Shop On! Unique LA's Holiday Show Continues Today
Text by Lindsay William-Ross/Photos & Captions by Danielle Directo-Meston
The pull to shop for yourself is likely going to prove irresistible once you enter the penthouse of the California Market and drink in your first moments of Unique LA, the craft, art, and gift show that is in its second day of a weekend-long "pop-up" today. However, if you're shopping for anyone who happens to appreciate handmade, creative, local, quirky, innovative, and charming items ranging from plush toys to plush bathrobes and quite possibly everything in between, Unique LA's bountiful stalls will be a glorious sight.
There's no sense in denying it--there's a lot to see and do at Unique LA, and each shopper (or booth browser) will alight on different things. We tackled Unique in two teams, and came up with a few picks for the things we really enjoyed checking out.
Lindsay's Picks
Kauzbots: Hug-able plush robots with a heart! (And, really, turn them around, they each have a little heart you can pluck out of a pocket.) Kauzbots works with charities, pairing up a plush robot with a different cause, and 10% of sales go to each charity. The colors align (i.e. pink for breast cancer, green for environment) as best as possible with the cause, and all of the adorable little guys have "K" names.
Graze Organic: Sturdy, washable and reusable pouches for snacks and sandwiches. They come in sets, or singles, and a brimming bargain bin has cast-offs (minor flaws) for $5 each.
Threeapparel.com: Fun tshirts with graphic appeal. Designed and made right here in Pasadena. Plus, they're the only US t-shirt company licensed to make Yann Le Coroller's Talking Carl t-shirts.
Bedford Falls Headwear: Ladies, you'll have fun trying on this feathered and flowered headbands, made from notions sourced from DTLA. (Hey, you might need something sparkly for your hairdo for NYE...)
Food: Come hungry, or hungry to shop for edibles, because there's great stuff to nibble on the spot or for later. Some of my favorite food folk are here, including The Manila Machine, I Heart Pies, and Platine Bakery.
Root Liqueur: Not to buy, but to sip...for those 21+. A prohibition-era spirit reborn, this aromatic alcohol has the strong flavors of root beer, and is just making its way out West. Try it with Ginger Beer for an invigorating taste of something that is most definitely "unique."
Mind you, this is just scratching the surface...for Danielle's Picks, check out her photo set and captions. And, yes, they give you a floor map and vendor directory in your program when you check in, so make your list of who to shop for and whose booths to check out, then head Downtown to the California Market and Unique LA, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 (plus your wristband gets you $1 off admission to Artisanal LA, which is right off the street).