for years. Although her entrepreneurial spirit developed during youth, it wasn’t until a tragedy struck that prompted her to open a business of her own. 

A 2011 house fire destroyed many of Rosemary’s personal belongings, including much loved artwork. Soon after the fire, she spent the summer alongside a best friend debating what to do next. A shipment soon arrived containing salvaged clothes. Sitting in a family room with her things strewn about, Rosemary began to divide the clothes into piles: Keep, Donate, Consign, Keep, Donate, Consign….Consign??

The proverbial light went off and there grew the idea of opening a consignment shop in her hometown.