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The Racked Fashion Truck Is Open for Business in Union Square

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By Izzy Grinspan
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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

To celebrate the Racked Awards, we'll be traveling the city in mobile boutique The Fashion Truck, touching down in Union Square this morning and Bryant Park later this afternoon. Check out the truck's wares here, or follow along with the liveblog below. By the way, if you're one of the first five customers, you'll also walk away with a Rent the Runway gift card worth $50. The first 25 people after that also get gift cards offering 20% off dress rentals.

10:00am: The truck has just arrived at Broadway between 13th and 14th Street! Right now, we're just setting up.

10:23am: Our first shoppers! A tourist family! They're from France.

  • Most of the truck's items fall in the under-$100 category. The sequined black top, above, is $38, while the printed blouse is $48.
  • Animal rings run between $35 and $60.
  • Spike bracelets are $10 to $15, bangles are $12, and leather cuffs are $20.
  • The necklace on the left is $38. The one on the right is $26.
  • Scarves are $22 to $25
  • These necklaces are all between $28 and $55.
  • Victoria Beckham Barbie is the truck's mascot.

10:30am: Working the truck right now: The owner Emily, her friend Michelle, and a Victoria Beckham Barbie. Apparently she used to be a Giselle Barbie, but Emily's friends George and Carlos gave her a makeover. George, a handbag designer at Bendel, made the accessories and colored her shoes with a gold pen. Carlos made her dress out of Italian leather samples.

10:48am: The mother of one of the truck's jewelry designers just arrived. Her name is Joanie, and she's browsing tops. Right now she's joking about a gray shirt: "Here's something bright for my wardrobe."

10:52am: Vital update: Victoria Beckham Barbie is not for sale. Emily says she keeps her company when she drives.

11:08am: Emily just started the truck in June, so she's only been doing it for four months. She says she's "spreading her good energy." Her dad did the molding in the truck, and now he really wants to add a Murphy bed.

11:16am: Emily finds her vendors at the Fame trade show. She looks for things she thinks are cute at a good price. Right now, the most expensive thing in the truck is an $88 cape. "Girls can spend $150 and get a while new outfit and necklace," she says. "The only problem is that it's a little hard to park sometimes."

  • Gregory Bula's Fibonacci Sequence bracelets
  • Fashion Truck owner Emily on the left; Yaritza, who saw a Fashion Truck sweater on the news and had to own it, on the right.
  • This is what the Fashion Truck's shopping bag looks like.

11:23am A friend just stopped by to show off bracelets that are "chakra balanced."

11:24am: He says he buys beads that he can feel the energy from.

11:25am: OMG. The patterns are based on the Fibonacci Sequence.

11:32am: 10% of the proceeds go to Buddhist monasteries. The brand is Gregory Bula jewelry.

11:38am: Before parking in Union Square, the Racked Fashion truck was on the PIX 11 Morning News. A girl just came by to buy the sweater the reporter liked!

11:40am: She says, "I made it my business to get here." Also, she says the truck inspires her. She's so cute!

12:00pm: Time to pack up and head to our second location: Bryant Park and 42nd Street. See you there at 1pm! We'll be selling on-site until 3.

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