When Karolina Jasinski and Kora Pridy, of Vancouver-based fashion company Ardillas United, decided they needed a real world location for their online store, they bought an old Doritos delivery truck, and redesigned it into a mobile fashion boutique.
The 130 square foot boutique features vinyl wood floors, ambient lighting, a changing room, and displays for their line of over 300 items, including unique jewelry, scarves, clothing, and home décor pieces.
“We’re both European and love a minimalist/scandinavian approach, so that’s where we drew our inspiration from. We really wanted to keep it simple and often made decisions on the fly as we only had 5 weeks to complete this project,” says Kora.
Kora continues, “We chose to go with white walls because we both collect a lot of art and have white walls at home and love how it gives it gallery feel. We wanted to bring that same feel to our shop. We carry some great handmade, artisan goods and felt that the white is a perfect backdrop for this gorgeous product.”
“With a mobile shop, you have to consider the weight of your building materials because this will effect the functionality and fuel economy of your vehicle. You also have to keep in mind that the truck will shift and move so we tried to avoid really rigid material,” explains Kora.
“From day one we both knew that we wanted a wood look on the floor and my husband advised that we use a vinyl plank floor for it’s durability and flexibility. We then opted for the wood beams on the ceiling to give it a warm, rustic quality,” mentions Kora.
When choosing the cabinetry, they went with Ikea cabinets due to the cost and versatility. Unfortunately, the idea of marble countertops was quickly shot down, as they were deemed too heavy and unpractical for a mobile boutique.
One of the biggest challenges they faced was figuring out the amount of power they would need, for operating all of the lighting and point-of-sale system. “It’s important to do your research and get the necessary batteries and converters because many event venues don’t offer power, so you need to be self sufficient,” says Kora.
“We have put our heart and soul into making this the most amazing mobile boutique and we are thrilled to bring a new retail experience to the streets of Vancouver,” adds Karolina.
