Jill of All Trades Fair

Jack has nothing on Jill at the Jill of All Trades event happening Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Presidio Motel on upper State Street.

“It’s just to bring the female vendor community together,” said Kenny Osehan, proprietor of the Presidio Motel. At least, she said, that was the original idea: a venue for women to come and show their work. Now everyone is welcome, but still, Osehan said, “It’s a great place for women to network.”

The event, now in its third year, will host vendors from all over the country in the fields of fashion, music, and art. Many from the Santa Barbara area, but more from out of town, including the metropolises of San Diego and Los Angeles, will be in attendance. Included will be Smoke and Mirrors, an L.A.-based clothing company with designs by Emily Brandle, from the fifth season of Project Runway, and Michelle Chaplin.

“We had a really great response at the last Jill of All Trades,” said Chaplin. “Our fashion transitions well from L.A. to Santa Barbara.” The clothes designed by Chaplin and Brandle include things like perfect tailored jackets, and mini skirts in bright blues. “Definitely for the girly-girl with an active lifestyle,” said Chaplin.

Other booths will include native Santa Barbara shops such as Lime Green Monkey, which produces organic cloth items, such as napkins, for daily use-as distinct from single use. Also, artists and photographers from the area including Nancy Neil and Carol Kemp will set up shop at Jill of All Trades.

Food will be provided by The Burger Bus, among others. Osehan’s own mother will be making Indonesian food for event attendees.

Music will be provided by various musicians and groups of musicians including Cotton Jones, DJ Hiss and Hers, and Vaughn Montgomery.

Oddly or not, Jill of All Trades sprouted from a community art event for men, begun by Osehan’s fiance. Osehan responded with a sort of flea market for women vendors. “My girlfriends and I thought we could really do something cool,” said Osehan.

And that they have. Over 40 vendors attend annually and the event only seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Many of the vendors this year have set up shop in the past at the Presidio and many of the guests staying at the Presidio Motel the weekend of the event are the vendors themselves.

Jill of All Trades is a place to get some food, fashion, and art and come away feeling and hopefully looking a little more fantastic for the weekend.