Design Hive

I was recently introduced to this new Boston/Cambridge design project called Design Hive - where local designers go to show their new designs.

It runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 20. at the Maria L. Baldwin School, 28 Sacramento St., Cambridge. For details visit www.designhivemarket.com.

And check out the article from Boston.com for more information on the brainchild of it all!

Creating a buzz for new styles

When Val Fox was in New York last year, she loved frequenting the designers markets that adorn city blocks from SoHo to Brooklyn. She especially relished finding one-of-a-kind pieces from aspiring fashion designers.

"It was just much more interesting than going into H&M and picking out something that everyone else is already wearing," said Fox, 39, an e-commerce marketing consultant from Cambridge. "I know Bostonians would love to have markets like these and we really don't have any, at least not any that are exclusively about fashion and design."

So Fox took matters into her own hands. She dialed up local design schools, including the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the Rhode Island School of Design, and she invited them to help her create a designers market that would transcend the typical shopping experience.

The result is Design Hive, a showcase for aspiring and established designers from all over New England. Held at the Baldwin School in Cambridge every Saturday through Dec. 20, the bazaar will feature DJs and more than 40 vendors selling one-of-kind wares, including modern and vintage clothing, handbags and accessories, jewelry, housewares, and pottery.

"It's not a craft market by any means. About 80 percent of the merchandise is clothing and jewelry that is fashion-forward and edgy," Fox said. "At the same time, it's very grassroots, democratic and accessible."

Her blueprint for the Design Hive was based on The Market, a wildly successful designers' market in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan. Every Saturday since September 2002, The Market has transformed a local gym into a colorful bazaar where talented, yet-to-be discovered designers showcase their latest styles.

"The Market is held in a gym, the Design Hive is in a school cafeteria, so it'll have a similar feel to it," Fox said. "We'll feature about 100 different designers spread over the eight Saturdays that are either unknown or little known. It's really a platform for people who are just getting started in the world of design."

Fox sees it as a great opportunity to catch a rising star early in their career - sort of like seeing U2 at the Paradise before they started selling out arenas. "You could discover the next Luella Bartley or Anya Hindmarch," Fox said. "And you could be among the first to check out their styles before they get picked up and go big box on us."

By KATE M. JACKSON