Fashion Trucks:
LA’s Hottest New Shops On-Wheels

Move over food trucks, Angelinos are hungry for mobile boutique trucks and their delicious new take on retail fashion boutiques with more than a dozen trucks already on the road. LA’s mobile fashion trucks cater to every taste palate with trucks serving everything from haute couture, vintage apparel, jewelry, shoes, cosmetics, flowers, books, and even bikinis. The shop-on-wheels movement is taking to social media with daily tweets and Instagram photos keeping their fans and followers updated on their upcoming events and locations.

 

Fashion-duo Jordana Fortaleza and Tyler Kenney’s love for fashion gave them the inspiration to turn an old yellow 1976 Electric Truck into the vibrant red J.D. Luxe Fashion Truck. “It dawned on me when I saw a [food truck] outside of my class one day and thought, if they can travel, how about putting a store on wheels on the streets! After that the rest was history!” said Fortaleza. Since 2012, former LA FIDM alum Jordana Fortaleza and professional poker player Tyler Kennedy have parked their flaming red truck at The Rose Bowl Flea Market, Warner Brother’s Studio, and more places selling trend-forward clothing to-die-for accessories and their very own J.D. Luxe clothing line. http://jdluxefashion.com/

 

 

Stamped across the front of a turquoise colored truck are the words: “Eco-friendly, Reconstructed, and Vintage” which is what self-professed eco-friendly fashion designer Monique Cruz is all about. Before opening the doors of Selvedge Dry Goods in 2012 and spreading her love of eco-friendly fashion, Monique Cruz worked for years as a kid’s clothing designer and a buyer. “I worked as a fashion designer for many years and encountered many ethical issues which I didn't feel comfortable supporting anymore. So my idea of creating a "sustainable boutique" was born. At the end of the day I just want to feel good about the work I was putting out to the world,” said Cruz. Visitors will step into her truck and find her little shop with vintage clothing, jewelry, purses and cutesy knick knacks all locally made and re-claimed clothing and accessories. Angelinos can find the turquoise truck stationed at events like Grand Park, The Rose Bowl Flea Market, and Playhouse District Block Party. http://selvedgedrygoods.com/

 

 

Beth Ross isn’t your ordinary department store makeup salesperson; she’s a licensed esthetician driving around LA in the first retail beauty bus in America. She turned a used military truck into a porcelain colored salon on-wheels offering guests the best in skin care, hair, nails, and sun products. “Because I am a licensed esthetician, not a department store salesperson, the quality of service is high. My job is [to] analyze skin first, then make recommendations. I provide a customized service to each client and their skin type. I hand deliver the product… which is a nice old-fashioned, person to person service too,” said Ross. For the girl on-the-go, Beth provides make-up services to doll you up for any red carpet event, wedding or bachelorette parties. http://bethsbeautybus.com/

 

 

The Bookworm: The Library Store On-Wheels

You won’t hear a “Shhh!” from a librarian at The Library Store On-Wheels. Instead, you’ll just be greeted by a “Come Inside” sign outside.  The masterminds Sarah Lancaster and Christine Romero took The Library Store to the streets of LA in 2012 with a plan to bring a carefully-curated collection of books and literary-inspired gifts to a neighborhood near you. The Library Store On-Wheels is a non-profit store with all proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library and its 72 branch libraries. Just like walking into a library, book lovers will find shelf after shelf of books inside what once lived as a bright yellow utility truck. “I think Los Angeles is a great place to have a mobile business. The weather is perfect for it. Also, events with food trucks are very popular and draw big crowds,” said Romero. The Library Store On-Wheels stops at events like LA Times Festival of Books, Downtown Flea Market, and Renegade Craft Fair. lfla.org

 

 

For a complete list of boutique trucks click here.