The temps are rising, the rosé is flowing--summer is upon us! New season means new styles. Unique's own Sonja Rasula has pulled together a roundup of her favorite summer product picks for women and men from Unique LA makers. Clockwise from top left:
Unique Drinks: Califia Cocktails
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Last month we hosted a small shindig with some of our friends and media partners on the rooftop deck of The Unique Space. It was a pre-Unique LA celebration to showcase the products of some of our vendors and to rally our friends in the media around our market. Unique Markets founder Sonja Rasula interviewed Luke Hobbs from Lincoln + Hobbs Design and Isadora Alvarez from Back Beat Rags, local designers and Unique LA vendors.
For the rooftop happy hour, our partners at Califia Farms provided agua fresca for some fresh, springtime cocktails. That's right--Califia doesn't just make delicious almond milks and creamers. They make amazing fruit juices, too! We loved the refreshing drinks so much, we wanted to share the recipes with you! Just in time for summertime hangs.
CALIFIA PINK LADY
INGREDIENTS:
Califia Watermelon Ginger Lime Agua Fresca
Shot of vodka (We used Tito's)
Soda Water
Fresh lime wedges
METHOD:
Fill highball glass with ice. Add shot of vodka. Add splash of soda water. Fill glass with Califia Watermelon Ginger Lime Agua Fresca. Garnish with fresh lime edge. Serve with a straw.
STRAWBERRY BASIL SPIKED-FRESCA
Ingredients:
Califa Strawberry Basil Agua Fresca
Shot of vodka (We used Tito's)
Soda Water
Fresh basil leaves
Method:
In the bottom of a short, metal cocktail shaker, muddle 5-6 fresh basil leaves. To the shaker, add shot of vodka AND 3 ounces of Califa Strawberry Basil Agua Fresca. Add scoop of ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour into highball glass. Top with a splash of soda water. Serve with a straw.
We served the delicious drinks alongside yummy treats from some of our very own Unique LA vendors including baked goods from Broadway Baker, spiked marshmallows by Mallow & Hop, amazing chips, salsa, and dips by Casa de Brisa, and candy from Teebsie.
Unique Eats: Quaker Overnight Oats
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Quaker Oats joined us at the Unique LA Spring Market. They brought with them an amazing family-friendly DIY station, a selfie booth, and, of course, amazingly delicious Overnight Oats!
Many of you have asked us for some of the Overnight Oat recipes that you tasted at the market, so here are two of our favorite! Such simple and easy breakfast ideas but oh so delicious. For many more Overnight Oats recipes, including Raspberry Coconut Overnight Oats and Mocha Almond Date Overnight Oats, visit QuakerOats.com
Blueberry Honey Overnight Oats
Lightly sweet, this version has fresh blueberries and lots of protein.
Recipe:
1. Combine 1/2 cup Quaker Oats with 1/2 cup low-fat milk
2. Add 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp honey
3. Refrigerate overnight. Rise, stir & enjoy!
Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
Reminiscent of childhood, there's arguably nothing more comforting than banana and peanut butter.
Recipe:
1. Combine 1/2 cup Quaker Oats with 1/2 cup low-fat milk.
2. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup sliced bananas, 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp chia seeds (optional).
3. Refrigerate overnight, rise, stir & enjoy!
Studio Tour: P.F. Candle Co.
/When P.F. Candle Co. Founder, Kristen Pumphrey, started hand-pouring candles in her living room, she couldn't imagine the thriving business she runs today--she just knew she had to make it work. She grew the company quickly and now makes thousands of candles daily in a large industrial factory in Los Angeles. Watch Kristen tell the story of P.F. Candle Co.
P.F. Candle Co. begin selling with Unique Markets at Unique San Francisco in 2012. Now, with a team of over twenty full-time employees, P.F. Candle Co. wholesales to such companies as CB2, Madewell, and Urban Outfitters, in addition to selling from their own online shop.
In 2016, P.F. Candle Co. showed the Unique team around their Los Angeles studio.
LIMITED EDITION: UNIQUE X P.F. CANDLE CO. SCENT
Limited Edition Scent: Black Pepper & Cedar - Unique X P.F. Candle Co.
P.F. Candle Co. produced a limited edition, custom candle scent in collaboration with Unique Markets! With a heart of Frasier fir, blue spruce and lavender, this fragrance is evocative of a crisp stroll at dawn. Unexpected notes of vetiver and black pepper transform warm cedarwood, adding an air of classic elegance. Limited edition! BUY IT NOW!
Top Notes: lavender, camphor
Heart: Frasier fir, blue spruce, lavender
Base: vetiver, black pepper, cedarwood
APPLY NOW FOR THE SUMMER MARKET!
/CALLING ALL MAKERS, ARTISTS, AND DREAMERS.
Unique LA is bringing back the summer market at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, August 19 & 20.
Vendor applications are now closed.
All vendors who applied will receive notification via email of whether they are accepted on June 29.
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Questions? Email Unique LA'S Event Producer, Janna at info@uniquemarkets.com
[SURVEY] 35,000 Pennies For Your Thoughts
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Did you attend the Unique LA Spring Market in May? If so, we want to hear from you! Our community is important to us. Take our quick survey and share your ideas and feedback with us!
By completing the survey, you will be entered to win an amazing gift box filled with products from spring market vendors (worth $350!). The survey closes June 15. The gift box recipient will be notified via email and will be announced in our July email newsletter.
Thanks for helping make Unique LA even more awesome!
2017 Spring Market Highlights
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Los Angeles, thank you for another amazing Unique LA! Thousands of you joined us Mother's Day weekend in DTLA at the California Market Center to shop from over 250 independent makers and designers. You enjoyed food and drinks from our amazing sponsors Califia, Quaker Oats, GT's Kombucha, got your nails did by Color Camp, lounged in the colorful seating areas by Bend Furniture, danced around in Oh Snap!'s pop art photobooth, and scribbled on the walls of our kids' area. We hope you will share the love and post your spring market purchases on Instagram with #UniqueLA and tag the independent companies you purchased them from!
Thank you for making it an incredible weekend and thank you for shopping independent. You put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the local economy and helped support the hard work and creative vision of hundreds of local entrepreneurs. You. Are. Awesome.
- See your Oh Snap! photos from Saturday and Sunday online.
- See all of the Unique LA Spring Market photos.
- Want to connect with a vendor you saw at the market? Browse the Spring Market vendor directory online.
And don't forget to SAVE THE DATE for our Unique LA summer market August 19 & 20 in Santa Monica at the Barker Hangar.
We love seeing your photos online! Keep sharing them with #UniqueLA
Unique Staff Picks!
/Coming to shop local this weekend? We're sharing some of our Staff Picks for the Unique LA Spring Market! Check out what Sonja, Suraiya and Janna are excited for:
SONJA'S MUST-VISIT LIST
I love love love housewares, so I'll def be checking out Willful Goods, THESYS Design, Still Life Ceramics, and Lincoln + Hobbs. I'm not only a lover of purses but of metallic silver and gold, so I'm excited to stop by Maya Stewart's booth! Shoe designer Isabelle, of Unblanc Design, is selling for the first time, and told me she attended as a shopper in the past and told herself, "When I have a line, I want to sell at Unique LA." How cool is that?
It's Mother's Day, so I am also looking for gifts for my mom, so I'll be headed to Paper Quarry, Cardtorial and all the stationery sellers. I'm also really looking forward to being able to check out brands and small biz owners who are joining us from faraway, such as Portland's Clay Factor and Via Raiz! And I'm obviously stopping by Jeni's Ice Cream to get a scoop, or two...
JANNA'S FAVES
Unique LA's spring market is the prefect chance to shop for summer vibes. I'll reach true fizzy water fangirldom with Rainbow Feather's LaCroix enamel pin. I love the retro style of Paper Sails Kensie 90's stickers one piece swimsuit. DedCool's unisex vegan fragrance 02 has scents of green floral and sandalwood, my absolute favorite scent and the perfect fragrance for cool summer nights. SunnysideLA's retro sunglasses are just too dope to pass up. And always a sucker for amazing, all-natural bath products, I'll be stocking up on Beetle & Bone's vegan bar soaps.
SURAIYA'S TOP PICKS
I can't wait to visit Lola Y Tula to choose some decor for my new apartment. I'll be stopping by Crooked Calligraphy just because! I'm shopping for my brother's birthday, so will check out Pocket Square Clothing. And I'm getting my mom something special from M Greenwood Jams and Pop Up Greens.
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
2017 Spring Market Vendor Map
/The 2017 spring market map is here! Download it, locate your favorite vendors, and start planning your Unique LA visit now!
Unique LA on Bustle!
/We ❤️ Bustle! Click here to see their Top 12 picks of who to shop from at the Unique LA Spring Market!
Spring Market Curated Collections: Gallery Row
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At Unique LA Spring Market we've curated an exciting section called "Gallery Row", a mixture of creative artist creations ranging from printed art to sculpture to high-design clothing. Browse the Gallery Row vendors below, then join us on May 13 & 14 to show from them.
Spring Market Curated Collections: The Cool Crib
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Bring the whole family to Unique LA's Spring Market and hang out in The Cool Crib. This dedicated area of the market will feature a curated selection of local and independent childrens brands, a play and craft area, and a lounge where the entire clan can kick up their feet and slam a well-deserved juice box. Browse The Cool Crib vendors below and then come shop from them on May 13 & 14. As always, kids under the age of 12 attend Unique LA for free!
New! Spring Market Curated Collections: The Lodge
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For the Unique LA Spring Market, we've curated "The Lodge", a special area showcasing menswear and men's lifestyle products including leather goods, clothing, home decor, cycling accessories, body products, and watches from select independent menswear designers. There is also a dedicated lounge in The Lodge, with drinks and snacks provided by our generous sponsors. Browse some of The Lodge vendors below and then come shop from them on May & 14!
Buy Independent, Buy Better
/"More than half of the fastest-fashion items made are chucked away within a year of production. But such rampant retail therapy costs the earth."
When it comes to clothing, buying from independent companies helps more than just the local economy--it has an overall positive impact on the environment. A recent article in The Economist highlights the detrimental environmental impact of our global addiction to "fast fashion"--garments made cheaply and quickly by large retail chains using chemical-treated synthetic fibers. As a result, we're consuming more clothes than ever before and chucking them into landfills faster than ever before.
Unique LA gives you an alternative to the fast-fashion driven retail chain stores. At Unique LA, you can shop from local and independent clothing designers that prioritize quality and craftsmanship over cheap and fast. At the Spring market, you will find:
-hand-dyed kimonos from Tuesday Scarves
-Turkish-inspired textiles woven by hand from Handloom
-small capsule collections sewn in California by Lacson Ravello
-lingerie made from recycled or naturally derived fibers from VAVA Lingerie
You can browse the 50 independent clothing companies that will be at Unique LA May 13 & 14. Tickets are on sale now!
