LOTA's Holiday Gift Guide

Handpicked treasures from our design community

If you are like me, then this week has likely felt like a bombardment of sales, consuming, contemplating, and a whole lot of noise.

While I don’t want to add to the chaos, it is the season of gifts and more importantly a time when lots of small businesses need our love the most. Notably, half of the small businesses in the US make 25% of their annual revenue from Holiday shopping.

For this gift guide, I tapped some of the artists and designers featured on LOTA for their favorites and mixed in some of mine. Everything on here is from small businesses (and under $500). Hope you find some inspiration and knock a few things off your list!

Clothing and Accessories

Top Row

• Petal Studs ($260) and Lychee Hoops ($148) by OMA - These sculptural delights are made by Filipina-American designer, Heather David in Queens, NY. The Lychee hoops are cast from the skin of the fruit and available in sterling silver (gold is sold out!) (c/o Isabella Cura)

• Phool ko Mala Earrings by NeNepal, $66 - The garland of flowers is symbolizes purity, love, and beauty and is handcrafted by Nepalese artisans.

• Spiral Hair Pin by Fixed Air, $95 - Tania Enriquez is an LA based artist who focuses on hand-foraged metal jewelry and objects. Most items are made to order (c/o Lena Wells)

Bottom Row

• Pencil stripe lounge sets (Mugho Top and Hawthorn Shorts in Tomato) by LWN, on sale $156-$188 (regular: $196-$236) - The perfect sets for lounging during the Holidays and still feeling put together. LWN’s clothes are easy unisex basics with a strong commitment to sustainability (Editors note: I lived in my Mugho top during our Thanksgiving trip and plan to get the shorts).

• Tie-dye totes in four styles: Parliament House, Staircase, Sunshine 2.0, Sunshine by Chop YAM, $85: Natural indigo denim totes dyed at 700 year old dye pits in Kano, Nigeria-the oldest indigo dye pits in Africa.

• Kurta, Not A Tunic Top by the other, $275: Modern take on a classic Indian menswear staple, the kurta. Made in drapey Chanderi silk-like fabric its perfect for Holiday dressing. Also, love their lookbook shot in classic Indian stores like Sari shops and Indian grocery stores. (c/o artist, Ragni Agarwal)

• Semila Bota by Balleen, $450: Found and fell in love with this brand while shopping in Oaxaca. Balleen is a family-owned Columbian accessories brand that fuses modern aesthetics with local craft and materials.

• TRS Pendleton Patched Jacket by This Repair Shop, $340: Founded by Oanh Doan, This Repair Shop features clothes that she gives a second life and vintage goods. Lots of great things on the site from blanket jackets to cozy sweatshirts.

Art

Top Row

• Estudio para un incendio III (original, 18h x 13w cm on wood) by Gonzalo Garcia, $200: From Puebla, Mexico, Garcia now lives and works in CDMX. This piece and two others in this guide are from Trastienda Machete, an art gallery in CDMX that focuses on emerging Latin artists I visited last year.

• Lejos, la noche de otro tiempo (original, 30h x 40w cm) by Mariana Paniagua, $300: Mexican artist Paniagua’s work seeks to “bridge the gap between youthful imagination and mature expression”. Her work can also be purchased from Trastienda Machete.

• Artist ABC Print (11x17 in) by Mary Lai, $75: Perfect piece for art-loving family’s home by artist Mary Lai. Learn the ABCs and about iconic art from Van Gogh to Basquiat.

Bottom Row

• Rise Art Up Print (various sizes) by Ragni Agarwal, $78-$228: Pop art print by Ragni Agarwal that encourages us to embrace who we are and take the space we deserve.

• Nesting (original, 56h x 76w cm) by Sofia Ortiz, $500: Through watercolors on paper Sofia Ortiz’s examines the interplay between the natural and artificial worlds. The goal of her work is to “rethink our perception of the natural world and embrace diverse perspectives”. Available through Trastienda Machete.

Clockwise from far left:

• Forti Lessons (9 x 9.5 in, thread on canvas) and Pit (9 x 12 in, thread on fabric) by Kristen Huizar, $475 each (DM to purchase): Kristen Huizar is a art student at CSU Long Beach. Huizar grew up in Commerce, CA and is inspired by Latin American feminist art, current events, and the city of LA. (c/o Estefania Ajcip)

• Above the Fireplace (12 x 24 in, oil on canvas), $400 and Forgotten Spaces (10 x 10 in, oil on wood panel), $300 by Sarah Brown (Contact on website to purchase): Sarah Brown’s work offers an intimate look at the spaces and environment around her. Each image is captures narrative layers that hold meaning for both Brown and illicit emotions from viewers alike. (c/o Estefania Ajcip)

• Cartas a Papi (“Letters to Dad”) Print (12 x 9 in), $25 by Estefania Ajcip (DM to purchase): Mixed Media Guatemalan-American artist Estefania Ajcip’s work focused on the sacrifices and love that ties immigrant families who are separated. Cartas a Papi is at the heart of her own story with her father.

Home, etc.

Top Row

• Turquoise Ceramic Bird Feeder / Wall Hanging by VEQceramics, $200: LA-based Latina artist, Vanessa Estes Quintero, make contemporary ceramics that are deeply rooted in her Mexican heritage. (c/o Emily Morton)

• Incense Holder, $36, and Mug, $66 by Sanctuary Ceramics: Founded by Emily Morton, Sanctuary Ceramics is a love letter to the high desert in California. Morton’s beautiful ceramics are inspired equally by the structure of a grid and natural sandy hues around her.

• My Dear Comrades by Sunu P. Chandy, $17.95: South Asian poet, Sunu P. Chandy’s book poetry focuses on her experiences as a woman, civil rights attorney, parent, partner, daughter, and member of the LGBTQ community. Her work serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. (c/o Ragni Agarwal)

• Disco Throw in Night (and Cherry) by AMA, $388: AMA is Lena Wells’ textile brand. Wells brings all her mastery of fabrics to blankets that are warm and buttery soft, made from Extrafine Merino yarns from one of Scoland’s oldest mills.

• Nima Cushion (Black Ziggy, Orchid Ziggy, Black Spray Dot) by LWN, $124-$168: When I interviewed Lena Wells of LWN, she had shared how she had become obsessed with out unsustainable all dog beds were. She was on a mission to make them better, and she did.

Bottom Row

• Velvet Vortex Phase 1 Candle by Velvet Vortex, $38: Described as “Recall a warm fire under a canopy of stars and enjoy a moment of self-love. This beautiful blend is your reminder that we’re all looking up at the same sky”. Consider me sold. (c/o Emily Morton)

• Nalini Stemware (Red Wine, White Wine, Champagne Flute) by LoQ, $26-30 each: Designed by LoQ, a LA-based footwear brand, this playful stemware is a fun addition to any table. The stemware is handblown in Himachal Pradesh, India where one of the founders, Keren Longkumer is from. (Editor’s note: Also love their shoes. A personal favorite and the best quality).

• Truffles by Valerie Confections, $22: Co-founder Valerie Gordon, recently posted on Instagram about how tough the current climate is - this is an easy way to show your support and share a delicious treat to boot. (c/o Lena Wells)

• Books or Swag from Now Serving, $30-58: Now Serving is cookbook and culinary store in LA. Another small business to support and expand your cooking horizons with Sohn-Mat (Korean), Maydan (Lebanon and Beyond), or For the Culture (Black Women and Femmes in Hospitality). And if all else fails, get them a cute sweatshirt. (c/o Lena Wells)

Hope you found something for someone you love, even if it’s just for yourself.

Thanks for supporting all the artists, designers, and creators out there.