Folasade Adeoso & Sasha Payton's Unconventional Pop-Up Shop Spotlights Emerging Artists For Free

When embarking on their month-long pop-up shop Open Space Studios, young designers Folasade Adeoso (of 1953 Collection) and Sasha Payton (of Black Box Jewelry) made sure that the artist came first. That meant no vendor fees, for one.

"We know the struggle of paying for your own materials, making your own product, and doing the marketing and everything else by yourself," said Sasha in a press release. "We understand that it’s hard."

This past month, a series of events, panels and workshops took place throughout the minimal Lower East Side storefront, which doubled as both a retail and rotating gallery space.

Simple wooden tables and rustic crates served as the display area for most of the artisanal goods: all natural goats milk soap made in Harlem, New York; apparel designed from handpicked Nigerian wax fabrics; one-of-a kind, handmade leather bags and much more. Multimedia artist Justin J., photographers Brittsense and Tari Wariebi and painter Marcus Leslie also contributed by holding art installations and exhibitions in the space.

Moving forward, Adeoso and Payton aim to take this concept globally.

"If we can show the world that there is a home for any well deserving, emerging creative, how amazing would that be?" Payton said in an interview with KazzleDazz. "The idea of this platform being “pop-up” style will allow us to move the shop to different cities in the future.”

For more information on Open Space Studios, head to the website and follow up on future projects on the Open Space Studios Instagram and Twitter accounts.