Get Ready for UNIQUE NYC

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UNIQUE NYC is right around the corner and we thought it would be kind of amazing if you guys would help us spread the word about the show! Here's what you can do:

#1 Download our UNIQUE NYC buttons and fliers below to share online (lots more sizes and options coming soon). Post them on your blog, website, Facebook pages, Tumblr, Pinterest – heck, wherever you can! :) (Please point the ads back to http://stateofunique.com/unique-nyc)

#2 Join and share the event on Facebook.

#3 Tweet about the event & follow us @UniqueNYC

#4 Wanna help us with our grassroots marketing effort? Email (aisha at stateofunique dot com) with your mailing address and we’ll send you postcards to give to friends and family and distribute in your neighborhood/at work/in your community/at your favorite cafe/etc., plus we'll include a gift!

Coffee & Whiskey Event!

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An Exclusive UNIQUE Tour + Tasting with Handsome Coffee and Hudson Whiskey UNIQUE LA is excited to bring you an exclusive and intimate night of tastings, education and tour of the Handsome Coffee roasting facility. Whether you're a coffee geek or a newbie, a whiskey connoisseur or amateur, this will be a fun evening for all! I created this unique event because I was inspired by the guys at Handsome Coffee, who over the past few months have managed to teach me (a non-coffee drinker) about great coffee. That intimate, and yes perhaps nerdy, attention to detail is what to expect at this super-rad event.

The evening includes all cocktails, tastings, tours of the Handsome Coffee Bar & Roasting Facility, bites of food (including some amazing treats from Gotta Have S'more), a patio/parking lot party at the end of the evening, and a killer gift bag with goodies worth $35 (includes a 12 oz bag of tasty Handsome Coffee, a cocktail glass from Hudson and a gift from UNIQUE LA). This is no doubt going to be a tasty evening, good to the last drop! There are only 45 tickets available, purchase yours online now!

Tour #1 Espresso Take an inside look at the technique behind crafting a Handsome coffee espresso and milk drink with 2010 world barista champion Michael Phillips. From pulling a shot just right to steaming perfect milk this section will show you how it is done.

Tour #2 Roasting Step inside the Handsome roasting facility to get a demonstration of coffee roasting along with a tasting of the effect of roast. Learn the whys and hows of the Handsome Coffee Roaster philosophy and style with Co-founder Chris Owens.

Tour #3 Brewing Tips on how to select coffee and proven recipes for brewing will be covered by Handsome Coffee Co-founder Tyler J Wells. Learn how to make that same great cup you had in the coffee bar in the comfort of your own home.

Tour #4 Whiskey Tasting Join Tuthilltown Distillery founder Gable Erenzo for a history of Hudson Whiskey. We will taste Baby Bourbon, Manhattan Rye and Single Malt. Gable will speak about locally-sourced grain from farms within 10 miles of the distillery. He will also reveal Hudson’s brash mix of Scottish, American and some one of a kind whiskey-making traditions. After the tasting, Gable will demonstrate how to make a classic whiskey cocktail.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ About Handsome Coffee Roasters: Handsome Coffee Roasters is a celebration of the simple things in life. Good service, great company and amazing coffee. Firmly planted in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, Handsome has become a gathering place for this neighborhood on the move. Providing seasonal delicious coffees from all around the world, there is sure to be just the right cup for you. About Hudson Whiskey: Gable Erenzo and his father Ralph bought a farm in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2001 intending to build a rock climbing ranch. After fighting a losing approval battle with neighbors, they instead opened a distillery in 2003. Since then, they have been making Hudson Whiskey by hand, one small batch at a time from locally-sourced grains. Hudson Whiskey is 100% sonically aged, non-chill filtered and bottled on site at a generous proof.

Calling All Creative Angelenos!

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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".

Boogie Nights Recap

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Last month (and for the first time ever) we held the UNIQUE Movie Nights at our very own office. Aside from a pretty impressive crowd of people, we were excited about the amount of people dressed head to toe just like the characters in Boogie Nights (little to no clothing and roller-skates). Check out the upcoming schedule to get your tickets to the next screening.

The Summer Show Rocked!

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What a Blast! The two-day show in Santa Monica's beautiful Barker Hangar was most definitely The Jam. Thank you to the amazing vendors who participated and to both our new and loyal shoppers... Because of you our 2nd Annual Summer Show had record-breaking attendance of over 11,000 shoppers, and we were able to give our non-profit partner at the event, Greenwish, a donation of thousands! We are thankful and proud that there are so many people out there who care about local design, made-in-America products and taking part in community. The amount of ticket buyers exceeded our expectations, and because we must place the order for the complimentary tote bags to be produced and printed weeks in advance, as some of you know we ran out of bags... :( I truly apologize and while I know it's not the same, I'd like to make sure you know how much we value your support and attendance - if you'd like to email us your mailing address by Monday (July 23) we'll send you a gift with other cool UNIQUE items, like our button-packs and notebooks. *We work extremely hard to create an event unlike any other, spending months at curating not only the great artists and designers but also bringing quality sponsors so that our guests enjoy really great value on top of shopping from and getting to meet all the made-in-America vendors. NO other show gives away the amount of cool extras that we do at UNIQUE such as free drinks (most other shows don't offer free drinks at all, let alone a free bar), multiple free DIY projects, free photo booths, and we're the only one out there that provides a free tote. I mention it because some think that the $10 entry fee is basically for the tote - not at all (we take a loss on the tote, plus donate 10% of ticket sales to a non-profit). The entry fee is so that we can afford to be a sustainable business, meaning that we are able to continue bringing you our events by ensuring that my staff and I get paid for our work and can make a living doing what we love -- Helping to sustain and grow local small business is in fact what the show is about, literally. UNIQUE shows are very large in scale; each event takes us 3 months to produce, we are quite literally the largest show of this kind in the country and the ONLY show on the planet to curate and offer made-in-America goods... My hope is that with or without the free tote/drinks/DIY projects/etc. you appreciate and love what we have created and understand how much hard work, heart and soul goes into our events. We add those great extras to show our appreciation and love for each of you, but it's not the focus for the show. Sorry for that mini-ramble! :)

We want to give props to our amazing partners Toyota, Square, Oh Snap Studios, I Spy DIY, Swellmayde, Diabolo, Hendrick's Gin, The Naked Grape, O.N.E. Coconut Water, Honest Tea and GT's Kombucha - their great support not only helped to make the event possible but to make it more refreshing and fun! The feedback y'all have been giving about our new Toyota Retreat has been really great to read. Yes, as you guessed, we worked very closely with Toyota to create an area we thought you'd enjoy, filled with free interactive activities such as live screen-printing, hair braiding and massages, kick-butt DIY crafts and more. We're glad you loved it!

As always, Oh Snap Studios offered unique portraits at their live photo booth… You can download your portraits here. See all of our Official UNIQUE LA photos from the event, plus share yours with us on our Group Flickr page!

Thanks again for a great event, we'll see you on December 1 & 2 for our 5th Anniversary Holiday Show! If you don't get our newsletter sign-up now to stay in the loop... :)

Unique LA This Weekend!

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Shop made-in-America this weekend… This Saturday and Sunday you won't want to miss the 2nd Annual UNIQUE LA Summer Show! Meet, talk with and shop directly from our curated selection of 150 designers and artists. Score great deals and discover local-made design while helping to support our local economy. Awesome right?! When: July 14 + 15 (Saturday & Sunday)  //   11am – 6pm both days Where: The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica

Cost: $10 at the door, or buy online to also get a free ticket to the OC Fair! Kids 12 and under are free. 10% of all ticket sales go to the local non-profit organization GreenWish.

Admission includes: • An exclusive UNIQUE LA tote bag! • Unlimited re-entry for both days • Free drinks from our friends at The Naked Grape Wine, Hendrick’s Gin, O.N.E. Coconut Water, Honest Tea, GT’s Kombucha, Diabolo Drinks and more! • Free DIY workshops + crafts all weekend long in the Toyota Retreat with I SPY DIY and SWELLMAYDE • Free photo booth portraits and a print at the Oh Snap Studios Photo Booth • Our curated food truck alley, so you can enjoy lunch, snacks or a sweet treat • Live screen-printing, a Braid Bar, massages, a lenticular photo booth and more (all free)

Thanks SF!

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Our 1st Annual UNIQUE SF Show was a blast! Wow, thank you to all who participated and shopped at our first-ever UNIQUE SF show! The UNIQUE team is so impressed with the Bay-area design community and still can't believe how happy all the shoppers were... A handful even tracked me down so they could express their enthusiasm for the show! The two-day show was most definitely The Jam.

We also wanted to thank our amazing partners, whose support made it possible to expand to the city. Toyota worked with us very closely to create an area filled with free interactive activities such as live screen-printing, hair braiding and massages (yes, free massages!), kick-butt DIY crafts and more.

A very special area that we offered at UNIQUE SF was an Analog Zone, which was created by my good friend Levi of The Digital Detox. In this 'device-free' area people could get their portraits taken, type letters, partake in yoga, play board games and more. It was really inspiring to see everyone interacting live, in real time, and not typing a play-by-play about the cool area on their phones!

Oh Snap Studios offered unique portraits at their live photo booth... You can download yours here.

Were you snapped? Make sure to take a peek at all the rad photos here.

The Biggest Parade

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Last month I went for a walk—a very famous walk—with a few friends. I’ve been writing about the Big Parade for years now, the annual, two-day, 40-mile, 110-staircase walk we do from downtown to the Hollywood sign. But this was no Big Parade.

I think this was the Biggest Parade.

As we filed through the streets of downtown, through Elysian Park tunnels, and up Silver Lake staircases (I only did day 1 and half of day 2 this year) I couldn’t believe my eyes. The line of walkers just kept going and going and going.

At some points we were 200 people strong.

Each year, the route is a little different, so I always get to see something new. But this year, we were in for a treat. I’d heard that a sidewalk ran the length of the 110 freeway, from Chinatown to Highland Park. But I’d never walked there before.

You’re basically walking in traffic, as cars going 70 miles an hour buzz by your head. It’s a little unnerving.

As far as I can tell, this stretch of the 110 used to be Figueroa Street, so all the sidewalks and lights are from before the freeway actually went in.

The fact that they kept this little passageway is so fascinating, so bizarre. As if someone would want to go for a relaxing stroll in four lanes of traffic. That said, with some improvements, it would make a great bike path.

Once you get to the northern edge of the path, you’re rewarded with incredible views of the LA River.

And you’re confronted with the many layers of our transit infrastructure.

Then, right in the middle of having your mind blown because you’ve just walked down a FREEWAY SIDEWALK, you see this…

Yeah, that’s a spiral staircase at the intersection of the 110 and 5 freeway. Had I ever seen that before? Um, no.

More Big Parade photos.

Unique SF's Analog Zone

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Get ready SF! I asked my amazing friend Levi to bring his magical brand of relaxation and creativity to the first-ever UNIQUE SF. His company, The Digital Detox, holds tech-free retreats where individuals give up their smartphones and gadgets, unplug from technology, and get away from the stress of everyday life in exchange for a few days off the grid to recharge their mind, body and soul. Ummm, sounds amazing, right?! And is exactly why you should get excited about visiting the Analog Zone at UNIQUE SF...

First things first, you should know that the Analog Zone is a device free area; that means no cell phone/camera use inside the picket fence. Gasp! Come relax in the living room, let out your inner 3-year-old and write on the walls, kick your feet up, play some board games and sit back as their guest story teller take you on a roller-coaster ride of imagination. Get creative behind one of the many 1960’s typewriters and draft a letter, share an idea, and make a postcard for a friend or total stranger to pin up on their wall at home. Make sure to stop by and get your portrait drawn by one of the incredible analog artists as we create a giant mural of all the beautiful unique faces that pass by. Trust us, these portraits won’t be like anything you’ve ever had drawn of you before. Though don’t worry, they’re not going to keep your portraits forever; you’ll get it via snail mail in the coming weeks... just because we all know how much fun it is to get something in the mail.

And who says you have to forgo exercise for style. If you are looking to loosen up or need to stretch out before more shopping, The Digital Detox has you covered. They’ll be hosting 2 yoga classes a day and drop-in yoga work/playshops throughout the afternoon led by DJ and Lacey from the Hyde St. Wellness Cooperative and Zazen SF. Stoked to see you there! Just remember, no cell phones inside the cardboard picket fence :) Yoga Schedule 11:30am Morning Yoga Class 1:00pm-3:00pm 3:30pm Afternoon Yoga Class 4:30-6:00pm - Drop In Yoga Playshops: Perfect your downward dog, learn a new pose, get a 1:1 lesson or adjustment in your favorite position

Story Telling More or less, every hour, from 12:30-4:30 Live Portraits 11am-6pm

Mama Mia! Spring Show Success

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THANK YOU CALI! Last weekend's 4th Annual UNIQUE LA Spring Show was a huge success with over 16,000 shoppers coming to support our great designers/artists. Some of our favorite moments include watching 9-year-old Caine (of Caine's Arcade) take pictures with fans and see kids shout with glee as they played his cardboard games; seeing all the families/kids treating Mom to gifts and sweet treats; being a tad starstruck while meeting amazing musicians Tegan and Sara, and Paramore; and getting to see all the great products and designs from first-time vendors while finally meeting ones from Portland and NYC face-to-face.

We're excited to share that we raised thousands of dollars for our non-profit partner CicLAvia, who you should check out and go to their next ride on October 14th. Here are a handful of pictures from the show, you can browse them all and look for yourself on our Flickr page! If you'd like to download your Oh Snap Studios photos from the weekend, click here for Saturday and/or Sunday. We loved having I Spy DIY, Swellmayde and the Craft and Folk Art Museum on-hand to teach free craft projects to y'all all weekend. Thank you to all the great sponsors who help to create such a cool environment and handout freebies - it wouldn't be the same without you!

Our next shows? We've got our very first UNIQUE SF June 30 & July 1, and then we head to the Barker Hangar for our UNIQUE LA Summer Show. We hope to see you soon!

 

Free Spring Show Workshops...

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Make Something Fab May 12 & 13

It's that time again... Our 4th Annual Spring Show is around the corner! As always we host free craft workshops all weekend long, so you can rest your feet for a few minutes and make something!

We're proud to announce our lineup of the country's top DIY bloggers - Jenni of I SPY DIY and Aimee of SWELLMAYDE.

Saturday May 12th - SWELLMAYDE: Make a wrap style or a hex-nut style bracelet with Aimee!

Sunday May 13th - I SPY DIY: Make feather earrings with Jenni!

We're tickled-pink to announce that the wonderful team from the Craft & Folk Art Museum will be showing you how to create beautiful tissue paper flowers. So grab a chair and join them anytime during the Spring Show, 11am-6pm both days. Craft on!

Spring Show 2012

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SHOP FROM OVER 325 DESIGNERS & ARTISTS TO DISCOVER GREAT MADE-IN-AMERICA DESIGN... PLUS WE'RE FEATURING LA's OWN CAINE'S ARCADE - COME PLAY HIS RAD CARDBOARD GAMES & MEET CAINE AND HIS DAD (watch the video below if you don't know what we're talking about)!

When: May 12 & 13 (Saturday & Sunday)  //   11am - 6pm both days Where: The California Market Center (110 East Ninth Street, LA, CA 90079)

Cost: $10 at the door, buy online for extra perks (Kids 12 and under are free), 10% of all ticket sales go to the local non-profit organization CicLAvia.

Don't forget MOM this year... UNIQUE LA is the perfect place to find one-of-a-kind gifts, or better yet, bring the family and spend Mother's Day with us on Sunday!

 Admission includes: • An exclusive UNIQUE LA tote featuring artwork by a local artist (to be announced)! • Unlimited re-entry for both days + our printed Vendor Directory • Free drinks from our friends at The Naked Grape Wine, BlackStar Beer, IZZE, Honest Tea, GT's Kombucha, Dry Soda, Activate water and more! • Free DIY workshops + crafts all weekend long • Free photo booth portraits and a print at the Oh Snap Studios Photo Booth • Our curated cafe area so you can grab a coffee or enjoy lunch, snacks or a sweet treat

The largest independent design show in the country, attendees get the rare chance to meet and shop directly from over 325 hand-selected designers and artists. The exciting two-day shopping event makes it easy for you to buy local and support LA's economy, discover great design and deals, join in community, and have a blast. The products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA so you're putting your dollars right back into our economy and local community! With fun for everyone plan to spend the day with us...

Giving Back to Community

Fostering community and using the show as a vehicle to bring awareness to great local community groups is very important to us. UNIQUE  partners with a non-profit for every show and donates 10% of ticket sales to the organization. So far we’ve donated close to $30,000! This show's partner is the fantastic literacy organization 826LA! In the past we’ve partnered with Ed Begley Jr.’s’ GreenWish (which raises awareness and funds for nine local environmental groups including Friends of Los Angeles River, Surfrider Foundation and Algalita), Heal the Bay, Architecture for Humanity, 826LA, and Create Now. Thanks for helping to make this all happen!

Spring 2012 Lookbook

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Our Spring Show 2012 Preview Lookbook is ready! In order to show y'all some of the great things you can buy from local designers at the Spring Show, we went to Disneyland with our friends Matt and Kandy to shoot it. Great excuse to spend a day at the park right?! Our Spring Show is right around the corner, Saturday and Sunday May 12 & 13 - which is Mother's Day weekend. Come shop, treat your mom to something fab and spend the weekend with us... See you there!

Recycle with Isidore May 12/13

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This LA Social Enterprise Helps Us Do Good! We are excited to partner with Isidore Electronics Recycling, a Downtown LA electronics recycler with a social mission. In a nutshell, Isidore uses the revenue generated by its recycling business to help formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives by providing workforce training and gainful employment, while also partnering with organizations that provide comprehensive social services. To quote the website, "That’s good for the economy, the environment, and for public safety. Win, Win, Win." We couldn't agree more!

We really believe in what they are doing and thought our Spring Show shoppers would also dig the company and their mission. Soooo we created 2 ways for UNIQUE LA shoppers to get involved and support the cool new company - visit them in the lobby at the Spring Show, May 12 & 13!

E-WASTE COLLECTION - Bring old electronics to UNIQUE and get a MNKR/Isidore button pack! Got Old Electronics? Want to dispose of them in a socially and ecologically responsible way? Bring them to the Spring Show, May 12 & 13, and drop them off before you shop (bring them to the Isidore table in the lobby)! Isidore Electronics Recycling will accept anything with a plug, along with printer cartridges. Note: It's always a good idea to wipe your data, but don't worry, if you miss a few things, Isidore will make sure that all machines are clean before they go on to meet the recycling gods.

iPHONE Glass/Touch Screen REPAIR A special for UNIQUE LA Shoppers - Isidore Electronics Recycling is offering iPhone glass/touch screen replacement, completed while you shop. Repairs will take under an hour, and prices vary from $30 - $70, depending on the phone and repair type. These prices are for UNIQUE LA Shoppers only - anywhere else you're gonna pay twice as much! And don't worry, if we can't fit you in during the show, or you have another type of smartphone that needs some love, we'll work with you out of our Downtown LA location to get the repairs that you need as quickly we can. Come see us in the lobby to schedule your repair!