A far cry from hibernation, the Brooklyn Flea has moved indoors for the winter, into the majestic home of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank, where the gourmet snack carts abound, the melodic sounds of Sigur Ros and Nina Simone echo through the three floors, and the vendors’ booths create a maze through heaven! We stopped in this weekend, braving the arctic gusts, and found two designers who we really loved that we wanted to share with you:
Artisan Emporia works with artisans from all over the world to import a collection of really cool accessories with Fair Trade standards. The bags that were shown at the BK Flea looked like the perfect everything-bag for day-to-day – we even spotted one on one of the customers! We especially liked the Hobo Bag, and if you click on it you’ll see the kind of detail and care that these guys put into transparency:
showing you where and how the bag was made by Myan women. Case in point, there’s our new friend David from Artisan Emporia about to show us the 2010 collection on his Blackberry. All of their fabrics are made from 100% biodegradable and earth friendly materials, and up close they are really detailed and well made. At $60 they’re worth every penny.
Species by the Thousands (left) stands out from your average silkscreened t’s (with which the BK Flea is teeming). 
They’ve got a kind of antiquated bad-ass-edness that we really enjoy. The sweatshirts looked dangerously comfortable, potentially an item that we would wear every day, all day. Tops and jewelry by Species by the Thousands are available online at Supermarket.
And from a.s.i.s., we love these cool reclaimed silk shirts (right) in a vibrant rainbow of colors, perfect for work or play. How could you turn down the opportunity to wear silk you can feel good about? These are from a.s.i.s’s new collection, and will be up for sale on their site soon!
