One of a Kind - Vancouver

October 8-11, 2009 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Center: SHOPPING MADE BETTER.
This is a yearly event with lots of activities: Teapot Competition, Design Schools creations, Fashion Shows, Mannequin Madness, Home Styling and more. Hundreds of booths feature: Fabric/Textiles, Fashion Accessories, Flavours, Furniture, Glass, Hats, Home Decor, Jewelry-Fashion, Jewelry-Fine, Leather, Metal, Paper Products, Sculpture, Visual Art, Wood, Photography and more. Fabulous Design Schools include: Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Kootenay School of the Arts, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Community College, (read about their latest Graduates' Fashion show here) and Vancouver Island University.

Favourite finds for me began with art for little eyes by Liz Clay. liz@ciciartfactory.com . Her children's paintings and gift cards are charming and whimsical. I bought the cards: Pirate (reminds me of pirate movies and of Max in Where the Wild Things Are, Bubbles, Butterfly and Treehouse. I can see her as a children's room, set designer or children's gallery designer.

Lilliput Hats by Karyn Gingras karyn@lilliputhats.com, made me want to try on every beautifully designed hat on display! Enjoyed talking with Karyn who gets her inspiration from the people around her. From Toronto, Karyn says it can take varying amounts of time to make a hat, but she can make one in four to six hours. Loved her black and white hat, especially! These are available at Holt Renfrew, Vancouver.
Adhesif Clothing Company by Melissa Ferreira, info@adhesifclothing.com, not only had an incredible display but also had a range of designs, vintage and new, that begged you to try something on and be uniquely and fashionably attired - immediately.Chloe Angus Design, www.chloeangus.com (Eco Chic and Fashionably Evolving) is located at 4001 W. 33rd Avenue in Vancouver and featured wrap-sweaters and wrap skirts that can be worn in a variety of ways and come in an array of colours and styles. My favourite is a red and black wrap with gorgeous buttons and West Coast First Nations designs.

This year, there were a lot of designs for children, as well as many delicious food products. Loved the samples and attractive packaging. Delicious and comforting was the warm christmas cake/pudding with a velvety sauce by Joane McClelland of Cranberry Creek Baking Co. Inc. at www.cranberrycreek.com