Pop-up shops come and go in the blink of an eye (as they are wont to do), but some have more staying power than others—like this weekend’s 39 x 43, which is pretty much the queen of all pop-ups, featuring at least a dozen of our favorite local designers and artisans in one place—all Southern, most from right here in Atlanta.
At Shops Around Lenox from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, it’s hosted by Jess Graves (creative director of SAL and blogger behind The Love List) along with vendors Clay Reeves of Clay & Bros. and Brian Francis of Red’s Outfitters.
Graves, the girl-about-town who’s one of our finest local scouts, breaks down the art, clothes, furniture, and food to give us her top five picks of the weekend.
Clay & Bros makes the new outdoor sandals of the moment for the adventure-inclined and their wannabes, using parachute cord and Vibram soles (of barefoot-running fame). Reeves completed his successful Kickstarter campaign today—just in time for spring festival noodling. The shoes involve some fairly complex-looking cat’s cradle-ish wrapping and tying techniques, but afterward they look quite comfy and gladiator-cool. “I’ve never seen anything like them before,” Graves says. And they’re made by hand here in Atlanta.
Among the wares from Mandy Kellogg Rye’s e-commerce site Waiting on Martha will be a Society Social bar cart that Graves has her eye on. “It’s really cute and is a great price point,” she says. Rye runs her site, which includes home items and gifts, out of Atlanta and is hoping to open a brick-and-mortar here this year.
North Carolina–based the Old Try makes Southern-themed prints—on shirts, fine paper, and more. For this event, they’re rolling out a custom T-shirt bearing the historical name of our fine city: Terminus. “I love how all of their products kind of wink at the South,” says Graves.
One of the latest styles from the Atlanta-based sunglasses company, Red’s Outfitters, is “The Carter.” “It’s a new shape—a departure from the classic Wayfarer,” says Graves. Red’s puts out handmade glasses in a wide range of colors, and that classic dog logo isn’t just for cutes—it’s a tribute to the canine companion of one of firm’s founders, who died tragically not long after the company started.
You won’t be able to miss the pop-up art exhibition by local artist Greg Mike and ABV, a gallery and agency known for its murals, branding, and graphic design. Their projects have included music festivals, Terminal West, and Real Skateboards. So yeah, “It’s definitely cool and definitely a little bit ‘street,’” says Graves.
The pop-up also includes wares from fashion bigdog Billy Reid, Tweeds, Morgan Kylee, Oakleaf & Acorn, Andover Trask, and a smattering of things from Taigan, including local jewelry line S. Carter and accessories by A. Barclay. (Also see: food and drink.)
Like we said, it’s got all our favorites, so if you shop one pop-up this spring, make it 43 x 39 or 49 x 34 or 5 x 7 or whatever’s it’s called. (It’s the latitude of the Mason-Dixon line for those who are interested.)
39×43, 3400 Around Lenox Drive, 39×43.tumblr.com