Unique Los Angeles Spring Show, April 24-25

Unique LA was once again, loads of fun, tons of work, and the impetus for a slew of new products. All the proceeds from product sales are going to the sewing center in the village of Okurase in Ghana. (See www.aunitedlink.com for details.) Enjoy the images!

Laura and Rhion before the show on Saturday morning


Bags and clutches


Our booth


Flour sacks made in Ghana


Cade and Powerful, a native of Ghana - the drumming was amazing!!

Rhion and her son Cade, who sacrificed his entire weekend to help us

Unique Los Angeles Design Show - We're in again!

I'll be in the United Link booth again, for the Unique LA Spring Show, April 24-25, in downtown LA. We'll be selling unique products designed and made from African mudcloth and beautiful dyed cotton fabrics - all from Ghana. Proceeds go back to the village of Okurase. The November show was very successful, and this time, we expect sales to go through the roof. In addition to our belts, cuffs and coasters, we have now added keychain fobs, overnight bags, purses, totes, clutches, cuff bracelets with hardward (for the men)...and more. Here are the details:

When: April 24th & 25th, 11am – 6pm both days
Where: California Market Center’s Penthouse (110 East 9th Street – Map It)
Cost: $10 at the door or in advance (kids 12 and under are free).

Your admission includes:
• Free drinks & a hosted bar (IZZE, Honest Tea, water, beer, UNIQUE cocktails)
• Unlimited re-entry for both days
• Your very own collectible tote bag, exclusive to each show… The Spring tote is designed by LA graphic designer Keith Scharwath! Sweet.
• Free eco workshops and cool handmade activities all weekend, brought to you by Your Daily Thread and Quayside Publishing
• Family/Kids creativity zone and seating area
• Access to giveaways and door prizes all weekend long
• Souvenir copy of the Vendor Directory + Mini Magazine

Photos and Results from "Unique LA Holiday Show"

What a great weekend this was! My first ever "trade show",  in the heart of LA's fashion district!  Rhion Magee (of Dreamworks) got me involved in this project earlier this year, and this show was our first forway into the world of commerce.

This show was HUGE - there were so many vendors, it was impossible to check them all out. Almost all of the vendors sell on Etsy, and so we were competing with some very professional booths. I'm happy to say, we had a steady stream of visitors, and our African fabric cloth products went over very well.  We also sold beautiful flour cloth fabric bags made by the women in the village, plus 100% pure Shea butter from Ghana.

By Sunday evening, we sold about $1,000 of merchandise (over 2 days), all of which will go back to the sewing center in the village of Okurase. I've been up late each night and every weekend for the past month or so sewing belts, bracelets and coasters and it was so gratifying when someone (like the girl below) loved her purchase.

Happy customer!

With a body like this, we had to ask her to model it for us....!

Our booth (before the crowds flooded in)

Rhion and her son Cade standing by our booth

the belts

the bracelets

Laura and Rhion, at the end of a very long and productive day!

More African mud cloth belts

Here's the belt in the brown and black mudcloth from Ghana. I used a different contrasting fabric (also made in Ghana) on the reverse side, so you can wear these belts on either side. I took photos of each. The metal loops are re-purposed curtain rings. I finished the edges with woolly nylon serger thread.
I love this fabric, and it's the "real deal", not imitation mudcloth. This fabric was hand-carried on a plane from Ghana.
We'll be selling these at Unique LA, Dec. 5 and 6.