I’ve been a fan of Lindquist Objects from afar for a while now. The line of minimalist and architecturally inspired leather goods is handmade in Rhode Island by a team that prioritizes sustainability and quality. And everyone who works there, from design to operations to customer service, also works on the factory floor. But it wasn’t until I made it into their new retail outpost on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn that I genuinely fell in love. There’s a care and craftsmanship to each piece that you can really see up close—and even more so in speaking to the team.
-VvP
|
|
It wouldn’t be a special edition of High Praise without a good recommendation for kids. And man is the Kidydraw-Mini a good one. I have bought no fewer than 15 of these LCD drawing tablets for my son, his friends, and other random children whose birthday parties we’re somehow seemingly always invited to. The Kidydraw-Mini is not the type of tablet you’re thinking of: there are no screens, no games, no ways to watch TV—nothing of the sort. Instead, it’s an amazing way to get your kids to focus on drawing and keep them occupied in restaurants, on planes, and anywhere else that requires quiet and engaged entertainment. Think of it as a tracing board that can be erased with the push of a button, allowing the kid to keep going and going, no paper or crayons necessary. I highly, highly recommend these as holiday gifts. Your parent friends will thank you.
-DW
|
|
Full disclosure up front: Megan O’Neill, the co-founder and designer of Nayla, is an old friend of mine (whom some of you might remember from this early Conversation). Her new collection of brightly colored fish leather sandals, slides, and mules is inspired by her upbringing in New York as the child of Jamaican immigrants. To meet Megan—or read her writing—is to experience the same effervescence and effortless cool you see in her designs. On top of all that, everything on the site is 30% off (use code ##########). Treat yourself now and you’ll be swanning all summer long.
-VvP
|
|
Does a musician count as a small business? I don’t see why not. After all, people still need to buy records or concert tickets or merchandise to keep them “in business.” So, in a bit of a change from the other recommendations, I’m putting forth an enigmatic soul from Sweden (they’re always from Sweden) whose music has been a soundtrack to my life for years now. Christian Gabel, also known by the moniker of his solo music project, 1900, is not for everyone. He only gets 42,803 monthly listens on Spotify, which is one of the lowest followings I’ve come across on there. Throughout his albums, he weaves together vintage instruments and bits of spoken word recordings to create a warm, fragile, and intentionally grainy quality that plays more like memory than soundtrack. The best way I can describe his music is that it’s like listening to a sepia-toned photograph. There are records you can buy and concerts you can attend in Sweden if you happen to be there or traveling through, but this is one Small Business Saturday highlight that you don’t need to purchase to enjoy.
-DW
|
|
Or at least I think it’s called Odd Eye NYC. (There are no fewer than four different versions of the name—ODDEYENYC, Odd Eye, Odd Eye NYC, ODDEYE—that appear on their website and Instagram.) Whatever it’s called, I love it. It’s truly my favorite vintage store to peruse online, and I’m always delightfully surprised by what they list. Their goods run the gamut from novelty and kitsch to serious design work, and yet somehow there’s a palpable throughline across everything. I’ve put them in High Praise before, but they deserve yet another callout as they keep me coming back year after year.
-DW
|
|
No longer want to receive these emails? Unsubscribe. Gossamer HQ PO Box 310737 615 Clinton Street Brooklyn, New York 11231-9997 |
|
|
|
|
