renegade craft fair recap pt1: the jewelry
What I have to say bears repeating: your dollar speaks volumes; it shouts from rooftops. Should you buy that turquoise bib J Crew necklace or do you choose to sift through the litany of Etsy sellers to unearth that rare gem, that distinctive piece of jewelry that will drape few wrists, fingers, earrings, and necks? Ever find yourself glancing up from your book during your morning commute to notice that the woman seated across from you is wearing the same exact lavallière necklace you purchased only last week? This has happened to me more times than I’d like to admit. Ah, the ease of shopping at mass retailers: Club Monaco, J Crew, Express, H&M, Banana Republic (before they headlined the Never Again Tour of 2009), where your outfits are styled and your jewelry a photocopy of a photocopy.
This year I say: FORGET IT AND A PONY! Buy independent whenever possible. Support an entrepreneur’s artistic endeavors, their rogue enterprise. Dare to not be a photocopy. So I boarded the epic subway ride from Park Slope to Williamsburg to check out the wares of over 300 independent designers, participants in the annual Renegade Craft Fair. In the spacious McCarren Park, I found rows of white and multi-colored tents, supremely crafted business cards, the friendly faces behind the eponymous collections and Etsy shops I had grown to covet. Here were hundreds of unbelievably talented designers with an individual and unique voice and vision.
I’ve had my eye on Prismera (first/second images at left) for quite some time. I first met the designer, Laura Su, at a press preview, and I was immediately smitten with her minimalist, earthy collection. A RISD graduate, Su used her unique illustrator background to create three-dimensional, striking pieces; she’s often inspired by things that seem commonplace, from the curve of a leaf to a crack in the sidewalk. The collection is mostly comprised of metals: bronze, silver, gold, with a smattering of gemstone pieces. In Prismera you’ll find blooming botanicals, delicate flora, and eco-friendly recycled steel. Prices range from $38-$170.
Jackie Mancini, designer of pretty, silly things (pst!), (second & third images, at left) specializes in the rescue, reuse and re-purposing of the discarded: obscure illustrated dictionaries, library books and children’s books that have seen better days. Images from the books are sandwiched between glass and silver solder, recontextualizing them into a contemporary piece of jewelry that saves a piece of the past. I had the chance to chat with Jackie, a Virginia native who is soon moving to New York!! about her collection – her pieces range from the creepy to the sweet.
I purchased a bronze gilded rope chain with a capsule that contained the words spook & spool, along with their definitions and a black & white spool image. On the subway ride home, my statement piece elicited praise and a few girls asked me where I scored such a unique find (only $36!). This is precisely why I love purchasing conversation pieces; they open doors, they cut through the shyness and invite praise, friendship, and affection. Prices are all under $50.
Brooklyn-based designer & artist, Jennifer Topolski (image, at bottom) is multi-disciplined, with an eye for the macabre. From silkscreened crab tote bags to figurative acrylic paintings to vintage and nature-inspired jewelry. I marveled at her collection of bee rings and necklaces, and overhead Topolski relay that she has her co-workers and friends on a constant hunt for dead bees. Another delicious find? Her Murder Mystery series (last image, at left), where vintage photos of ominous figures are made are encased in a symmetrical metal frame in back with a sheet of copper in between. All of her work has a haunting, introspective feel to them, and these diminutive pieces will garner a second glance. Prices range from $18-$25.
Other fox finds? Wook Woodworking’s simple wood pendants, Erica Weiner’s booth was mobbed, but I managed to gawk at her black key and wood link necklaces.
