Lady LUX

‘Tis the season to shop – and give back! Since its launch in December 2008, UNIQUE LA has quickly become the largest independent design show in the US. Community leader and designer Sonja Rasula created the event with the goal to bring local-made design and art to the masses while supporting the US economy and small businesses. “My goals are to help designers and small businesses grow and become sustainable, to support the local economy, and to teach shoppers the value of consumerism,” she said in a statement.

This year’s Los Angeles holiday extravaganza takes place on the weekend of December 1-2 at The California Market Center’s Penthouse. UNIQUE LA’s hundreds of hand-selected designers and artists featuring men’s and women’s clothing, art, toys, pet accessories, beauty products, home décor and more will draw in over 20,000 attendees during the two-day event. Participating vendors include Wrk-Shp, Ninjabot, Hardcouture, All Spice Café and many others. Guests will get the opportunity to meet the designers and are expected to spend over $1.5 million over the weekend.

Tickets for the holiday show are available at the door for $10 or can be purchased online. Admission to the 5th annual show includes an exclusive UNIQUE LA tote designed by artist Brian Rea for the first 5,000 people each day, unlimited re-entry, the UNIQUE directory and mini-magazine, free cocktails from Art in the Age, DIY workshops and crafts from Marisa Lynch, and free photo booth portraits.

Nurturing the community and using the show to create awareness of local community groups has also been a key component to UNIQUE LA. Each year, the show donates 10% of ticket sales to an organization, totaling nearly $30,000 thus far. A portion of ticket sales this year will benefit the downtown Los Angeles non-profit organization, Inner-City Arts.

UNIQUE shows are currently also available in New York City and San Francisco and have plans to expand to more cities in 2013.

Please visit here to learn more about UNIQUE LA.

Tagged in: causes, new york city, sustainability, holiday, holiday 2012, events, philanthropy, los angeles, san francisco, unique la, sonja rasula, california market center, inner-city arts,