A few weekends back we headed up to Joshua Tree for the third annual Desert and Denim. If you’re new round here, let me give Desert and Denim a quickie explanation.

The event was founded as the antithesis to the large impersonal trade shows that have become a necessary evil in the consumer brand sales cycle. The show offers smaller brands and “maker brands” a chance to showcase their lines in front of a curated community of buyers and media.

Founder, Hall Newbegin of Juniper Ridge, refers to the show as a “renegade trade show” and Hall know’s a little bit about being a renegade. His brand, Juniper Ridge can be found in Barneys, meanwhile, Hall can be found on the trail, wild harvesting natures best for their line of soaps, oils and colognes. At Desert and Denim you may spot him wandering around with his ukulele or spinning some records from his impressive personal collection.

This sort of spirit, a little renegade, a lot eclectic is what makes an event like this so special, and why the brands, the buyers and other attendees, such as myself, return every year. Not for an impersonal transaction but for a genuine community experience.

Desert and Denim is naturally the perfect spot to discover consciously made goodies and meet with the makers themselves and we’ve rounded up our fave finds below.

Last Chance Textiles

Gorgeous cotton and raw silk bandannas dyed with natural dyes such as indigo, ochre, acorns and rust.

Shop here.

Dear Survivor

Dear Survivor is a line of bags and accessories made from surplus leather. The line is crafted by hand in San Diego and 10% of all profits go to help victims of human trafficking.

Shop here.

Late Sunday Afternoon

Late Sunday Afternoon make these fantastic scarves and neckerchiefs from deadstock fabric out of their factory in Venice Beach. Committed to zero waste they take their scraps and use them to make dog beds which they donate to the animal shelters. The good work doesn’t stop there, they also make blankets for kids in the foster care system.

Shop here.

Crawford Denim

This isn’t the first time we’ve featured Crawford Denim at Conscious Collective Co – we love Susie and her LA made denim collection. We were super excited to see that there is a selvage jean collection in Crawford’s future – look out for it’s release later this year.

Shop here.

Nipomo

Nipomo blankets are designed in California and made in Mexico from recycled yarns. The Nipomo team supports local artisans and their communities in the manufacturing of the collection.

Shop here.

Lasso Abode

We loved this homewares collection from Lasso Abode. The collection uses recycled and surplus materials (mostly leather and denim) and is made in Los Angeles.

Shop here.