Direct from Market: Los Angeles
Caroline Kennedy -- Gifts and Dec, 7/28/2011 3:17:20 AM
California Livin' was front and center at the California Gift Show, with the California Lifestyle and made in California
products a major focus at both the convention center and at the LA Mart. Upon entering the convention center, visitors were presented with an art experience. Four local urban artists were engaged in creating murals as part of the Extreme Art Challenge. It was fascinating to watch the pieces come together.
The South Hall of the convention center featured a new floor design with new carpeting and two wide aisles angled off the center aisle to direct attendees to special areas: the California Bespoke display and the seminar space.
The Kentia Hall was bustling with activity like the world bazaar that it is, and featured a new section. Vintage, which was arranged more like an antique market fair rather than formal booths. Offerings in this section ranged from antique metalwork to ephemera. One vendor attracting a lot of attention was My Mother's Buttons, jewelry crafted from antique buttons and other vintage items.
California Bespoke was a special curated gallery exhibit showcasing the work of California-based designers and artisans. The objects on display ranged from one-of-a-kind handcrafted home accessories and furnishings to jewelry and stationery goods to surf boards - all representative of a lifestyle, look or attitude associated with California. The display was designed to provide inspiration and highlight some of the best of California design.
Overall business was reported to be good. Mickey Lang at California Marketing Associates reported that the showroom had seen good traffic and that sales would probably exceed those of a year ago. Joanne Rackow of Joanne & Company also reported a busy showroom and good business.
At the LA Mart, Two's Company celebrated its newly redesigned showroom with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a champagne toast.
Fun for the Young
There were plenty of offerings wooing the buyer seeking fun and imaginative products for the young and the young-at-heart. Animails from Marky Sparky Toys provide a very different way to send a message and a gift to someone; the sender writes a message and address directly on the colorful plastic animal figures, applies postage and drops it in the mail — no box or envelope needed. It takes under $3 in postage to mail.
Piggy Wiggies
If you think that there can't be anything new in plush, think again. There were upscale, sophisticated kittens from Hannahs Kittens made from soft, faux fur that feels so real you can't stop petting it; charming handmade, collectible Piggy Wiggies with button noses and patterned ears; singing animated critters from Cuddle Barn; and NuttiPetz, two species imaginatively combined into one new animal, such as the Frohog (frog and pig combination) and the Batguin (a bat and penguin).
Little girls love tea parties, whether pretend or real. The Storybook Tea Kit Company provides "The Tea to Imagination" — a tea party in a storybook box. The kit is based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and has an anti-bullying message as well.
Looking for room decor and children's bedding? The collections from The Little Acorn are fresh, and will grow with the child. The Best Friends Collection of whimsical pillows, wall art canvases and rugs celebrates multi-culturalism.
Cobra mini remote-controlled race cars that come packaged in soda-style cans are hot items for the guys, young and older. And for retailers, they often mean multiple sales because one car a race does not make.
Kids love to express themselves and their interests with stickers, bag hangers, button pins and other such items. StickieWickies are new, embroidered self-adhesive labels inspired by old time luggage labels. They can be stuck onto backpacks, luggage, denim jackets, notebooks and more.
And speaking of kids expressing themselves, first time exhibitor Skullastic presented a collection of imaginative notebooks that are cool for school. The designs are definitely not for the older generation — they are strictly kid humor and kid-style art. And 10 percent of sales goes to education.
Looking Good, Burning Bright
Personal care is a big category in the California gift market, with natural and organic being the keywords in most lines. 
Odyssey Imports
The Bath Petal Naturals is inspired by aromatherapy traditions. Green Envee Organics seeks out fair trade ingredients. Kelly Teegarden Organics made from all-natural and organic ingredients are formulated by a cancer survivor. And Odyssey Imports imports a luxurious line from Lebanon that includes a selection of beautifully presented gift sets
There were noteworthy boutique candle lines at the show. Nell's Compass is a line launched by Mary Steenburgen and her daughter Lilly McDowell Walton, and named after Lilly's grandmother. The fragrances, inspired by each of the compass points, are intended to light your way. Chilanthropy showcased a line of soy candles with organic denim wicks; the Mexican hot chocolate fragrance smells good enough to eat. Blue Flame Candles are hand-poured soy wax and come in 16 scents.
Do you want the look and fragrance of a candle without the burn? Habersham's Wax Pottery Bowls are as decorative as they are fragrant.
Dressing for Entertaining
Yolka
For dressing up the cook or hostess, Dr. Seuss licensed aprons, oven mitts and chef's toques in adult and children's sizes were a hit from ASD Living, especially for holiday gifting and entertaining, For dressing up the table, Glovables' new At Home Division has introduced a line of colorful reversible oil cloth placemats; and Lenox is wooing specialty retailers with tabletop gifts and entertaining accessories. For dressing up the kitchen message center, Images Dry Erase boards feature write-on canvas art imagery. And Roundabouts are fun wrappers to dress up cupcakes. The Roundabouts booth attracted a crowd with its disembodied chef demonstrating the wrappers.
Sweets for the Sweet Toothed
Looking for something a little different to offer a gourmet sweet tooth? How about luxury chocolate ornaments from Yolka? These elegant black-and-gold foil-wrapped ornaments are made of high quality Belgian chocolate and come with cap, loop and ribbon to hang on a tree. They come beautifully gift boxed in singles or a set of six.
For another sweet treat, there's Ch'up Cakes. They look like a cup cake but are solid Belgian chocolate.
Perfect for holiday and party fun, the Velvet Rope Bake Shop introduced The No-Bake Cake Pop Kit, which comes with cake crumbs, frosting, decorations, accessories and instructions for a fun DIY activity.
Fashion Gems
Jewelry by Viki
Jewelry is a strong category in the California gift market. The Beckman's Handcrafted division had a significant representation of jewelry artisans, including some very striking collections from Jewelry by Viki and Branch.
One direction in jewelry seems to be bronze looks, partly because of the rising price of silver and gold.
Steampunk influences were noted in several jewelry lines, especially the reuse of watch faces and gears as design elements. This was noted at Art My Way and at Dunitz & Company.
Not all jewelry should be serious. Beijo Brasil and Mama's Little Babies create whimsical pieces out of old-fashioned illustrations, while Olive Bites recycles wine corks into necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
This and That
In Atlanta, we noted the trend of oversized wall clocks as a growing direction in home decor. A&B Home may be taking a different tack with old-fashioned time tellers — hour glasses. They are a best selling decorative accessory.
Pet gifts were not forgotten at the show. After all, this is California where pooches are as much a fashion accessory as they are a family member. Papaya Pascal presented a stylish collection of collection of hemp collars adorned with bow ties or flowers made from recycled leather. Dura Doggie Design introduced its recyclable rubber 
Dura Doggie Design
dog toys in two sizes and four colors. Each color represents a specific charity that 20 percent of sales goes to support.
Deuxglass
If you are looking to add a greeting card line, Deuxglass greeted and blank cards feature watercolor florals on bamboo paper that have a three-dimensional look; the flowers practically pop off the paper.
Of course, California has been at the recycling forefront, so what better place to find a new collection of glassware made from recycled wine bottles. Refresh Glass offers tumblers in 12-oz. and 16-oz. sizes. They come in sets of four glasses.
Speaking of recycling, Dunitz & Co. debuted the O.Byron line of handbags and totes made from recycled innertubes. And Aspen Bay's Fairfax & King candles come in recycled glass containers.
The Calfornia Gift Show has made a good start at rebuilding itself to regain its prominence on the West Coast. The booth and the showrooms were filled with California style and hospitality that should keep buyers coming back for more.
I have been attending the California Gift Show for over twenty five years as a manufacturer and as an independent sales rep. I can't beleive what the show has become.....there are very few booths and very basic, the one remaining hall was maybe a quarter full and there was hardly any traffic. The only people were in Kentia but these attendees are buying for themselves and not who a manufacturer is looking for. The people putting on this show must do something drastic to bring both attendees and manufacturers back or close the show....the only word is tragic. There are no great shows in the West so there is no real competition..do something.
Susan Lowenstein - 2011-07-28 20:43:59 EDTSo glad to hear that California Gift Show is coming back strong. Sorry I couldn't make it this year...it's always a fun show. Thanks for the thorough detail!
Millie Szerman - 2011-07-28 17:35:15 EDT-
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