Some of LA’s trendiest high fashion entrepreneurs are catering to a new breed of fashionistas: those who would buy their couture fresh off a truck. 

First there were the urban food and juice truck crazes. The original image of a simple food truck evolved into an onslaught of delicacies and specialties. Food trucks gathered in neighborhoods across the nation, creating a new foodie culture. The same could happen with the budding trend in mobile boutiques. High fashion trucks are rolling out across the nation, from D.C. to Honolulu and in between. The vehicles are filled-to-the-brim with hand-picked fashions, often with a theme.

High Couture Cargo

To find fashion trucks, you need only look as far as downtown in any American city. The trucks’ retail cargo can range from retro swimwear to vintage dresses, yoga gear or lingerie. Fashion truck entrepreneurs often showcase handmade clothing by local designers alongside curated items fresh from local flea markets.

Fleets of fashion trucks might soon be spotted all over Los Angeles, a city whose glamor and grit match well with the prospect of buying high fashion clothes from the bed of a tricked-out truck.

Monique Cruz owns Selvidge, a successful Los Angeles area fashion truck. “We’re promoting being mobile, a new way of shopping and a creative way of bringing the product to the customer,” Cruz told ABCNews. Selvidge focuses on one-of-a-kind vintage clothing, and the truck drives out to annual festivals like Coachella to sell its wares.

Driving Fashion Forward

The mobile trucks have an added level of excitement. Following the trucks on social media, fans of specific trucks can become fashion chasers. A truck’s fans will drive to meet it at different locations throughout the year, creating a unique relationship with the most atypical “truck drivers” you can imagine. These truck drivers will likely never be caught in a flannel shirt and suspenders; they’re more likely to sport chic gear and act as your personal stylist as you browse their selections. Successful fashion truck retailers tend to follow similar marketing models to those of successful food truck owners. They create a strong social media base, generate buzz and maintain close relationships with their shoppers.

Sustainable Upcycling

These road-ready fashion racks could become the anti-mall version of convenient shopping. Their vintage cargo represents a sustainable alternative to fresh-from-the-factory mall purchases. When fleets of fashion trucks unite at events, they form a kind of mobile market; you’ll have options and convenience without the high environmental impact.

As fashion trucks proliferate, perhaps they will follow the example of their sisters, the food trucks. It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of food trucks in operation are biodiesel powered. This cuts down on the overhead as well as the carbon footprint. The stylish cruisers that carry your future outfits might become even more fashion forward without a footprint.

Rules of the Retail Road

Fashion trucks are subject to the rules and regulations of the American Mobile Retail Association, and with their skyrocketing popularity, the association is rapidly modifying its rules.  Nomadic boutiques are much different than other types of retail outlets. More than 300 fashion trucks have joined the association, which aims to offer consulting services and create community among truck owners. Because most cities have strict rules about where retail trucks can and cannot park, there are many legal considerations for these mobile shop owners. Despite the occasional red tape, it looks like fashion trucks are here to stay.

Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association spoke recently about her perspective on the truck trend, drawing attention to their similarities with food trucks. “They appeal to the impulse buyer, the same people that like to eat standing up, it’s the ultimate fast fashion,” she said to the Press Telegram.

In the case of high fashion trucks, it’s “fast fashion” that has to follow the speed limit.

To get on board and start riding virtually alongside these chic vehicles, you can follow @LeFashionTruck on Twitter. They’re LA area fashion truck pioneers and they’re constantly on-the-go. On the other coast, check out @GypsyDeLaLune, the “vintage vagabond.” Chances are, your own favorite local fashion truck will also be twitter-pated when you “follow” it.

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JJ Abrams’ “Star Wars” may not be hitting the big screen until December 2015, but that doesn’t make the newest Rodarte collection any less awesome. Er, rather, any less full of the force.

Debuting at Rodarte’s fall 2014 fashion show in New York City, the new collection has geeks and Jedis from galaxies near and far, far away drooling on their droids.

Rodarte’s visionary sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, are clearly “Star Wars” fans, which inspired the couture dresses that feature the iconic characters Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2, and of course, Yoda. (Because size matters not, the master dress in flowy couture style, he would.)

The high fashion label worked with Disney, which in case you forgot, now owns the massive Lucasfilm empire. The New York Post reports that George Lucas was spotted at the Rodarte autumn/winter 2012 show in New York alongside Queen Padmé Amidala herself (also known as actress Natalie Portman), which was likely where the idea was born (like twins of a Jedi master and a Queen…).

But don’t break open your Ewok piggy bank just yet, the Rodarte “Star Wars” dresses aren’t likely to be available any time soon. They’re reportedly only available for photo shoots and exhibits happening later this year. The rest of us will just have to stick with our “Star Wars” curtains and bed sheets. And, no, guys, Rodarte doesn’t appear to have any plans to recreate Leia’s gold bikini. So, put your light sabers away for now.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Images via Gothamist

The post May the Force be…Dry Clean Only? Rodarte Debuts ‘Star Wars’ Dresses (and They’re Amazing) appeared first on EcoSalon.

When Raquell Guimaraes had the opportunity to expand her Brazilian fashion knitwear label Doiselles, she looked to a most unlikely place for nifty fingers. She found her crafty companions at Arisvaldo de Campos Pires maximum security penitentiary about 100 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, who had time to kill—with a pair of knitting needles.

When Guimaraes first presented the idea of prisoners to help produce her designs, she thought that women would be likely candidates. The prison administration, however, found that it could be more productive to work with the male prisoners, a risk which has turned out excellent results (see above and below!). Several of the knitting prisoners have violent histories, having been imprisoned for offense like drug trafficking, murder and armed robbery.

Through this project the participating prisoners have learned a valuable handcraft skill that has also given them motivation to re-enter society. For every three days an inmate spends creating knitwear, he receives one day off his sentence, along with receiving a minimum wage salary.

Today 18 prisoners work with Guimaraes to help produce high quality, hand knit clothing under the Doiselles brand in Brazil, Tokyo, San Francisco and New York. She works side-by-side with the prisoners, spending time in a designated ‘knitting cell’ to share her designs and instruct patterning and stitching techniques for creating unique sweaters, vests, dresses and shawls. The results of working with these hard-working crafters has been tremendous for Guimaraes and Doiselles, which has recently received significant international recognition for its philanthropic and business-savvy prison venture.

As former inmate Celio Tavares stated, “The program gives inmates skills and confidence they can use when they return to life on the outside. This raises the self-esteem of the prisoners and opens the door to work and employment for everyone else.” In the ‘knitting cell’ prisoners have a chance to socialize and learn a number of viable skills from the craft of knitting itself to design principles, time management, and dexterity.

Think about it: I know that if I had to do some time, I would definitely choose to knit. Wouldn’t you?

Image: Doiselles

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