Here at Palo Alto Market there’s something for everybody: a concept gallery with premium brands, a design gallery for independent artists, a street market for clothes and accessories, plus an array of the best food trucks of Barcelona and plenty of live music shows to round off the weekend afternoons with good vibes.
The setting of Palo Alto Market is also spectacular, with the industrial vibe of a former factory blending with the beauty of the Mediterranean plants popping up everywhere. Every month, different artists and brands, either emerging or well-established, join Palo Alto to showcase their collection and interact with the public.
From the edition of the last weekend I selected below some of my favourite stories: travel stories! I therefore invite you to take a look at the marvels designed by the creatives of Barcelona and inspired from their personal travels to far-away lands and their way of discovering different cultures.
Nomad Vibes: Bohemian Barcelona
These unique pieces of jewellery are handmade in Barcelona with elements that were carefully handpicked during travels in Africa, south-central or far-east Asia: the silver coins come from nomad tribes of Afghanistan, while the tuareg amulets and southern crosses – from local artisans of Morocco.
The Bohemian collection includes necklaces, bracelets and earrings created with volcanic stones, silver coins, onyx or seashells, all of them with an unconventional, free-spirited and tribal flair.
A Timeless Design: Kyomo Watches
This unique design has just been released in Barcelona. At Kyomo they work with the finest materials one can find for quartz watches – the highest grade of stainless steel, CNC-cut and hand-polished, and the hardened sapphire glass. Besides the beautiful proportions, the stainless steel strap is a true work of art.
The creators of Kyomo have travelled, lived and worked in various places around the world and their lifestyle also reflects in their product, as they practically toured the world to find the best materials for their designs.
Joyful Patterns: Ukat
Ukat is a concept born during a travel to Senegal and today the collection of this Barcelona-based brand include bags, beach bags and laptop cases that are handmade in the small village of Thiobon using the wax prints – the omnipresent textile designs of today’s Africa.
The colourful cotton cloths are part of a nonverbal way of communication among African women, and hereby they carry their message out into the world. Some wax prints can be named after personalities, cities, building, sayings or occasions. Today the design of the wax print fabrics already has an influence on the international world of fashion and lifestyle and at Ukat they do not only use the patterns but also create most of their designs in Senegal.
The Notebooks Library: Arkasa
Made from leather and recycled paper and handmade bound, the notebooks models have cities names – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Oslo and so on, each with its own little symbol, like tiny metallic eyeglasses for Munich or a funny mustache for London. The handmade sewing on the spine is, nevertheless, the unmistakable signature of Arkasa.
These nice vintage designs are inspired by a personal story, that of the family who, 100 years ago, left Catalonia for Argentina. And how does the idea of a collection of notebooks connect with the family history? Well, quite easily, “because we all have a story like this to explain, to leave the legacy to our children, grandchildren and, why not, our future great-grandchildren” as the creators of Arkasa say.
Vintage Laces: Colette Barcelona
These unique jewelleries are created with materials like lace and guipure acquired from different parts of the world, and the team of Colette spends lots of time finding special places such as haberdashery antique markets and rarities shops to acquire all kinds of vintage pieces.
As a result their collection features many limited editions and even more unique pieces, and they like to say that they are looking for ‘treasures’ which then they transform, respecting their original history but always adding a personal touch.
Rutes de Barcelona 