WHAT’S TRENDING AT THE ONE OF A KIND SHOW
Toronto-inspired handmade products and art with a message are all over this year’s event
This year’s One of a Kind Show features more than 450 artisans hawking their handmade goods, from jewelry to furniture. The Star spoke to the show’s director, Patti Stewart, about the big trends coming out of the show — and why everyone loves a broccoli lamp. The show runs from March 23-27 at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place.
Textures
Interesting surfaces distinguish everything from candle holders to vases this year. Stewart said many artists are drawing inspiration from textures you find in nature, such as Vancouver’s Sophia Kim of Sophia Clay Art, who made these ceramic birch tumblers and vases, which range from $22 to $250.
Art with a message Adding a personal touch with a special phrase is something that’s popping up on everything from fashion to home decor, Stewart said. “You can really find a phrase or something that’s really meaningful, especially if you’re giving something like this as a gift,” she said. These printed cotton pillowcases by Toronto’s Karen King of Said the King let your pillows do the talking — standard cases are $55 for a set, king size are $65. 6ix Love Toronto plays a starring role on everything from mugs to pillowcases. Everyone’s favourite Degrassi starturned-rapper Drake makes an appearance in this screen print by Toronto’s Stephanie Cheng. If you’d prefer to hang another Toronto icon on your wall, Jose Bautista doing his bat flip is also available, $25 each. Whimsical It’s quirky pieces that gave the show its name. This broccoli lamp, $199, by Masa Lizdek of Toronto, is just one product people won’t be able to walk by without asking about. “It’s not just about function, it really is about something special and unique and something that you can’t find or can’t see anywhere,” Stewart said. Metallics This concrete clock by dconstruct’s Lisa Pointon-Reico of Winnipeg, $150, is one example of the many products incorporating touches of metallic colours, “whether the entire piece is metallic or whether there are metallic accents from gold to rose gold,” said Stewart. Pastels are also big this year, she added. Concrete The industrial material is found in many surprising places, such as this stool by Your Pal, Al’s Allie Croza of Toronto, $75, which also incorporates the metallic trend. “It’s not just solid concrete. They’ve given it a modern edge by accenting with some gold and some metallic finishes so it’s really quite cool,” said Stewart.