Website:  One Of A Kind Show 

Crafts made by hand and in small amounts or one of a kind are usually more special than those that are machine made and mass produced for the market.  The boutiques and shops operated by an individual or family which makes specific lines can be successful with regular customers who appreciate the limited number and special attention directly from the crafts person.  Big department stores with salespeople are the opposite end of retail experience.  The One Of A Kind exhibition showcases the products of the local Canadian-based craftspeople together under one roof.  This makes it easier for shoppers to see who the designer craftsperson is and to see many of them in one building.  Christmas is the often the busiest holiday for gift buying so this event is well-timed for the season.  From jewelery, clothing, household products, glassware, gourmet food items, wood carvings, lighting, games, puppets, fashion hats, decorations, bird houses -- there are many items to choose for Christmas gifts.  It is a treat to be able to meet and speak to the designer crafts person directly because in a department store this would be impossible.  Many of them are nice enough to talk and answer questions about their specialty products, offering samples and trying on.  Most probably do have their own shops and boutiques in cities across Canada and some may have other distributors and retailers who sell their products.  The show also has celebrities to talk about shopping like Colin and Justin in Home Heist Style Guide who have a sense of humour and make the audience laugh at shopping and style.  At the opening of the exhibition there was a breakfast party for media to get a sneak peek ahead of the public.  Toronto being the biggest and most cosmopolitan of Canadian cities definitely attracts stylish designers and media to these events.  The average tastes of the consumer can be influenced by both, and designers who made it big often got a lot of publicity for their talents.  There are a lot of talented designer crafts people in this exhibition.  Time and talent will tell which of them become well-known and successful from publicity and the shoppers who pay for good design.  For now, most of the ones who attend are still approachable and this exhibition is the best way to meet them before they become unreachable stars.  Buying these products made by the designers themselves make them more special and even collectable for years to come!