Gallery • 5 Photos

Lily Kleinhenz

Learning to sew at eight years old by her Grandma, Annie Bisone has always had a passion for sewing and fashion, “All through high school and college, I made all my own clothes and shoes,” said Bisone. Her brand Lala Workshop, stemmed from wanting to create clothing she wasn’t seeing anywhere else. Not only are Bisone’s pieces fashionably unique, but also sustainable, “I reclaim fabric from what's leftover post production from design houses that's high quality. And then with the limited quantities I have I build and construct a fabric,” said Bisone. For over 10 years, Bisone also worked on a gender neutral children’s clothing line, “I kind of had a short little window of time, where I was patterning up for a wider audience because my son was getting older so I didn’t just want to keep making children’s clothes," said Bisone.

The St. Louis Art Fair was another success this year. The 3-day fair which took place in Downtown Clayton on September 9-11th drew in artists from across the country as well as several local artists. The Fair continues to showcase a variety of artists,” [The St. Louis Art Fair is] a top tier show for independent artists. The support from the community as a whole is incredible, from financial support to just their presence. They continue to curate a high level of artwork, so it’s not your typical art fair,” said H.C. Porter is an artist at the fair whose work portrays Mississippi culture in environmental portraits. 

An essential element to the St. Louis Art Fair is the emerging artists. This program gives local artists hoping to learn about the art fair industry a free, two year experience. 2022 is the second year for the current group of emerging artists. Hawra Ahmed, a current emerging artist specializes in painting. “I grew up in a very dry place, so I developed this love for water. Most of my work is influenced by water and the form, color, [and] the purity,” said Ahmed. 

The St. Louis Art Fair offers a variety of different mediums including, ceramics, drawings, fiber arts, glass, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, painting, photography and more! For one local photographer, showcasing his photos at the fair was an experience unlike anything else. Being selected and able to present his work at the St. Louis Art Fair is “like winning a lottery ticket,” said Neil Brown, a St. Louis native.