Unique Moms!

With Mother's Day just a few days away (and our awesome Unique LA Spring Market this weekend) we thought we'd give a little love to our moms... So here's a look at the amazing women who raised everyone at the Unique HQ! We love you mom!

We hope to see lots of moms and dads and grandparents and kids this weekend, at Unique LA. We truly love seeing different generations spending the day together, immersing themselves in creativity and fun - and not staring at glass screens!  -xoxo 

Attend CAMP #changeyourlife

CAMP2014
CAMP2014

It's hard to describe the magic that took place last year at our first-ever CAMP, a creative conference I started to fill the void of uninspiring, boring, old-fashioned business conferences. There is relatively little trace of it online and in social media, namely because we take the attendees' phones for the four days they spend at CAMP. Gasp! :) My goal is to make sure every Camper is truly present, connected and open to the experiences at CAMP. Which is part of the magic I mentioned before - only those of us who were there truly understand and know what went on. The deep, life-long friendships that were formed; the elation, fear and pure glee from jumping out of trees; the delicious cocktails that were enjoyed while watching the sunset in the mountains; the inspirational rush we got when we each had an "a-ha moment" about life, work, play, passion; even skinny-dipping.

Rediscover fresh air and the wilderness. Rediscover that childlike wonder you had when you were 12-years-old. Rediscover the dreams, wishes, hopes you've tucked away over the years. Rediscover yourself.

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DANCE-PARTY
TESTIMONIALS
TESTIMONIALS

In just four days you can completely change your perspective, gain clarity, increase confidence, embrace your dreams! The conference combines hands-on workshops, business classes and panel discussions, with campy programming like outdoor activities (archery, horseback riding, yoga) and arts and crafts (indigo dying, leather crafts, calligraphy), and curated evening events to allow for community building, networking and pure fun. Registration is open now and even though we added 75 spots, CAMP will sell-out, as it did last year. So hurry! Whether you work for yourself or a large corporation, give yourself the gift of play. Of growth. Of innovation and imagination. No excuses, just do it!

RegisterForCAMP
RegisterForCAMP

I'm a Cover Girl!

You know those crazy items people add to their Bucket Lists, like "swim with sharks" or "make a million dollars" or "meet the President of the United States"? Things they aspire to but most likely will never actually accomplish? For me, "grace the cover of a magazine" was one of those things. I mean, at some point during childhood every girl probably dreams of being on the cover of a magazine - even the tomboys, trust me, I was one of them. While I think I fantasized about being on the cover of Seventeen or Vogue or the now defunct Sassy, I knew that in reality my chances were very slim. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Dreamer, so think that if I put my mind to it I can accomplish anything! But I'm not a model or an actress or a musician, I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall, and I'm half-Chinese/half-Finnish... Normally people like me are not on the covers of magazines. So imagine my FREAKING EXCITEMENT when I saw the cover of this month's Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine, Spirit!

I cannot thank Southwest and the editors at Spirit enough for choosing to dedicate the cover and 20 pages (yes, twenty!) to The New American Dream and creative entrepreneurship! Small businesses across the country are what fuel the American economy and create jobs - creative, arts-based businesses also help to grow creative-thinking (which leads to enhanced problem-solving skills), encourage a love for art and design, can help people express themselves through tough times, aid in depression and more. I am honored to be included in the issue at all, let alone be on the cover. The lesson here is dream big, involve yourself in community and keep doing what you love to do... You never know where it might lead!

Biz Advice: Say Cheese!

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Sonja Rasula
Sonja Rasula

For years I've been giving people business advice as well as conducting branding and public relations workshops. What's one of the most important things I tell people? "Get professional, great photos of yourself!" When an editor emails you for a photo of yourself, you should be able to email them something same-day. Don't miss out on a great press opportunity because you didn't take the time to get a head shot! Just like great product photography, having a few great photos of yourself can open doors when it comes to things like being considered to be a speaker at a conference, a judge for a contest, a new contributor for a website, etc.

You should know that I hate having my photo taken, meaning it's an insecurity of mine. But since it had been over three years since my last photo shoot, I was long overdue for new head shots. Two weeks ago I took some of my own advice and had the amazing photographer Bonnie Tsang take new photos of me... WOW! She did such a beautiful job I was blown away. Working with a professional ensures you get press quality photos, meaning he/she has edited them, corrected or touched-up their picks, and that you are getting high resolution photos (300 DPI) which are needed for print publications. As you can see below, I now have a diverse selection of photos to pull from when needed. Already two editors have needed my photo, and instead of using something random they find on Google, I was able to control my image and send them professional photos! It really makes a huge difference...

Here are a few quick tips:

  • Don't wear white, it bounces the light and makes it hard to photograph.
  • Wear something colorful, solid color if possible. Even if you normally wear black all-day, everyday, add a pop of color somehow to add something that catches the eye and brightens the photo.
  • Consider getting a professional to apply your makeup - not only will it look amazing on camera but it's a business expense!
  • Stay classic in style,  not trendy. Patterns and prints are great but they tend to be trendy, so wearing solid colors is best. Even people with larger-then-life personalities and products, such as clothing designer Betsey Johnson, tend to wear basics when being photographed so that it's not the clothing attracting attention but the face. ;) It makes the photo timeless and easy to use across a few years.
  • Practice make perfect... Practice your various smiles and "faces" in the mirror to get to know which you like, then practice them without looking into a mirror to get comfortable.
  • Remember that you are the boss. In other words, as a paying customer, it's your job to direct the makeup artist and photographer. Ask to see some of the shots during the shoot to see if you like the direction or not. Tell the makeup artist exactly what you want.
  • Smile and have fun!
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Sonja026
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Sonja012
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Sonja045
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Sonja022
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Sonja001

Calling All Creative Angelenos!

Submit Content Ideas or Model for Us...

I am pleased to announce that in honor of our 5th anniversary I will be publishing the very first UNIQUE Magazine this December. This exclusive, full-size magazine will be distributed at our LA Holiday Show, December 1 & 2, to all for free! Since starting UNIQUE LA we have attracted 200,000 people to the events, those shoppers have spent close to $15 million buying local, made-in-America goods, and our community has truly created a huge movement toward conscious consumerism that has spread across the country. W-O-W! As a 'Thank You' to all those who have helped support my vision and passion for local design and "quality over quantity", the magazine will be stocked with articles written by some of the top journalists in the country, it will include stunning photography and art, and it will show-off this amazing city we live in and the creative people who drive it forward - basically, the magazine is my love letter to LA. And we want you to contribute...

+ WRITERS! If you've got a great story idea about LA or know someone doing interesting things in the city, we'll be accepting pitches from writers today through Sunday September 30th. Send emails to uniquela@gmail.com, using the subject line "Magazine Pitch". + COOL ANGELENOS TO BE MODELS! We're looking for people to star in a fashion shoot that features all Made in LA products... We're looking for all types and want to show LA's diversity. You can peek at the Lookbook below to see some of the friends and people we've photographed including the amazing writer Alissa Walker (who contributes to Fast Company, Dwell, Details), the guys from SEW LA and book lover Morgan Macgregor. Send us your bio and a picture of yourself by Sunday March 30th to uniquela@gmail.com, using the subject line "Potential Model".

March 10: This is Your Library

Save the date! On March 10th I will be sharing the stage with a famous actor, a former NBA star and a best-selling author. Nah, not intimidating at all eh?! Nerves aside, I am really excited and honored to have been chosen to be featured with such an amazing caliber of talent. It's all part of the fifth This is Your Library, the Library Foundation's series of late-night talk show style events that occur after-hours at the historic Central Library, right here in downtown LA!

Being a part of this special night holds a lot of meaning to me because I'm a huge fan and supporter of the DTLA library... I grew up in LA and so visited the library a lot as a kid. I remember how special it felt to check-out books, and how "grown-up" it felt to bring them back and put them in the return bin. One of my all-time favorite childhood memories is watching puppet shows at the library with my little sister - we'd bring picnic dinners (or if we were really lucky we'd get "take out", fried Pioneer Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy) and find a spot on the floor for an evening of fun. As I grew older and discovered the Sweet Valley High series, I'd check out as many as I could at a time and would devour them cover-to-cover in days. Now as an adult I visit the library for inspiration and research. And whenever I need a place that is air conditioned in the summer, I head straight to my local library!

The thing about libraries is that they are one of the few places left that are free and open for all. Libraries don't discriminate, their doors are open for all who wish to come in and open their minds (or simply take a break at a desk in a quiet atmosphere). The This Is Your Library event is one of many that the Library Foundation of Los Angeles puts on to support and enrich the capabilities, resources, and services of the Los Angeles Public Library. Please come join me for this night of fun... Which also includes drinks and live bands! I hope to see you there...