Vancouver’s First One of a Kind Christmas Show

November 22nd, 2008 | Published in Event Report

Words and Photos by Maria

First kiss, first bike, first love, first word… first One of a Kind show. It is indeed Vancouver’s first time experiencing this event, having started 34 years ago in Toronto. Chicago was next on the hit-list and is in its 9th year of hosting OOAK. Now it’s Vancouver’s turn to host its very own One of a Kind show and since the dates for next year’s show have already been selected, it’s pretty obvious that OOAK is here to stay. Where it has already made its home people have made it a tradition to attend the event, mostly because it’s a great place to find unique items for the home, belly, and loved ones, but also because the experience itself is one of a kind.

“It’s really important to us that visitors get to meet and talk to the people whose work they see at the show,” says vice-president of OOAK, Patti Stewart, who has been on board for 20 years, “It’s a whole different shopping experience. You get to find out a little bit about their inspirations and why they do what they do, so it really does makes for a very unique experience.”

For us West Coasters not only do we get to meet (or re-meet) our local artists, artisans, and designers, we also get to meet a fair amount from other parts of Canada and from the United States. “I’d say 70% are Canadian and 30% are American,” reckons Stewart–all in all over 150 different participants. But not just anyone gets to be a part of the One of a Kind show. OOAKer wannabes have to submit an application which is then carefully assessed by a selection committee.

“Our main objective [when selecting participants] is to find the most talented artisans whose quality is unique to their work and that they’re involved in the design, production… every aspect from start to finish—so nothing is mass-produced,” says Stewart, “We are making sure that we pick the best of the best.”

One of a Kind’s foremost goal is to provide visitors with, you guessed it, a one of a kind experience. They sure do make certain of this by really picking and choosing the most unique individuals to be part of this event. The likes of Fiona Louie of Filou Designs, Sasha Barry of Track and Field, Marcy Ross of Morena Clothing, and Adea Chung of Billy Would are among the local peeps who clearly scored high points with organizers.

Since One of a Kind rounds up creatives from all over Canada and the United States, the West Coast gets the chance to see talent from those faraway lands, something that a lot of our local craft shows do not often provide. But not only do we get to see them, they also get to see us. One of a Kind facilitates artists to attend the shows in Toronto and Chicago, getting them all set up and helping with shipping their goods to the show location. Furthermore, rarely do Americans get to see Canadians in action up close, so OOAK being the biggest consumer craft show in North America has certainly been able to facilitate this.

“[One of a Kind] has been able to take the Canadian brand to the States when very often it’s the other way around,” boasts Stewart, “AND we’ve been able to give Canadian artists a really nice opportunity in Chicago, [something] that they probably wouldn’t have been able to do on their own.” Soon this opportunity will not only be available in Chicago, but also in New York.

Vancouver gets first dibs, though, chosen as One of a Kind’s second Canadian location and launched just one year before New York will in 2009 as its second American location. And why is it that Vancouver was chosen—apart from the obvious: our good looks and charm?

“We feel that Vancouver is a city that is very rich in culture and the arts and also has a very dynamic crafts community,” says Stewart, “With our expertise and with the talent that is here and in the other Western provinces, we felt that this would be a great place to launch another Canadian show. We also feel that there is a level of sophistication with the market here that would really respond to a show like this.”

With the many shows of this kind that have been born in Vancouver over the years, and that have had much success, it is likely that locals will respond to One of a Kind, and in a positive way. Rather than going out to Wal-Mart to purchase products that for all we know could have been made with the sweat and tears of a child in a third-world country, many locals find it’s a good idea to frequent shows like Circle Craft Market, Fab Fair, Portobello West, and Spend on Trend, which let us have a shopping experience that feels more personable and real. In the hectic world that we live in, which sometimes seems more and more detached from human feelings and plagued by negativity, it is nice to be able to exercise the privilege that we have as residents of a first-world country and chose whom we buy from and know who they are. One of a Kind is the latest addition to our roster of ethical events and we welcome it with open arms.

Visit One of a Kind this weekend and get to know designers, artists, artisans, and crafters from all over North America. Make sure to stop by the main stage to see one of the fashion shows, featuring clothing and accessories from all the designers in the event.

BC Place
777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Thursday, 20th- 10:00am – 9:00pm
Friday, 21st- 10:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday, 22nd- 10:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday, 23rd- 10:00am – 6:00pm

Fashion shows this weekend:
Saturday – 12:00pm and 3:00pm
Sunday– 12:00pm and 3:00pm

For more information visit www.oneofakindvancouver.com

Published in Event Report