Photos: Apolis
No need to stress if you snoozed on the deadline to shop some of our holiday gift picks. Angelenos who prefer to give personalized presents can swing by Apolis' new Market Bag Print Shop — so while the clock is ticking for online orders of the SoCal-based brand's customizable jute totes, you can pick one up IRL ahead of "Panic Saturday" (which is apparently now a thing).
Located in the brand's former Common Gallery boutique in DTLA Arts District, the shop offers Apolis' signature celebrity-beloved market bags with leather handles ($68) as well as its pre-printed Arts District bag. Eventually, shop will carry all of the brand's products, including backpacks, lunch bags, wine totes, and in-store exclusives.
Here's how it works: First, shoppers will choose their fair trade carryall from the bag wall, then specify the message (up to three lines of text) to be printed right onto the tote. The process takes about 10 minutes, and the store can also text you when your merch is ready if you prefer to browse the neighborhood. (Pro tip: Head just around the corner to The Giving Keys' DTLA flagship, which is filled with very socially-conscious, gift-ready jewelry.)
The space also houses a kid-friendly corner featuring iPad design stations, where budding artists can "paint" their own creations that can be printed directly onto Apolis' market bags. It's also "stocked" with play fruit and veggies so little ones can stay busy while their grown-ups do the real shopping.
Plus, customers who buy more than two bags will score their own jute plant at checkout, and kiddos will also get their own jute seeds when they visit. While the brand notes that the greenery grows fairly slow, you can see what it will eventually look like at the shop's jute garden.
The shop will also accept online order returns and exchanges, so long as they meet certain standards. Get more details here.
Apolis Market Bag Print Shop, 806 East 3rd St., L.A., 90013; Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; (855) 894-1559
