San Francisco residents invade Dolores Park every weekend to soak up the sun (when it is around) and visit with friends. Vendors sell jewelry, soap and crafts from small booths or vehicles lining the park.
On a recent Sunday, a large Dodge van was parked alongside the grass at Dolores—and inside was something radder than hand-made necklaces and rosemary soap.
Faded Finds is a mobile vintage clothing store, owned by two young entrepreneurs, Dayna Carter and Dennis Long. Vintage T-shirts, dress shirts, coats, pants, and shoes filled the seats and back of their van. Outside, an awning shaded the variety of handpicked clothes. The apparel ranged from casual muscle tanks and baggy windbreakers, to collared dress shirts.
And the trendy threads got attention—many walking through Dolores stopped at the stand to peruse the racks.
Carter, twenty-four, and Long, twenty-three, launched the mobile business because they wanted change.
They were tired of menial part-time jobs. So about a month ago, the fashion enthusiasts bought a Dodge Van and started something they were not sure would work.
Long, twenty-three, is from Napa, while Carter, twenty-four, hails from Riverside. The two met years ago at and decided that life was too short to not reach for something they wanted.
Instead of waiting for careers to pan out, the two took to the road, visiting vintage stores everywhere they could find them. Currently, they sell mostly men’s clothing, but hope to expand it to all genders soon. The pair has done two mobile tours since purchasing the Dodge, and is experimenting with social media to grow clientele.
They plan to be in the Bay Area quite often when they have the time, to keep up the mobile shop and purchase new clothing from bigger vintage stores. Long and Carter are not sure if the business will be a gold-mine, but they are excited to see where it goes.
Starting a business, however small, can be extremely daunting. Watch the video below to hear what advice these young adults have for anyone afraid to take a chance.
Jason • Nov 17, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Faded Finds is such a good idea, I love fashion startups like these
– Jason | http://www.creaturecraft.co