clothing design » Markets of New York

The Renegade Craft Fair Will Rock Your Crafty World

Well, folks, they’ve done it again! The craft fair wizards of Renegade are putting on an incredible event in McCarran Park this weekend. We spent a lovely afternoon strolling among the colorful tents, marveling at the beautiful, creative, witty, clever, and superlative designs. There are over 300 independent artisans from around the country, and I guarantee that you will be amazed by many-if not most-of the people you meet and the things you see.

Take a look at some of the creations that caught my eye, listed below and in the photo gallery above (all photos by James Wesolowski):

Delicate ceramic figures by Michiko Shimada, sharing a tent with ceramicist Beetle and Flor
Soft and funny handmade dolls with great expresses and even mustaches by Pinkypunk
Rustic birdhouses made from reclaimed wood by Eric Erf Wood Design out of Chicago
The Better Than Jam Co-Op features handmade fashion and accessories by local designers
Knitsybitsy works with Ecuadoran artisans to kit their hysterical sea creature toys
Ornamental Things brings her handmade jewelry all the way from Austin, TX (and the recent Renegade Craft Fair there)
Gold Teeth Brooklyn makes great and unusual gold teeth jewelry, and other cool things like pistachios, not to mention greeting cards featuring Peeps (and more)
Clay, Wood & Cotton has a collection of beautiful home decor items under their red tent, which they’re sharing with the super cute and clever KnitKnit Knits
Shara Porter prints lovely and familiar items, from hedgehogs and guinea pigs to bicycles and horseshoes, on leather handbags, wallets, and purses, many of them vintage
If you’re looking for chalkboard bedside tables to remind you of your To Do list every morning, check out Scraptones, who is also selling very cool decorative wooden blocks with architectural images printed on them
Illustrator Virginia Kraljevic’s “tent” is actually a small boutique full of wit and charm. She’s right next to the ever talented members of The {NewNew}
I picked up the cutest octopus necklace from Destroyed By Design. I may need to get that kiwi too. This artisan is sharing a tent with her fabulous sister and clothing designer AngelRox
Moth Written is selling really fun t-shirts with sayings like “I Love Brooklyn,” or “Kiss Me I’m Irish,” except written in Arabic, the idea being to foster a dialog between East and West. I almost got a “Peace” pin, but I opted for “Breakfast,” because nothing fosters dialog like toast and eggs (only not with your mouth full).

These are just a few of the thousands of handmade items at the Renegade this year. Put on your walking shoes, grab your sunblock and water bottles, and enjoy a day of inspirational shopping!

Handmade Limited Edition Hats from Rocks and Salt

Vendor of the Week for The Brooklyn Lyceum Spring Food and Crafts Market and the Handmade Cavalcade!

Rocks and Salt makes cool hats. It’s almost as simple as that. But not quite. These hip, limited edition hats are carefully designed for each season, and each one is painstakingly made by hand, using high quality, unusual fabrics. They achieve that extremely elusive balance of retro, current, and trendsetting all at the same time.

There are hats for men and women in the Rocks and Salt collections, and many of them suit both. This year’s Spring/Summer line includes five different styles. The cycling cap is a jaunty addition to any outfit, especially with the printed bicycle gear on the side. This season’s Henley is a stylized bucket hat with a selection of different printed images to choose from, including a computer circuit board and a brick wall. Like all the other styles, the Henley comes in a variety of fabrics, including purple, which I admit is my favorite color. The spring and summer styles are lighter and hand-washable, whereas the winter styles are made of wools and tweeds and other warm fabrics.

In addition to their signature hats, Rocks and Salt designers and proprietors Phil and Sara also create jewelry, clothing, and a fanny pack that comes in a variety of colors and is actually cool. The knee-length skirts have a big pocket and a handkerchief hemline that is young and flattering. Using a variety of chains, silver, leather, stones, and other elements, their jewelry designs range from light, colorful dangle earrings to leather cuffs. The unifying thread is the impeccable design and craftsmanship.

When you put them all together, as in the center photo above, you have the Rocks and Salt look. Edgy, sexy, put-together – and fun!

Rocks and Salt celebrates its fifth year this April, and, as Phil says, “We’re going full steam ahead with lots of great stuff!”

You can meet Phil, Sara and their hats at the Handmade Cavalcade on April 24^th and at the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Spring Food and Craft Market. They also sell their products regularly at the Brooklyn Indie Market.