This weekend, there will be two unique opportunities to get your gifting on in Los Angeles.
Featuring 85 vendors who are people of color and are either creators or small business owners, the In Todo craft fair will be held Dec. 11 and 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Mack Sennett Studios in Hollywood, featuring cotton wave sweaters by Back Beat Co., “culturally inspired earrings” by Brwngrlz, carved wooden tabletop accessories by Oakland, Calif.-based Melanie Abrantes, made-in-Mexico woven totes by Luz and more.
The event was organized by Shobha Philips, founder of Proclaim intimates, a brand she created to redefine the concept of nude, along with three other California makers — Kristen Gonzalez of Selva Negra knitwear, Adele Tetangco of El Tigre ready-to-wear and Aliya Wanek, who has her own eponymous fashion brand in the Bay Area.
Related Galleries
“We have all done shows in the past like West Coast Craft or Echo Park Craft Fair, where we saw a need to uplift people of color in that space. It’s something we’re all passionate about,” said Philips, explaining how they tested the In Todo (as a whole) concept online first last December before bringing it to real life.
“We leaned into our network — we have been in the industry a combined 20 years — and reached out to people we know to be vendors. It’s across all categories, home, fashion, jewelry…and we have a few food vendors. There is Diamond Leah women’s wear, men’s wear by Dushyant, who was on ‘Making the Cut.’ We have Hansel from Basel socks, Loq which does shoes…”
For info and advance tickets, see intodo.us.
Meanwhile, in the Arts District, American Express is hosting the ByBlack Bazaar, featuring 15 brands curated with help from actress Issa Rae.
Among the offerings will be a selection of pieces from Chris Gibbs’ pioneering L.A. streetwear shop Union; products from Sknmuse, a beauty brand inspired by West African beauty practices; rtw from Brooklyn designer SammyB (Samantha Black); plants and designer pots from QueenLA, and prints by photographer Mel D. Cole.
“This event is a no-brainer because smaller indie brands have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic, especially minority-owned brands. That’s also why we started Black Owned Everything,” stylist Zerina Akers, who is hosting the kickoff brunch, said of the online marketplace she launched earlier this year and is hoping to translate into event form in the future. “And I will definitely be sneaking in some holiday shopping,” she laughed.
The marketplace will be held Dec. 11 from noon to 6 p.m. and Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1005 Mateo Street in downtown L.A. with live DJs and free gift wrapping by Black Paper Party. ByBlackBazaar is an extension of the ByBlack national business directory and certification program created by the U.S. Black Chambers Inc., and supported by American Express.
For updates on the event, see @americanexpress.