Monday, June 25, 2012
The 10 Best Things We Saw at the Renegade Craft Fair
Posted by Rebecca Willa Davis on Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 3:56 PM
The eighth annual Renegade Craft Fair this past weekend may have had new digs—next to The Flea at Williamsburg’s East River State Park—but the artist roster was as strong as ever. From screen printed tea towels to etched glass lamps, state-shaped cutting boards to geometric ceramic planters, there were plenty of ways to spend your money. We braved the crowds (and the sun, which was brutal both days) to see what the 300-plus vendors had to offer. Here, a few of our favorites.
Karmo’s Leather Fanny Pack
Renegade first-timer Danielle Karmo caught our eye with her butter-soft leather satchels in shades both classic (mahogany) and not (mint green). But it was her interpretation of the fanny pack—rugged but stylish, and perfect for hands-free bike riding—that really impresed.
Scout Soap’s Grapefruit Rosemary Moisture Bar
The “buy one, donate one” model isn’t a new one—we’ve got Toms for shoes and Warby Parker for glasses—but this new Brooklyn brand might be the first to do it with soap. The small-batch, vegetable-based bars are doled out through the not-for-profit Clean the World, which provides hygiene kits to communities in need. That the scents, which range from grapefruit to basil, smell lovely is an added bonus.
Thief and Bandit’s Hand Printed Skateboard
Bright hued tees, necklaces, and headbands make up the bulk of designs from this Richmond, Virginia based brand, but don’t miss their neon, geometric print skateboards. No surprise that designer Amie Cunningham is a trained wood carver.
Shelter’s The Rolston Backpack
The brushed cotton twill attaché from Asheville, North Carolina’s Karie Reinertson is a perfect multi-use pack. It’s big enough to double as a weekend bag but small enough to wear on the subway without being completely obnoxious—plus, the leather details nicely balance out the bright geometric print accents.
Mega Etc.’s Mystics Necklace
If your elementary school art teacher was 10 years younger and lived in Brooklyn, she’d probably be wearing Mega Etc.'s chunky jewelry. The collection from this Renegade first-timer ranges from bright macramé plant holders to necklaces made of metal, wood, and even stone beads.
Lekker Haas Paper’s Brooklyn Neighborhood Map
It’s hard not to feel borough pride staring at one of Lekker Haas Paper's massive, intricate cut-outs. How Diane Vadino—a published author who is also an editor at Nylon and the founder of travel magazine Trunk—finds time to snip away at massive swaths of paper, we’ll never know, but we’re glad she has.
Since October, Brooklyn’s Amelie Mancini has been printing these whimsical baseball cards. With Williamsburg’s The Arm as her base, each pack—themes have included “Edible All-Stars” and “Bizarre Injuries”—is funnier than the last.
Son of a Sailor’s Karve Necklace
Your art collection can wait—invest in one of these necklaces by Son of a Sailor, instead. Only 100 were made, and each one-of-a-kind wood and leather piece is numbered. The Austin duo behind the brand started it on a lark last May; in the months since, they’ve quit their day jobs to design jewelry and screen prints full-time.
Studio DKS’s Greatest Hits Pillow
The felted cashmere-wool pieces from Greenpoint’s Deborah Shavlik are soft, yes, but that’s not to say they’re without an edge. Instead, it’s the fuzzy prints that adorn her pillows, pouches, and chairs—from a lineup of pills to skeletal outlines—that gives them this perfect balance between pretty and perverse.
Five 8ths’ Lawn Shirt
Ethically made, environmentally friendly button-downs are hard enough to find, never mind ones that aren’t completely heinous. But Baltimore’s Elizabeth Kading, who launched Five 8ths last year, does just that with her line of made-to-order work shirts.
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