Direct from Market: Chicago
Meredith Schwartz -- Gifts and Dec, 1/28/2011 9:06:00 AM
How about that local team? The hot topic at The Chicago Market: Living and Giving was the football game between the Chicago Bears and neighboring Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers. Supporters of both teams showed their colors, 
Nancy Michael, left, and Joan Ulrich
literally, with jerseys and themed wear, including Mart employees, while showrooms showcased their licensed merchandise. Both showrooms and the Merchandise Mart itself showed the game on TVs ranging from tiny to gigantic, attracting big crowds. DJs even piped the game's audio through the speakers in the temps, so no one ever had to miss a touchdown.
But despite the Bears' defeat, the mood at the market was undaunted, with most exhibitors we spoke to reporting good sales and retailers citing recovering Christmas numbers - one we spoke to on the shuttle said her hospital shop is up 32 percent!
Monday's highlight was the sold-out keynote address by Susan Casey, editor of O, the Oprah magazine, as well as the author of a recent book about giant waves. Using surfing metaphors, Casey provided inspirational advice for life and business, including advising entrepreneurs to be ruthless in getting the right team but then generous once you've got them; to trust their instincts, and to embrace sustainability, which, along with authenticity, Casey predicts will be key to success in the future.
In business news from around the Mart, Roman Inc. has the Elf on the Shelf license in everything from ornaments to candles to Jinglebuddies, while the 
Bridge Brands
popular Got Milk? slogan reappears on milk's favorite companion, chocolate from Bridge Brands.
Also in chocolate news, Design Design has purchased confectionary company Mary Ann's Chocolates. (Design Design's owner had already held a partnership interest in the brand).
Paper Paradise
Also new from Design Design is a new line of giftable children's stationery, Noodles, and a revamp of the Emily Post line, which was significantly redesigned in response to customer feedback after its initial introduction at last year's National Stationery Show.
Monkey Designs
Other key paper finds include That's All Greetings. Winner of the Next Big Zing award in Atlanta, the cards feature a minimalist text look and edgy humor, and are made in the U.S.A. of recycled paper. A portion of proceeds are donated to fight ovarian cancer.
Also great in paper are Monkey Designs' solar-powered bobble heads, which reuse the packaging as the base, and flat cards which transform into robots.
Tactile Textiles
Many of our favorite finds are in the fabric category. EnV reusable bags, has 
EnV
turned the same fabric into outdoor pillow covers that are sun and water resistant so they don't need to come in out of the rain, and wholesale for only $7 a pop.
David & Goliath returned to the show after a hiatus with edgy tees with a supercute cartoon look that's sure to appeal to tweens, teens, college kids and young-at-heart adults.
For super kids, Fairytale Inc. offers cotton terry clo
Fairytale Inc.
th capes in seven colors complete with letters or symbols on the back.
At Patti White & Co., celebrating both its 20th anniversary and a showroom expansion, buyers could pick up The Cat's Pajamas, as worn by Tina Fey on 30 Rock, as well as more cool aprons from Gloveables and vintage fabric look bibs with terry backing from Babycakes of Scottsdale.
Meanwhile AmyD, new to the show, showcases aprons handmade with salvaged fabric, complete with a hard-bottomed "beer pocket." Now that's an essential ingredient! State-specific designs are also available. 
AmyD
Further reclaimed, recycled and otherwise eco-friendly offerings come from Dirk Nykamp Nightscape Studios, which produces displays and lighting from salvaged materials such as old bell jars, and Better Life, a line of eco-friendly cleaning products with fun names and packaging (such as "What-EVER! Spray) that has hard numbers to back up its "green" claims, including a 5-day biodegradation study.
Just Plain Cool
At every market we see interesting products that stand on their own. Those finds in Chicago included Silver Spoon Jewelry, based on vintage silverware patterns from the 1800s and early 1900s; Continental Home rope lamps, which would work with a coastal or nautical look, but also with the weathered, 
Continental Home
and unfinished furnishings that were so hot at this past High Point Market. Enamel tableware showcases the Folklore pattern by Nina Jarema for Wild & Wolf. Caskata artisanal tableware introduced many new patterns, including butterflies and boats; The CoolSack by Artistic Creations can be used to keep beverages or lunches chilled for hours; Lego is introducing new Architecture sets for the adult gift market by Adam Reed Tucker. Initial model sets include the Sears Tower, Space Needle, Guggenheim Museum, John Hancock Center, Empire State Building and Fallingwater, as well as The White House and Rockefeller Center, all distributed by Brickstructures Inc.
Lego
Count Me Healthy bangle bracelets help women keep track of their health goals without having to tie a string around their finger; the product is already receiving a great deal of attention in the consumer media. The BIT from Kid o, maker of the award-winning Bilibo toy, is a wide first two-wheeler to help kids develop balance and coordination. Momiji introduced new I Heart Books dolls, and Bungalow 360 offered an unusually bubblegum-tinted take on the nascent squid/octopus trend.
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Direct from Market: Chicago
Jan 20, 2009 -
Direct from Market: Atlanta, part 2
Jan 19, 2012 -
Direct from Market: Los Angeles
Jul 28, 2011 -
Direct from Market: Atlanta
Jul 20, 2011
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Wright Labels
Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
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