What happens when you gather together established artists and collectors, all women of a certain age who have enjoyed long and productive creative careers and appreciate each other’s taste level in unique fashion? You get Artisans & Friends Flea Market, an eclectic sale/showcase sure to delight anyone looking for unusual clothing and accessories. The latest Artisans & Friends Flea Market will take place in a neighborhood back yard garden in the Country Club neighborhood on Saturday, October 9 from 11-5.
This is the second installment of Artisans & Friends Flea Market, organizer Suzi Click told the Buzz.
“The first one was held pre-COVID and featured ten friends, a combination of artisans creating one of a kind clothing and jewelry and collectors and some who are both,” organizer Suzi Click told the Buzz. “It is a friendly way to show and sell or trade their work with each other, and invite friends and neighbors, too.”
The group features established artists who have had long and productive creative careers and appreciate each other’s taste level in unique fashion. Several, Suzi Click, Judy Reidel and Lorraine Spector, are active members of the Ebell of Los Angeles. Several are also members of a small group they call “the mending circle” where they meet at each other’s homes every few weeks to sit and sew – mending, patching, weaving, knitting, crocheting, etc., explained Click.
“They admire and offer suggestions for each other’s work and always have fun discussing current topics. During the pandemic they met in back yards which really helped them get though difficult times,” said Click.
Participants in the Artisans & Friends Flea Market this weekend include:
Claudia Grau is well known for her unique style and boutique in the 80’s on Melrose Avenue- she was one of the first to make it the trendy place to shop. She later moved to the historic Crossroads of the World. There she was joined by Suzi Click, designer of wearable art clothing & accessories for a couple of years when she had an artists collective. Jen Loew worked there with Claudia also before joining the famous wearable art boutique Harari as assistant buyer. Claudia, Suzi, Kay Chapman, all wearable art clothing designers, and Tzipora Hoynik who designs one of a kind jewelry met while attending Contemporary Craft Market shows and the Pasadena Bead and Design Show.
Kathy Solomon is a weaver and designer, collector and representative of many unique clothing and jewelry lines and has been showing and selling at art, flea market & vintage shows in the LA area for many years.
Jen Loew has a combination of never worn or gently worn unique fashion at very good prices – designers Dosa, Magnolia Pearl, Krista Larsen, Mieko Mintz and the incredible Sally Bass whose jewelry designs are often seen on Frankie in the Grace & Frankie TV show.
Lorraine Spector has a small collection of gently worn unique fashion for good prices!
Judy Reidel and Vickie Elson both have lots of great ethnic clothing and textiles from their travels. Judy’s visits to Thailand and India; and Vickie’s journeys to the Kutch region of India when she was researching and organizing an exhibit for the Fowler museum in 1979 called Dowries from Kutch. She also wrote a book for the exhibit by that name. Click said she bought the book when she learned that the wife of her husband’s golf buddy wrote it and then they met and became friends!
Gwen Beazell has an incredible collection of ethnic art clothing & jewelry and knows Click through the Textile Museum Associates group. That group, explained Click, had for many years what they called a ”Moth Market” where members would meet and sell to each other once a year and THAT was the inspiration for this!
 Liz Chapman, Claudia Grau and Suzi Click this Saturday, October 9 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.){kind=link}