Modelled by anton atienza | Photography by Ebony Davis | Published by The Issue Magazine

AN INSPIRING VISUAL MERCHANDISER AND INFLUENCER FROM EDMONTON, AB

Who is Anton Atienza? 

Anton Atienza (@antonatienza) was born and raised in Edmonton. Since then, he works as a visual merchandiser during the day and as a digital content creator in his off time. 

About His Personal Journey and His Interest in Fashion

“I feel like I have been all over the map to get to where I am today,” Anton said. 

Anton has a background in Arts and Cultural Management and Communications. He worked and has volunteered in the music and entertainment industry. 

“Fashion became a part of my life nearly a decade ago when the Edmonton fashion and blogging scene emerged,” Anton said. “From there, it’s been and still is an ongoing ride for me!” 

When asked about which brands are his biggest inspirations, minimalists clothing shops were on the list. Anton’s fashion inspirations come from The Frankie Shop, Oak and Fort and Aritzia. 

“Those brands, for the most part, really embody gender-neutral pieces, which I love,” Anton stated. “The Frankie Shop is actually great for that and making [the] majority of their pieces quite oversized with [a] structure to them.” 

As a content creator and visual merchandiser, Anton, of course, has specific fashion styles. Anton mostly wears casual-athleisure style. Anton’s favourite fashion styles include leggings, an oversized sweatshirt or t-shirt, and white sneakers. Anton also prefers to wear an oversized blazer from The Frankie Shop or an oversized button-up oxford or poplin shirt. 

“Having said that, I also have days where I like to dress up, feel chic and look polished!”

In terms of clothing stores, some of Anton’s favourite clothing shops are Artizia and Oak and Fort, as mentioned above. Anton also loves to shop in local clothing stores in Edmonton, such as The Skinny and Gravity Pope Tailored Goods. Buying clothes online isn’t new, and so Anton shared some of his favourite e-commerce shops/brands based in Edmonton. This includes online stores like New Classics, an ethically crafted clothing, home and footwear online shop, founded by Alyssa Lau, a local content creator. Other e-commerce shops were also mentioned by Anton, such as My Next Broken Heart that sells some of the coziest and cheekiest t-shirts, Shop Barretta, and lastly, Tikkhu Jewelry. Both sell affordable, handcrafted, trendy accessories. 

His Work Journeys as a Visual Merchandiser and an Influencer 

When Anton was asked to talk about his work journeys, one of his inspirations is the feeling of accomplishment. 

“When I know that I have completed and achieved a task or project, I know what I am capable of and how to better prepare myself for the future.”

Anton stated that any social media collaborations where he has personally pitched directly and given a creative brief to secure said collaborations are the ones that show off his creativity to the maximum. 

“I feel that when a brand gives me creative control, I need to give them my all because they have just given me what I’ve asked for,” Anton stated. “This also holds me accountable to ensure my creative juices are flowing so that my final product of content and brand messaging is what they have expected and more.” 

In terms of collaborations, Anton is always selective about the brands he works with. Anton always aligns himself with the brands that he is already a fan of. He usually stays away from brands he wouldn’t use or brands his audiences doesn’t see him using. 

“I do keep an open mind when I read collaboration requests, and if I see the potential of becoming a new fan or using said brand regularly, I’ll give them a chance.”

As a creative/influencer in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, Anton found some of the pros and cons about it. For Anton, platforms like Instagram have always been a creative outlet for him, but it has changed throughout the years; in both good and bad ways. Anton stated that throughout the pandemic, it seems like anyone who has a smartphone could be considered a content creator or an influencer. It is difficult for Anton and other content creators, to succeed since a lot of this platform is number-based. 

“The challenges for many are the metrics, the algorithm.” Said Anton. “When this platform selects what gets published and exposed to the greater demographic online definitely is a struggle in itself.” 

However, it still offers some pros within all these cons of being a creative/influencer in Edmonton, Canada. 

“One pro for me was and still is being connected to some of the greatest people in my life,” Anton said. “I have developed lifelong friendships and strong acquaintances.” 

Speaking of the pandemic and his work collaborations, Anton felt like the pandemic had given him more collaboration opportunities. 

“From the initial national stay-at-home mandate, I was able to dedicate more time to read collaboration and partnership requests as well as reaching out to brands,” Anton said. “I was able to take on more because, during that period, I was at home most of the time, so it made it easier to say yes, remain occupied and still stay true to myself and my content online.”

In the future, as a creative/influencer, Anton hopes to continue to collaborate with the brands he loves and maintain strong, personal relationships with them as well as with new upcoming brands. 

His Advice and His Final Thoughts

As an inspiring creative/influencer, Anton gives a following piece of advice to younger creatives/influencers. 

“Please come into this industry with no expectations and remember this is an industry that takes a lot of time for growth and opportunity.”  

Anton added that many people, specifically young creatives think that having a smartphone and having the ability to re-create a picture of the creator they follow will grant them social media fame. Anton stated that it doesn’t work that way and that there is much more behind the scenes that most people don’t realize and consider. 

“To the public eye, people on the streets see the pictures and videos being taken.” Said Anton. “What they don’t see is the administrative process; brand pitches, contracts and deliverables. Learning how to negotiate and determining your worth. The editing time, the potential to re-shoot a campaign. All these things and more that people don’t consider when becoming a creator.” 

Lastly, Anton added that there are so many creators who have sacrificed and worked so hard to get to where they are today. 

“You have to be willing to put in the time and creativity before all the successes come your way.”

Be sure to check out our full photo gallery and keep up with Anton’s journey on Instagram at @antonatienza.