10 Bay Area Brands to Shop at West Coast Craft
West Coast Craft is back in San Francisco this weekend, and the Bay Area's best makers will be out in full force at Fort Mason for the two-day event.
WCC is hosting more than 275 artists, designers, and small boutiques from June 9-10, but these ten local brands should be on your must-visit list while you're shopping at the fair.
Photo: Arno
The San Francisco and Florence-based handmade leather goods brand doesn't have a brick and mortar outpost in the city, so this is your chance to see the full collection live and in person. Rachel Arnow, the former creative designer at Anyi Lu, and Kristen Vandivier, the former CMO, joined forces with Made PR founder Defne Crowe to create Arno Cooperative, a new footwear line that works with Italian craftsman to bring handmade leather boots to women at a fair price. The line launched last year, and is already a favorite among local bloggers.
Photo: Bathing Culture
We first told you about Bathing Culture in the context of the brand's hilariously enthusiastic reviews, but the product loves up to the hype. If you're new to Bathing Culture, go check 'em out. The guys behind the brand are super-nice and passionate about this wash. For those of you already in the know, bring your empty bottles for refills.
Photo: Freda Salvador
The Freda girls will be out with their mobile shop, Diego the Trailer, and stocked with new summer footwear—have you seen the new Western-inspired and bolo-embellished designs?—as well as those Keen mules that every It-Girl on the planet loves. Founders Cristina Palomo-Nelson and Megan Papay usually accompany Diego on these jaunts, so you can ask them all your burning shoe questions.
Photo: Future Glory
This San Francisco leather goods line has been making waves in the city since its first moto tote, but its hero design these days is the ring handled bag. While a number of shops and websites carry the design, WCC is an opportunity to see all the color and size options in one place. By the way, founder Theresa Lee has been known to launch new designs at design fairs, so you might see something new.
An independent, woman-owned design collective based in the Mission, Gravel & Gold carries everything from boob-printed tops and pillow cases to housewares to the coolest DIY sandal kit you've ever seen. The company just turned ten, so be sure to wish them a happy birthday while you're picking up something fabulous for yourself.
Photo: Jenny Lemons
Jennie Lennick may have her own store in the Mission now, but the hardworking designer made her name at pop-ups like WCC. She'll be bringing her whimsical hand printed textiles to Fort Mason once again this weekend, and you're cheating yourself if you don't walk away with at least one of her pieces.
Photo: Little Paper Planes
Kelly Lynn Jones started Little Paper Planes as an online platform for young artists to share their work, but over the last 14 years, it has grown into a broad-ranging community composed of both artists themselves and the people who love and support their work. Forget about the basic prints and objects you see in every decor photo on Instagram; this is where you shop when you want to bring something original to your space.
Photo: Ubi-Ind Denim
Ulrich "Ubi" Simpson creates the most captivating tablescapes on the craft circuit with his Mi Cocina collection, making a convincing case that denim belongs in the kitchen. The Mi Cocina line includes napkins, placemats, potholders, and knife rolls ($16–$155), but the real highlight is a leather and Selvedge denim apron ($185). Check it out in person at Simpson's booth.
Photo: Wallflower
This Mission-based shop is a reliable sources of sustainable 70s flair, with both vintage and vintage-inspired items. Their Wallflower collection—filled with mix and match sets and all the fringe you could ever want—is designed in-house and ethically made in Los Angeles.
Photo: Welcome Stranger
This booth is a destination for fellas and design buffs alike. While the store in Hayes Valley carries a selection of menswear, accessories, skincare, and decorative objects, the craft fair iteration of Welcome Stranger tends to focus on more gender neutral ceramics, elixirs, and housewares. The wood West Coasters are always a hit.