Taking Fashion on the Road
One day while teaching at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, adjunct professor and former owner of White House/Black Market, Shelley Sarmiento, was following her daily routine through the lunch hour – Grilled cheese from the same grilled cheese truck, every day. On this particular day, she wondered how something so simple could be so lucrative. Butter. Bread. Cheese. Repeat. It seemed so easy and yet, the success was astounding.
Taking her thoughts, and of course the grilled cheese, with her back to FIT, Shelley was inspired and what has become The Little White Fashion Truck was set into motion. With the desire to be closer to home and still run her own business, Shelley purchased four box trucks and got to work turning them into mobile boutiques.
This endeavor began in early August of this year and has amassed a significant following in just three short months. Shelley stocks the trucks with unique and affordable fashion and jewelry, including pieces from her own collection, “TRUCK CULTURE.” The first truck in this fashion fleet operates in the greater Baltimore area as a second truck covers Nashville. A third truck is expected to launch in the DC metro area in early spring, 2013 and a fourth will be dedicated to touring college campuses.
With this innovative method of bringing fashion to the consumer, the trucks only go into urban areas, not retail areas. “We consider ourselves a retail partner, not a retail competitor,” says Shelley.
Taking an interest in aspiring designers and the work of fashion students, the Little White Fashion Truck is partnering with Stevenson University to organize pop-up shops in the future. Having this platform will allow the students and designers to showcase and sell their work as well as allowing them to see what kind of response their designs elicit from a different audience.
The trucks are available for private shopping parties where they will back right up to your curb for all the convenience one could need. The Little White Fashion Truck also does charity events, where a portion of the proceeds will go to charity. Recently, an event sponsored by the John’s Hopkins women’s lacrosse team raised money for Sarcoma.
For more information, and to find out where the truck will arrive next, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LittleWhiteFashionTruck.
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