Fad*ish- fashion and design

Don’t let the fact that you are in a mobile home fool you -- these roaming retailers mean business. An ice-cream truck for fashionistas -- sans the horrible music -- the Caravan is the new ‘it’ shop on four wheels. Not just because it is the only shop I know that can come to you (by special request only), but it lets you know yet another thing you can do with a RV.

Let's get down to the details. The tiny space will make you feel uncomfortably close to your fellow shoppers. Not a problem in Europe, but a paranoid New Yorker, might feel like constantly checking for their purse. But as much as one might feel as if they just got shoved into a sample sale, you will be rudely awakened when you see the price range, strictly up-and-coming designers. Some of which I thought were cute, and even celebrities agree, as the Caravan has hosted the who’s who of young Hollywood.

Let’s talk concept. The idea is brilliant and sure to be knocked off by wannabes in years to come. The RV is gutted out to accommodate fixtures, and even a dressing room. They keep stock minimal and décor basic to compensate for the spatial issues, and if you are there by yourself it can be one heck of an optical illusion. You will feel as if you are in a shop, because you are, as it still caters to all the things one loves about the experience.

The Caravan is worth the go-see. If you can find it, try it, information on their location is always available on their website at http://www.shopcaravan.com/.

*Originally Posted on Word on the Street 6/17/06

Labels: Retail Report