I wanted to let you know about a few of the wonderful things I found at last weekend’s Brooklyn Indie Market and NewNew Spring Fling. If this event is any indication, and I believe it is, it looks like we’re in for a lot of warm colors and flattering clothing designs for the spring and summer.
Wabisabi Brooklyn was there with colorful, creative, and infinitely wearable decoupage jewelry designs, including some really great cufflinks. The surprise inside is that designer Maryanne Loverme uses pennies and other coins as the tiny canvases for her earrings, cufflinks, and other charms. Her jewelry looks great all year round, but the colorful images on copper backgrounds and chains will look especially warm and vibrant on tanned skin. Wabisabi is not just a fun name; it is actually a Japanese aesthetic concept meaning “beauty through imperfection.”
Fofolle Handmade Apparel was at the market too. Designer Kathy Malone makes fun and flattering skirts that also double as ponchos. As a skirt, they hug your curves, and as a poncho, they are a warm alternative to sweaters and hang with a nice cowl neckline. She uses rich wools for winter designs and lighter fabrics for spring and summer. She also “reinvents” boxy vintage jackets, turning them into tailored, be-ribboned, feminine lovelies. Fofolle means “whacky girl” in French, and I guess it’s whacky to have one garment that is a skirt and a poncho. But I tend to think of it more as “brilliant.”
Another extremely creative designer, Karin Persan of Better Than Jam, creates a line of handmade clothing and accessories made from hand-printed fabrics. Using classic forms, like T-shirt dresses and wrap skirts, Karin’s fabrics and details make her pieces truly unique. And very colorful! She recently opened the Better Than Jam Handmade Co-Op in Bushwick, featuring her own designs and those of other designers. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard it is a great shop. I’m planning to visit soon, and I’ll report back!
I must also tell you about the great organization that hosted this event, Starting Artists, a non-profit organization that provides after school classes in media and business to “prepare and inspire teenagers to create arts-based enterprises.” I will be writing more about this organization at a later date, but suffice it to say that they are providing a wonderful service to the community and to the art world by giving teenagers a place to develop their creativity. They had jewelry and totebags designed by their members, as well as very clever “inspiration kits,” filled with colorful bits and bobs and sparkly things to get your creative juices flowing.
There were many more wonderful designers at this event. Check back for more about them in upcoming posts!