Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Shahan.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Please take a moment to read “Our story” on our website at https://faireislestrading.com/pages/our-story. It provides the first chapter of our story, and I’ll pick up where it left off.
After taking over the company, my husband and I continued the festival circuit with our son Aden and daughter Emily, with the help of friends and family. While the work was demanding, we thoroughly enjoyed it, forging new friendships and exploring breathtaking regions along the eastern United States. After about a year, though, we felt an urge to expand into a brick-and-mortar store to run alongside the mobile operation so we could keep selling during the months between festivals. We secured a location in October 2024 in historic Old Town Winchester and opened 60 days later – and the response was remarkable.
To capitalize on the success and reach into new markets, we opened a second location in May 2026 in Middleburg – the “nation’s horse and hunt capital.” Like Winchester, Middleburg draws visitors from all over – tourists and day-trippers alike – and it’s well-positioned geographically to serve the DC suburbs. Both have the small-town charm that people love, along with great shops, restaurants and attractions.
With the opening of our second store, we said goodbye to the road and retired our mobile sales operation. It was an excellent first chapter for the Faire Isles story, one which lasted 25 years, and we’ve experienced a strong start to the next chapter.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but it hasn’t been tumultuous either. It has honestly felt like we were meant to take this journey. There have been some obstacles to overcome along the way, but grit, determination, and perseverance carried us through.
It was challenging at the outset, especially when both my husband and I were deeply entrenched in our careers and working full-time. Taking on the business felt like taking on a hobby, demanding a significant amount of time and effort from both of us. We dedicated countless evenings and weekends to transforming the company from an analog operation into a digital one and positioning ourselves for future growth. But I look back fondly on those days we spent in our workshop counting inventory, tagging products, designing displays, etc.
Being a mobile vendor had its struggles as well. Bad weather was a common problem – wind, rain, wind and rain. It rained so hard while at the New Hampshire Highland Games one year, the runoff from the mountain – the base of which we were situated against – seeped into our tent and formed pools of water, which turned into thick mud the next day. At the same venue a few years later, destructive winds shut down the festival for an entire day. Aside from the weather, it was common for something to go awry at each event we worked: illness, injury, Wifi connectivity issues, failure to bring an important item (a very common occurrence), misjudging the size of the Airbnb driveway so we have to find somewhere else to park the 24-foot trailer…we literally experienced something on every trip. It became a running joke, though, and we learned to anticipate it and work through it. We put our heads together – after an initial emotional outburst – and figured out a way to make it work. (Just as Tim Gunn always emphasized on Project Runway. He was the guiding voice in my mind during those times, and I was tempted to get us a Tim Gunn bobblehead to have with us in the tent.)
Running a brick-and-mortar store alongside the mobile operation created another challenge. Because inventory was shared between the two, we had to close the shop, pack everything up, and bring it to each festival. The process was tedious and exhausting, and it lasted only about a year.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re a specialized retail shop that sells Celtic, Scottish, and Irish apparel, accessories, jewelry, toys and games, barware, gifts, home goods, and much more. We also offer clothing for Ren faire enthusiats and anyone looking for costumes and Victorian periodwear.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Authenticity, in both our products and our character, is paramount. For instance, we import almost everything from the UK, particularly from Scotland and Ireland. We partner with both established companies and independent artists to bring the finest Celtic artisanry to our shops, and we strive to offer a wide selection of handmade goods. Our passion is evident in every aspect of our operations, from the design of our stores to our interactions with customers. We’ve forged many new friendships through this endeavor, and we’ve made a name for ourselves through a sincere approach to business. Additionally, our business is family-run, and we are deeply committed to the communities we serve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.faireislestrading.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/faireislestradingco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celtophelia
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@faireislestrading
