The Beginning of Barlow Fashion

FROM AN IDEA TO REALITY

Why not create a mobile retail store? Everyone likes a cool and new experience right? Wouldn't this be a good way to to create that experience and meet our customers in their everyday life? We thought it would, and so, the idea of Barlow began. Barlow Fashion had many different looks throughout the duration of its "dream state"...maybe we build a house that is on wheels (nooo not a double-wide) but literally a house like structure on wheels. That possibility was quickly thrown to the side once the cost and time were entered into the equation. But why not make something people often use into something beautiful and unique? Why not make a custom box trailer. Geez, that even sounds bad right, BLEH. BUT, maybe not. So with an open mind, drawings were made and reality tested. 

Turns out we actually liked the idea. So after some other failed options, we decided to go with our new beautiful custom box trailer.

After quite some time of waiting for the trailer to finish (11 months to be exact), she arrived at The Corbel! Also, If you're unfamiliar with The Corbel, it is our parent company and is owned by the founders of Barlow Fashion, Susan and Don Charlet. 

The Beginning of Design Work:

We started with a blank canvas. And we love a blank canvas. We had so many great thoughts about what we could do. But we had to ask ourselves a few questions before we started. How do we reflect the brand of the company through the design of the trailer? How do we convey the experience we are trying to create for our customers? How does our design reflect the products we sell? Well, we started with our founder, Susan Charlet: the one with the vision, the one choosing the products, and our guide to the experience she is creating for us. We wanted something simplistic but also colorful. Something expressive but not in your face. Something symmetrical but not limited. What we ended up with we absolutely love and think expresses perfectly what we are trying to create.

We had the idea, the colors, the look, now all we had to do was find someone skilled enough to make it come to life. Being a small business ourselves, we wanted to give our idea to another small business, but one that could execute the job perfectly. Frog Skin Graphics was the first on our list to complete this project and goodness we are so thankful they accepted! They took care of the trailer wrap and made it identical to the design we had presented to them. Check out what it looks like in real life, pretty exact don't ya think?

Every Fashion Trailer Needs a Neon Sign Right?

One thing we really wanted for the trailer was a funky neon sign, one that catches the eye at any time during the day! This is the large Barlow logo that you see at the top of the trailer. We knew it was possible after some research but just had to figure out how we would do it and who would do it. So with a little design work and a lot of going back and forth, we finally came up with a design.

As we began to search around for a neon sign maker, we stumbled upon a business by the name of The Neon King, and with a name like that, how do you not use them. After all, he is the king of neon. Levi at The Neon King was more than happy to work with us and referred us to a metalworker by the name of John Leger, you can find him at Legers Metal Arts. He not only spoke with an understanding and know-how on what we needed, but he was also excited to be a part of it. He too was an easy choice for us. He is currently in production and is making some great headway on the sign.

After he's done, The Neon King will take over and begin his magic creating some bright pink neon. Pink and Navy are a favorite if you can't tell already. 

Designing the Inside of Barlow Fashion Trailer

Thankfully from the start, we kept in mind the idea of creating a space that actually feels like a store and not a trailer that would make our shoppers and visitors feel claustrophobic. So instead of having to walk with poor posture just to keep from hitting your head, we raised the roof, WHOOP WHOOP. The ceiling hight now sits at 9 foot tall, plenty of room for extra clothes and pushed back shoulders. The first thing installed in the trailer was our extra spacious dressing room. It took us some time but it's now waiting on its counterparts (the cabinets and shelving) to be painted and wrapped with a cute wallpaper. Check out some of that progress!

What is Next in Production for the Barlow Fashion Trailer?

It's almost time to paint, paint, paint! As soon as the trailer returns from having the cabinets installed, we will be diving headfirst into painting some funky colors and cool designs. We will also be installing the floors, which will won't disappoint. AND FINALLY, it will be time to shop!

We cannot wait for you to enjoy and experience Barlow. 

Stay tuned for what is coming next and where we will be by following us on social media @barlowfashion or check on our Find Us page!