Those of you who follow me on Instagram might have noticed that your feeds were blowing up with amazingness on Sunday. The source of this brilliance was the New York International Gift Fair. I felt like a kid in a candy shop of creativity and I was just running all over the place shoving my face with it all. There were rows upon rows of luxurious candles, greeting cards, books (Assouline had me drooling like a puppy), snowglobes, and even an area focused on global/fair trade goods.
I was invited to this inspiring event by my dear friend Erika Jacobsen and her Dad. Her Dad owns Madison Park Group (a greeting card company) which carries some brilliant lines including:
Shannon Martin: I had the opportunity to chat with Shannon and can I just say that she is just as sassy and wonderful as her cards (not to mention she has fantastic style)! It is rare blessing to meet someone like her who seems to be constantly propelling those around her to follow their dreams and live life to it's fullest.
Roger La Borde: I have admired the intricate cards of Roger La Borde for quite some time and I was utterly smitten when I met Jenni who helped to launch this incredible line?! We connected immediately discussing the laser cut cards, her fine art background and how sometimes a step back to evaluate is a good thing when it comes to pursuing your dreams. She is such a sweet soul and I can see why they produce the beautiful cards that they do.
A couple of other companies that I would like to highlight and this blog is sure to continue to showcase are:
Creative Women: As we walked into the Global section of this event the products of Creative Women immediately caught my eye, there was something unique about them the linens reminded me of photos I had seen of French country cottages. I made a comment to a woman about how rare it is to see such wonderful and on-trend products being sold by fair trade/global companies... The woman I just so happened to be speaking with was Ellen Dorsch the founder of Creative Women. We had a fascinating conversation about what it is like to work with producers in places such as Ethiopia and the challenge of having them create for Western consumers. I would encourage you to visit her website to learn more about the company as I know you will be inspired and I believe that it is extremely important for us to support companies like Creative Women who are not only working to improve women's lives but doing it in a way that is strategic with a high level of excellence (not to mention on trend!).
Two's Company: Their booth caught my eye across the convention hall, who wouldn't be tempted to investigate a "Curiosity Shop"? My inquisitiveness was quite rewarded when I discovered their booth was packed full with some of my favorite things: phrenology heads, apothecary jars and shadow boxes.
East of India: This UK based company had a booth which you just could not pass up. It was setup like an old General Store and the aesthetic perfectly matched the products they sell.
Cody Foster: If I had to choose just one word to describe their products it would be "wonder". I kept turning round and round hoping to soak all of the magic in. There were tiny little sail boats (that seemed to have sailed right out of someone's dreams), glittery polar bears and so much more..
Well I believe that brings this post to an end.. I hope you are as inspired as I am. If you ever have the opportunity to check out the New York International Gift Fair I would say go for it!