An indie artisan movement is burgeoning in Brooklyn, and two entrepreneurs are doing their part with new ways to champion hand-crafted stuff.
This weekend, the Fact and Fancy Gallery will open in Boerum Hill, and on Nov. 22, the Bedford Avenue Flea Market will open along the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill.
“I opened this gallery to support my friends and colleagues in the indie handmade movement, which is really blowing up right now,” said Fact and Fancy owner Danielle Maveal (pictured).
Everything in the store is handmade, from the earrings and clothes to the trompe l’oeil floor. Maveal had it painted to resemble wooden beams, complete with knots and detailing.
“I really want to encourage people to buy handmade and support local, independent businesses,” she said of the venue, which is at 75b Hoyt Street near Atlantic Avenue.
Similarly, Bedford Avenue Flea organizer Christine Pettway said she wanted to showcase local artists and designers. She found a perfect space in an old collision shop at the corner of Bedford and Lafayette avenue, and mapped out a plan for 30 vendors each weekend.
“I like vintage, but that’s what people are used to getting [at flea markets]. I think people want something a little different sometimes,” she said. “Hopefully, I will surprise them.”
But the emphasis is on quality products, and Pettway has enlisted clothing designers of all ranges, and jewelers, all with original designs, and vintage furniture dealers and vendors.
“My number one thing is quality products,” Pettway said. “Whether it’s branded, unbranded, new designers, handmade or not handmade, it will be very quality products. That’s the backbone of what I’m trying to do.”
Bedford Avenue Flea Market (999 Bedford Ave., at Lafayette Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant). Friday–Sunday starting Nov. 22. Hours to be determined. For info, visit bedfordfleamarket.com. Fact & Fancy Gallery (75b Hoyt St., near Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill). Tuesday–Sunday, noon to 7 pm. For info, visit factandfancy.blogspot.com.
