Handcrafted LA will bring artisanal marketplace to The Bloc

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jun 30, 2017

The $250-million-dollar makeover of Downtown LA's mall called The Bloc continues with the addition of an upcoming artisanal marketplace boutique modeled after festival markets.

Handcrafted LA will house 15 booths that are available to LA-based designers. It will occupy a 3,600-square-foot space that will include a live DJ spinning. Boutique walls will be white and clean. The space will play off of the new open air experience at The Bloc.

Brands can rent space in the marketplace in thirty day increments. The requirement is the goods sold must be limited edition or one of a kind.

Designers do not have to man their booths like a traditional market. Rent is approximately $300 to $500 a month with Handcrafted LA receiving 20 percent of sales. Included in the fee is sales representation by Handcrafted LA's employees.

The vision is for there to constantly be movement. Founders Phillip and Shelly Dane hope this will drive interest to see who currently is at the marketplace. The boutique will be like a retail incubator for brands wanting to try a pop up shop in Downtown LA.

“It will constantly be revolving with new tenants,” says Phillip Dane.

The footprint is adjacent to The Bloc's corporate towers where both Nordstrom's HauteLook and Farfetch are tenants.

The Bloc is the modernized version of Downtown LA's old Macy's Plaza. Attached to the retail destination is the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles hotel. The Handcrafted LA marketplace will also be a short walk from the light rail stop which will generate additional foot traffic.

The first tenant has already signed up. Dean Leather is a leather goods and furniture brand who operates a brick and mortar store in Silver Lake.

Handcrafted LA is scheduled to officially open August 15.