When Style Room  launched its Manhattan shopping tour about a year ago, the company’s owner Karen Parker O’Brien had no idea it would become the success it is today. It went from being Parker O’Brien’s fun sideline service to what would become a lucrative revenue stream, one that’s brought Style Room tons of new business and massive media attention. (CNN, Daily Candy, Washington Post…to name a few!)

In the old shopping tour world, shoppers used to be herded around showrooms and/or stores like cattle for deals on clothing and accessories. However, on a Style Room Tour Experience they roll around in a limo, stocked with cocktails and a mixologist. Yes, that’s right, a mixologist that will make you hotsy-totsy cocktails of your choice while you are personally escorted by Parker O’Brien into a private world open only to clothing and accessories store buyers, owners, magazine editors and stylists.

I caught up with DIVA Karen via phone the other day (she is in NYC and I’m in LA). We discussed Style Room and how her tour is raising the bar in shopping and giving NYC tourism a nod from traveling and native-Manhattan fashionistas who previously would have never been caught doing a shopping tour. Here’s a peek into our DIVA Girl Talk session.  Read the rest of this entry →