California Apparel News

American Express is having a “Let’s Go Shop Small” campaign—focused on driving support for small businesses—by partnering with mobile first video shopping platform NTWRK.

American Express has partnered with some of Los Angeles’ most notable creatives and designers, along with their favorite small businesses, to create limited-edition products for the campaign. The products will launch during the weekend of Aug. 20 and will be exclusively available on NTWRK for 24 hours before going public at each small business.

The product curation duos include NYC boutique owner and designer Telsha Anderson of t.a. and Philly-based Yowie, designers Melody Ehsani and Bloom and Plume, and creative director and designer Rhuigi Villaseñor and the L.A.-based restaurant Petit Trois le Valley.

“I’m elated to be partnering with American Express and my dear friend Shannon Maldanado, owner of Yowie, to create a limited-edition resin sculpture in honor of supporting small businesses, especially those owned by minorities,” Telsha said. “As a small business owner myself, I know how important it is to support small businesses every day, but especially this summer when so many are still recovering and rebuilding from the pandemic. This collaboration was unique because it's the debut of my first home good item at t.a.”

The resin sculpture will be available Aug. 20 on NTWRK. Ehsani, an L.A.-based floral studio, and Bloom and Plume, a coffee shop, created a vibrant and earthy collection called Rec Set featuring a tote bag, bandana, fleece set and socks available Aug. 21. Villaseñor and Petit Trois le Valley created a limited-edition hat available Aug. 22.

“To be working alongside my lifelong friend, Maurice Harris, owner of Bloom and Plume, and American Express is an absolute thrill. We collaborated to create this limited edition collection called Rec Set, with items that encourage our appreciation for getting outdoors and creating a relationship with the earth, something that is meaningful to the both of us,” Melody said. “As a small business owner myself, I understand the power that small businesses have on the country, and they need our support now more than ever.”

The “Let’s Go Shop Small” campaign is a more than $100 million commitment to encourage consumers to support small businesses globally through its year-round Shop Small efforts. According to American Express’, The Shop Small Summer Study found that shopping small just on summer weekends can bring as much as $27 billion into the national economy.

“Small businesses are the fabric of our communities and the reasons they feel vibrant and unique,” Vice President of Global Brand Engagement and Design at American Express Walter Frye said. “We want to support small businesses every day and this partnership brings together some of today’s hottest designers with their favorite small business owners to produce limited edition drops that will amplify the importance of shopping small this summer.”