We invited Melanie of Brooklyn boutique ai ai gasa to be our Featured Buyer this week. We got our wish and her wish for snow came true too! Below you'll find some of her favorite items. Let us know who your favorite local boutique proprietor is!

It's holiday time and nothing gives me the giggles like Christmas. You can find me giggling at my Park Slope shop, ai ai gasa,  every day of the week, tending to the business of selling clothing from local designers and designing my own brand of sustainable clothing from recycled umbrellas (find me under aiaigasa).  As fate would have it, I don't have time to shop myself, so Etsy has been my perfect little answer to finding local, handmade goodies.  Keeping in line with the ascetic of the shop, I have selected all New York designers with a Japanese edge. Most of these you can find in the shop!


Earrings by wabisabibrooklyn. Yay! to taking a nearly obsolete object and making it so delicately scrumptious!  I want to wear these to double my luck or give them away as my two cents.

 
ikyoto. Ok.  I love this tie so much it is making me sick.  I can't stop thinking about this tie.  I want to marry this tie.

oktak. The perfect little Japanese prints and shape of these cute little change purses tickle my innards.  They are almost edible.

betterthanjam. There are never enough pockets in the world.  Where can you put your found objects, ticky-tacky, and lip gloss?  If you find yourself lacking, here is your answer!  The most amazing little perfect marriage between functionality and style.

PresenceofColor. Mmmhmm.  I love the off-kilter, uber-whimsical, unfettered style of this little bowl.   I can feel its super powers.  I imagine a whole set of these filled with bon bons, sugar plums and licorice twists at my next sample sale (see upcoming listings on our site…always a blast).

  Cutecumber. I truly believe if we all rally together and wear these that we could eek at least one snowflake out of the sky.  Please.  I want snow so badly I keep dreaming of sledding on gravel....Oh, wait. Hey, I think it's working!

substation. Cute, whimsical, AND charitable.  What stock for holiday cheer giving!!!

EternalSunshine. Ho ho ho ho ho hold on a minute!  What a find!  These are the cutest little amigurumi guys!  Buy a bunch and pass them down to your kids!


pinkytoast. I am a sucker for a good kit.  Always a fun way to put your own stamp on someone else's idea.  This one requires you to use your own polyfil…we like to use old Kleenex. This time of year, you are sure to have some lying around.

For New York locals, stop by ai ai gasa and say hi: 274 5th Avenue, (between 1st and Garfield) Brooklyn 718.369.GASA  www.aiaigasa.com. For more Brooklyn-based Etsy sellers, check out this post from our new Shop Local series.

Have a favorite boutique in your area and think the proprietor would make a good Featured Buyer? Comment below!