Street: How’d you get into fashion design? Abbie Kessler: Katie and I met when we were 15 in high school, and at that point, we were designing our own clothing. We would spend entire nights together sewing and making things in Katie’s basement with her mom. We had a knack for it. People in our high school would always want us to make them clothing. When we went to college together at Drexel, we were still always making things for friends.
Street: So where did the idea for your boutique Smak Parlour come from? AK: When we graduated, we kind of knew that we wanted to put a store together. It became a clear goal for us. We worked in the garment district in New York together, eventually moved back to Philly, and started our own line of t–shirts. They were all made in Katie’s mom’s basement and they were our own art that we actually drew or painted.
Street: Now, you sell more than just t-shirts.... AK: It wasn’t sustainable to have just our own brand here. So, we brought in local people, and now we collaborate with independent designers who fit our aesthetic, quality and price point. But we still design our own clothing. We opened our entire store with our own clothing. And we still have our own t–shirts.
Street: Describe the design process to us. AK: We work with a sewing house in Philadelphia. They do all our cut and sews, and they also do all our pattern work. We still work with small tailors as well. They do some of the really simple t–shirt patterns. We have a nice mix between local Philly and bigger companies. But nothing you could find in a department store.
Street: How does your design aesthetic appeal to Penn students? AK: We’re girly, French, mixed with a really fun punk–rock feel. We definitely look for unique items. Penn girls have been loving the aesthetic because it’s unique—it’s not something you can find everywhere. And there’s something for everybody.
Street: What items are popular among Penn students? AK: We sell a lot of vegan leather backpacks and handbags at the truck. Scarves are also popular. They’re easy, grab-able items.
Street: Did you design the truck with the same aesthetic in mind? AK: Yes, we wanted the truck to have the same aesthetic as our store in Old City, and to bring the best of our store to Penn’s campus. We put French doors on the back so it felt a little homier. You almost forget you’re in a truck when you’re in there.
Street: How about the truck’s exterior design? AK: We didn’t want it just to be a pink truck, so we worked with local street artist Dave Holley, and he created the wrap of the truck for us. He’s our main graphic designer. He understood our girly, punk look perfectly, and he incorporated a lot of pop culture into it.
Street: What’s next for Smak Parlor? AK: A fleet of fashion trucks across the country!
