The Gifting Edition of the Boutique Fairs returned to the F1 Pit Building from the 25th of November till the 27th of November 2022. Founded in 2002, Boutiques Fairs is a twice-yearly shopping event that brings together over 240 design-forward brands that prioritize originality and social responsibility. The Social Space has always been part of the Boutique Fairs since our inception and after a two-year-long hiatus due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to finally be BACK at the Boutique Fairs!
To kick start the Christmas season, we unveiled our theme “Shop Small, Give Big” for the first time at the Boutique Fairs. Aligning with our social mission, our aim was to encourage our community to be more conscious about their purchasing decisions while shopping for gifts. The choice of gifting products offered at our booth were all specially selected with the goal of inspiring our customers to ‘give big’ and spread positive impact and awareness for various social causes. To cater to customers of all ages, we curated products across different local brands who all committed to giving back to a particular cause. Certainly, there was something for everyone to discover at our booth at the Boutique Fairs.
To get everyone into the festive mood, the entrance of our space featured a Foldable wooden Christmas Tree by Studio BTY and beaded ornaments from Sauyunan Handicrafts. The ornaments are hand-crafted by women in the rural villages of Java, Indonesia as part of a skills development programme, and they were undoubtedly one of our hot favourites as they livened up the atmosphere to kick start the Christmas season.
Next, specially made and targeted at our younger customers (and the young at heart), we had a section featuring the Awesome Women Series and Doodle Dat. The Awesome Women Series book sets shines the spotlight on female role models and their success traits to inspire our children and Doodle Dat was created to provide kids with an entertaining activity while learning about the importance of reducing waste. We love that every purchase of the Awesome Women Series book sets contributed towards abolishing worldwide illetracy through Room to Read, and given how interesting and meaningful these products are, they were the top choice when it came to choosing a gift for the kids.
From teak boards to bamboo plates, all of the products from Seascape Artworks & Yenidraws encapsulate the artist’s passion in bringing art to life. The uniqueness of every piece of artwork adds a touch of beauty to your home, embellishing your cosy place with a sense of vibrancy.
Also, in an effort to give back through their art, both artists' have committed to contributing a percentage of proceeds towards OceansAsia, a marine conservation organization and and Share the Meal, a World Food Programme by the United Nations respectively.
Kids, Homeware…, what about lifestyle products? Featuring our favourite sustainable footwear made from recycled tires saved from the landfills in Indonesia, Indosole’s stylish but comfortable designs made them stand out from the crowd. Other than footwear, we also featured hand-bound journals made by artists with disabilities from the SPD Artisan Collab. With much effort placed into creating every artisanal journal, they would make a wonderful gift for your loved ones or even corporate partners.
A crowd favourite - our WWF plush toy keychains featuring various endangered wildlife were also available for customers looking for smaller gift ideas. These plush toy keychains are made sustainably and of the highest quality, and they have surely managed to catch the eyes of many children and adults at the fair!
The Social Space Plantable Gift Cards also made its first debut at the Boutique Fairs. Made ethically from 100% biodegradable plantable paper, these gift card covers are made to be given a second life. After the gift card is redeemed, your recipient will be able to plant the card covers into Holy Basil herbs to be enjoyed for years to come - truly a gift that keeps on giving. Don’t worry if you missed them as you can check them out on our website here.
Manicure bar by The Nail Social
In the hustle and bustle of the event, our friends from The Nail Social were also on site to provide a self-care respite in the midst of shopping. Offering on-the-spot express manicure services with a wide selection of non-toxic nail polish colours available, it was the perfect opportunity for our customers to get into the festive mood with brightly coloured nails. Even the little ones joined in the fun with their little miss pampering services!
Psst, looking to give the gift of self-care this Christmas - The Nail Social even sells gift cards online that can either be posted or e-mailed direct to your recipient. Check it out here!
Nav fro Doodle Dat, Priscilla from Awesome Women Series and Yeni from Yenidraws working alongside our team
All smiles from Potira from Seascape, Jen from Indosole and Yeni from Yenidraws on our last day
Lastly, we would also like to give a BIG shout-out to all vendors working alongside us throughout the event. This was a golden opportunity for our customers to meet and greet the artists behind these brands. Undoubtedly, hearing their stories and inspirations has allowed us to better connect with them.
Fret not if you missed us at “The Gifting Edition 20222” of Boutique Fairs. You can always discover more of these eco- and socially-conscious products either online or in-store at any of our two outlets. Remember to “Shop Small, Give Big” this Christmas Season, and let us work towards creating an economy for good!
See you at the next edition of Boutique Fairs in March 2023!
It's a wrap! Happy (and tired!) faces from The Social Space team as we head back home!
Written by Chan Yu Xuan, Retail & Marketing Intern (Nov 2022)
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