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Made-in-America pop-up Equilux to open at Shelter Half

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Shelter Half, the made-in-the-U.S.A. arts, crafts and design marketplace on La Brea, will get a dose of feminine energy beginning Saturday with a new assortment of jewelry, accessories and home decor items by artists from around the country.

It’s the kickoff of a week-long pop-up shop called Equilux, curated by Micha Thomas, founder of the Made In America Project.

You’ll find chevron amulet necklaces by Austin, Texas-based jewelry designer Margot Wolf, ceramic hoop vessels by L.A.’s Ben Medansky, pleated leather bucket bags, backpacks and harnesses by Brooklyn’s Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, western-looking felt hats by Los Angeles-based Gladys Tamez and much more.

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Thomas, who has a background in PR and marketing, founded the Made In America (MiA) Project in 2012, spending months building a database 1,000 names long of designers producing items in the U.S., including woodworkers, ceramists, men’s and women’s designers.

“We know through statistics and adjacent movements like farm-to-table and locavorism that more and more, people want to know what their purchases are made of, what economies they’re fueling, and who is the person behind the creation,” she says. “We hope to connect consumers … and designers through our content, our events and eventually an e-commerce store.”

A contributor to websites such as Elle.com and HighSnobiety.com, Thomas met Shelter Half owner Davide Berruto through her work as a writer.

“He was open to having an event at his space once the MiA Project was launched. A few weeks prior to somewhat quietly putting the website live in early September, I took him up on that,” she says. “I had a vision that his beautiful, somewhat masculine and rugged 3,000-square-foot space could be subtly augmented for a brief time with a bit of a more feminine touch, but also complementary lines from designers, makers and apothecary companies that aren’t currently featured there.”

Prices at the Equilux pop-up start at $5 for local edible goodies such as jams and candies, and go up to $1,500 for higher-end leather items.

Equilux opening event noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Shelter Half, 161 N. La Brea, Los Angeles.

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booth.moore@latimes.com

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