@labmpls & The Collective

Do you have a store you frequent where you walk in and feel like you found yourself?  Something about the aesthetic, the craftsmanship of the merchandise, the colors, aromas, materials and textures makes browsing the aisles feel like an extraction of your soul?  I do - my happy place.  A place I go just to find myself, recalibrate my vision, be amongst others who appreciate the environment as much as I do.  I would use this same analogy to introduce you to LAB Minneapolis.

If you aren't familiar with LAB yet, think of it as the basis of that happy place defined above.  An environment filled with all the aromas, textures, light and space to gather amongst others with complimentary passions.  Within their charmed, character packed space they offer creative workshops ranging from calligraphy to flower arranging to cocktail mixing and watercolors.  These (and many other) creative labs are lead by innovators in their category, those actively working in and perfecting their craft.  By gathering amongst like-minded creatives, a natural networking environment is created.  Connections are made, relationships are formed, collaborations are born.  LAB is a breeding ground for creativity to grow.

Likewise, LAB offers workshops for businesses.  Imagine your new brand was just recently launched into the world.  Desperately looking to feed your brand the fuel it needs, you look for the resources to execute - on building your website, on social media, on search engine optimization.  Enter LAB for Business and their artillery of industry experts.  Gather amongst others navigating similar challenges and establish connections to enable a network of communication and growth.  LAB for Business is designed to offer support and connection for those looking to gain knowledge and confidence in different areas of business.

Each year, LAB puts on an event called The Collective.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know this was the perfect reason to book a babysitter in the middle of a long Saturday with my husband gone at work.  I headed down to their space adjacent to Loring Park with one of my girlfriends to check out their event and see what all the hype was about.

The Collective is a sort of makers marketplace, a collection of artisans selling their thoughtfully crafted goods.  It feels different than your average pop-up, more refined and more tailored - it's as if they held an audition to applicants and only kept the best.  The breadth of the vendors is deep ranging from local cold press juices to cruelty free, sustainable vegan leather clutches.  There's an energy in the space - whether it was brought on by the music fluting the airways, the breeze from the open garage door style windows or the mid-day crafted cocktails being poured, there was an unmistakable cool vibe going on.

Collective goers ranged from fellow creative types to Instagrammers to your average John Doe - I ran into my son's preschool director while simultaneously watching one of my favorite artists painting live.  While attendees came in every variety, it was an easy and approachable crowd sharing a common appreciation for the goods at hand.

( Minny & Paul )

( Kisa Boutique )

( Punchy Magnolia )

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the Loring Social is LAB Headquarters where LAB for Business was hosting speaker sessions.  The schedule of presenters was posted on the LAB website prior to The Collective making it simple to browse the options, check out their websites and reserve your free seat (some of which sold out).  Presenters covered a variety of topics from small business basics to personal branding and even Kate O'Hara's journey to launching the artisan rug line Fay + Belle.

( image via )

The speaker series offered a great introduction to delving in deeper with LAB for Business.  An opportunity to really gain traction through others experience and know-how.  You can view the full line up of speakers here.

A highlight of The Collective for me was most definitely seeing Ashley Mary painting live.  Being the abstract art lover that I am, I have been a long time follower of her work.  I found myself unintentionally gravitating toward her corner of the room, drawn by the vibrant colors and graphic nature of her originals that collaged the wall.

She was a natural at mixing with the crowd while simultaneously mixing colors on a large canvas that she said was the underlayment for one of her signature noodle pieces.  Her work commanded attention, which was made apparent by the number of mobile devices capturing her in her element.

You can see more of Ashley's energetic and playful pieces here on her website.  While you're there, check out her recent textile collaboration with Minny & Paul and her Design Sponge feature under her News tab.

For a full list of the artisans that made up The Collective, you can check out this link here.  Make note of the imagery styled by LAB and how nicely the variety of products sit on the page.  Like the event itself, no detail is left undone.

It would be impossible to pick a favorite vendor, but if I had to narrow it down to a few, here are mine.

Foldover clutches by Lauren Ericka Designs.

I'm adding this one to my cart as we speak.

Felt goods by Byrd & Belle.  These succulent cozies were particularly charming.

And these carrying cases

These painted hexagon cement coasters by True Ethic.  Obsessed.

I'm not a huge jewelry person but wow, did Koonyai Studio command my attention.  I must be on a concrete kick because I can't get enough of their designs.  Love the look of this necklace and these minimalist earrings.

Where do I go to find myself you ask?  I go to Anthropologie.  The visual merchandising, the fragrant candles, the vintage style fixtures, the color palette, rustic floors, paint colors, merchandise styling - if you looked at the core of my being, I hope the Anthropologie catalog would be sitting there.  When I'm there, my curiosity is piqued - who are these fellow patrons that appreciate the aesthetic as much as I do?  Who are these people who have chosen Anthropologie as their career path, literally dedicating a portion of their life to it?  I want to know them, I want them to style outfits for me, I want to know their opinion on sheer vs opaque tights because I believe a common thread is woven between us - a mutual appreciation.  So explore LAB to find your people, to discover common threads, to weave together friendships and spin collaborations.  So much possibility just by walking through the door.