Modern Artisan Marketplace sets up shop for the weekend at Platform in Culver City

About 3,000 people are expected for this weekend’s Modern Artisan Marketplace at Platform in Culver City.

By Kavita Daswani

Sept. 29, 2017 2:25 PM PT

An urban bazaar arrives in Los Angeles for two days at the end of September, proffering accessories, fashion, beauty and home products for shoppers wanting an anti-mall experience without sacrificing style.

“It’s not vintage or crafty,” said Diana Ra, co-founder of the Modern Artisan Marketplace, which is set for this weekend at Platform in Culver City. “Everything is elevated in its branding, finishing and production, and it all has a modern quality.” Brands having a presence at the bazaar include Santa Monica-based Lunya, which makes washable silk sleepwear, and Nico Nico, which makes women’s and kids’ clothing. Ra said prices for items among the 50-plus vendors will range from $7 to about $500.

Modern Artisan Marketplace, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 30 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at Platform, 8850 Washington Blvd., Culver City. www.shopthemam.com

Don’t expect delicate stilettos from Los Angeles brand the Office of Angela Scott. The menswear-inspired women’s shoes are more loafers and combat boots than mules and kitten heels. Now, the label will bow its handbag line in October, which embodies the same strong-yet-simple aesthetic of the shoes. You won’t find bling or in-your-face monograms here — just sleek zippered leather pouches, wristlets, backpacks and laptop cases; pieces have tone-on-tone embossing and discreet hardware. Prices range from $135 to $535.

The Office of Angela Scott, theofficeofangelascott.com

Actress and fashion designer Nicole Richie has used Urban Decay makeup since she was 14, and the brand’s Uzi eye shadow a perennial favorite. Now Richie, 36, is the face of the brand’s new Troublemaker mascara, which was recently launched at a party in downtown L.A.’s Arts District.

“The wand does wonders for the lashes,” said Richie, who’s on network television in the NBC show “Great News.” “If you look closely at it, it’s curved in such a way that it grabs the lashes perfectly.”

Richie, founder of the House of Harlow ready-to-wear line, said she felt a kinship with Urban Decay not just because she’s worn the brand for a couple of decades but because it’s “about self-expression and defining beauty for yourself.”

Troublemaker, which the brand says magnifies lash volume, is $24 at www.urbandecay.com.

After setting up global boutiques in the South Kensington area in London and in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Bangkok, Marie France Van Damme is making her U.S. debut with a store — it will be her ninth — at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills.

“Everything I make is for the Los Angeles lifestyle,” said Van Damme, who lives in Hong Kong where she has two stores. “The big houses, pools, people always entertaining, the warm weather. It’s the perfect choice.”

The 460-square-foot space carries a selection from each one of Van Damme’s various categories: resort wear, pieces for day and night and sophisticated travel separates. In addition to her nine freestanding boutiques, her collection sells online and at retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods and Le Bon Marché.

The brand started in 2011 offering resort selections and swimwear. The Montreal-born designer expanded into dresses for day and night. A shimmering full-length gold lame skirt she debuted in 2012 has been a consistent sellout, and she added a silver and platinum version of the skirt.

Her aesthetic, she said, has always been “flowing, easy-to-wear dresses in lightweight silk you throw on for day, and then put on your heels and you’re set for dinner. It’s a whole wardrobe that is easy to travel with.”

Other top sellers include elongated cardigans and her “Boubou” dresses — think high-glam caftans perfect for at-home entertaining or a swanky dinner party. Selections from the collection range from $365 to $1,800.

Marie France Van Damme, 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, www.mariefrancevandamme.com.