Whenever I visit my parents I try to make it to the Isemarkt. It is situated underneath the elevated track portion of Hamburg’s U3 subway line. At 970 m it is Europe’s longest outdoor market. Of course you can find gorgeous vegetables and fruit, as well as exotic cheeses, and vanilla bean, and a vendor specializing in every type of brush under the sun, BUT there are also a number of interesting designers to be discovered.
Right up front, I met Ricarda of Ricarda Henning. She specializes in Walkloden, a knit, woolen fabric that has been felted and is traditionally used for alpine style jackets. (Think Sound of Music). She sells loden in 130 different colors and if you stop by her brick-and-mortar store, you can pick up patterns designed specifically for this fabric. In addition to fabrics, you can also find all kinds of interesting notions and ribbons resulting in my first purchase of the day.
Further down the market, I spotted this two-headed giraffe. My mother had sent me a postcard of the giraffe that she had picked up at a neighborhood store, so I was surprised to find myself face-to-face with the original artwork. It/they is the brainchild of Ingrid of little big Moon. Ingrid is a painter and designer. As the mother of two small kids she brings a whimsical sensibility to her work that is reflected in the t-shirts, stuffed animals, and other accessories that she graces with her artwork. You can also find her on DaWanda and Etsy.
Sylvia of Oifloria creates explosions of color with her polymer clay millefiori jewelry. An illustrator by trade, she tries to fit the entire cosmos onto one bead. Her work is just stunning; merely looking at her table put a smile on my face. Luckily I have my pictures and a few of her beads to cheer me up come February.
And these are my new treasures: A fun shirt by little big Moon, beads and a necklace by Oifloria (the necklace already went to its intended recipient who loved it), and trim from Ricarda Henning. I think I may use the trim on a bag – or just keep it in my box because it’s too pretty to cut up.
