L.A.-based Dapper Day demonstrates its love of vintage clothing with show-stopping pieces to “step out in style.”
BRIMMING WITH PRIDE
Santa Monica Place Brims With Pride
ShongeeIn honor of SaMo PRIDE month, Santa Monica Place opened its second annual Made With Pride Marketplace Pop-up. The boutique kicked off in Santa Monica, Calif., June 2 with a ribbon cutting to showcase 20 handpicked LGBTQIA+-owned brands not normally found in a traditional retail setting.
Hosted in partnership with Streetlet, an opportunity-matching and growth engine for small business owners and makers, the event provides unique products and services with a platform to share their stories, talents and creativity with a wider audience.
This experience means everything to Japan-born Taka Onishi, who created the L.A.-based Onishi. “I wanted to make a silky, breathable underwear line” said Onishi, who uses a blend of modal and spandex. The inside label reads, “Have a nice day, sexy.”
Creating L.A.-based Fab Hatters was life changing for owner Fang, whose doctors had told her that she was going blind. Fang then took a trip around the world, stapled and glued souvenirs to her hat, and after receiving so many compliments created a whimsical line of unconventional fascinator hats inspired by drag queens and pop surrealism. “If it wasn’t for drag and drag queens, my life would be completely different. Who knows, I might still be blind,” said Fang, whose profits paid for nine experimental eye surgeries. Celebrities such as Katy Perry and Royalty are known to wear Fab Hatters.
Zimbabwe-born Shongee blended her love of Barbie with her African roots to design a whole unisex look from clothing to hand-beaded, weighted hats, jewelry and eyewear. “I feel comfort is confidence, and everyone should feel as comfortable and unique as they are,” said Shongee.
L.A.-based Dapper Day demonstrates its love of vintage clothing with show-stopping pieces to “step out in style.” “It’s uplifting to be part of something that’s so visual because they’re [Santa Monica Place] not afraid to put us on display,” said Dapper Day designer Shawn Rios, whose pronouns are They, Them.
The Pride Marketplace Pop-up will be open each Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June.
