Rachel Gannon of Cara Cara

For too long, independent brands have struggled with the end-of-season decision of what to do with leftover products. Rachel Gannon, founder of cara cara, is here to make that decision easy.

cara cara is an online marketplace that offers independent brands at deep discounts. Excess inventory is a problem for brands of any size, but when they’re big enough, they have many options for how to offload that stock. For small brands, there are far fewer possibilities—they’re limited to hosting local sample sales or selling out to a chain off-price retailer, if they even have enough units to offer. With cara cara, Rachel has solved that problem by providing an option that feels authentic to the independent fashion world while solving the very real problem of excess stock. The selection of goods feels curated and varied, and the vibe is colorful, playful, happy—it’s like Rachel turned the feeling of finding a great deal into an aesthetic.

FRESH SQUEEZED: We’re here for it.

FULL NAME: Rachel Gannon

CITY: Los Angeles, CA

FAVE PRINT EVER INVENTED: Ooh this is tough, I’m very into colors and prints. I’ve been wearing tons of fruit prints this summer, but overall I love a good stripe. So yes, stripes. But also if it's fruits and stripes together then that's a real winner.

HARDEST THING ABOUT DEALING WITH OFF PRICE: Excess inventory availability can be pretty tricky, we buy leftover or end of season goods and that can be hit or miss with the items available, especially when you are trying to build a well rounded assortment. It can be inconsistent from season to season, so it requires a bit more strategy than buying full price and getting your pick of items up front.

WERE DINOSAURS REALLY GIANT BIRDS? According to Jurassic Park… yes!