Bus Boutiques

Sabine GalvisApril 25, 2019

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Photography by Angelina Aragon

Mobile boutiques bypass brick-and-mortar for the open road.

Fashion moves quickly, and no one knows this better than Mark Moffett and Sara Côté. The friends and entrepreneurs each own a tricked-out bus that is home to their respective mobile boutiques – Moffett’s menswear-shilling RoosterBus and Côté’s femme Côté & Co. They met while parking their shops at pop-up events and markets in the Greater Phoenix area.

“We’re not competitors in any way,” Côté says. “We actually support each other, and it helps both of us to be parked nearby each other.”

Côté began her “charming local and vintage goods” shop as a side project to her career as a nurse. “I’ve always been into fashion and design and vintage stuff.” Her wares have a bohemian, ’70s-influenced vibe, enhanced by the nomadic feel of a boutique on wheels. “I like the charm of the mobile model,” Côté says. “People come on the bus and are amazed and overwhelmed. It’s not your average little boutique.”

Moffett’s RoosterBus aims to serve men of all ages with products that go beyond typical mall options, from Arizona’s breakout clothing line State Forty Eight to Iconic Arizona’s custom hats. “It’s definitely for the modern man, someone who likes classic styles with a bit of a coastal vibe to it,” he says. “With the movement to ‘buy local, shop local, support local,’ you see more markets popping up with small vendors. And it’s thriving.”

Moffett curates unique activities as well as merchandise for his shoppers, occasionally offering live music or whiskey tastings.

“The markets themselves are an experience,” Moffett says. “But having a bus within the market elevates the experience.”