DESIGN Rachel Craven (left), Beatrice Valenzuela. From far left: BARI ZIPERSTEIN Circle Top vase, price upon request. DEBBIE BEAN Diamond Comet Panel, $145. DASEIN Winter unisex fragrance, $95. Below: RACHEL CRAVEN grid tablecloth, $220.
Uncommon GOODS
Since 2009, Beatrice Valenzuela and Rachel Craven have showcased some of California’s brightest artisans at their biannual Echo Park Craft Fair. Their original vision was to bring together a small group of talented makers from their Eastside L.A. neighborhood, but December’s bazaar will feature roughly 100 of the top craftspeople from all over the city. As the show has grown, the fair’s intimate origins can still be felt, a testament to the pair’s shared aesthetic that Craven, an interior designer and textile artist, describes as “relaxed, artful California bohemian.” “We love everything that adds beauty to life,” says Valenzuela, whose own line of handmade shoes has blossomed since the fair’s inception. “We like things that are timeless and made with integrity. We’re always looking for invigorating experiences that inspire us and we love to share that inspiration with our peers.” Here, Valenzuela and Craven share a few of the standout artists from the upcoming event—each taking craftsmanship to another level entirely. Dec. 12-13; echoparkcraftfair.com. • L.A.-based Andria Crescioni launched her eponymous jewelry line in the spring of 2014. Her leather pieces, hand-stitched of natural Argentinian leathers, were an instant hit. This season, her modern collection includes some striking brass pieces as well. crescionicollection.com.
C 110 WINTER 2015/2016
Design (bits) From above: PLANT PLANET Poison Plants Print, $175. BEATRICE VALENZUELA Navy Sandalia sandals, $212. CRESCIONI COLLECTION Larco necklace, $390, and bracelet, $265. BLOCK SHOP Magnet Indigo pillow, $85.
• Block Shop Textiles marries the traditional Indian block printing process with a modern California vibe. Their products are a collaboration between L.A.-based sisters Hopie and Lily Stockman and a family of printers and dyers in Bagru, Rajasthan, India. blockshoptextiles.com. • Artist Bari Ziperstein’s ceramic line, Bzippy & Company, is made entirely by hand in Northeast L.A. The collections are inspired by the rich ceramic history of Southern California including the Funk Movement and Joe Soldate. bzippyand company.com. • Dasein Fragrance is the creation of selftaught indie perfumer Sam Rader, who hand-blends his unisex scents at his Glassell Park home. Each fragrance is free of parabens and glycols, and never tested on animals. daseinfragrance.com. • Debbie Bean is an artist who works in both traditional leadwork and copper foiling techniques to create her dynamic line of stained glass home goods and jewelry. debbiebean.com. • In her small L.A. studio, Plant Planet artist Claire Nereim hand-screens series of limited-edition prints, each dedicated to a collection of fruits or blooms. plantplanet.biz. • ANDREA STANFORD
PORTRAIT AND GRID TABLECLOTH: NANCY NEIL. BRACELET: ANDREW H. LEE
The ECHO PARK CRAFT FAIR co-founders seek out EXCEPTIONAL craftsmanship, one L.A. maker at a time