News Releases

CHICAGO (November 15, 2013) –– Just in time for the holiday season, the Andaz brand has launched its first-ever Andaz Holiday Bazaar, an online collaboration with local artists and up-and-coming talent, to offer unique holiday gifts, including custom-created home décor, one-of-a-kind artwork, jewelry, apparel, and more. The online bazaar is hosted by video shopping destination Joyus.com at www.joyus.com/giftsthatgiveback, with all proceeds from the sale of items going to Women for Women International (WfWI), a nonprofit organization that provides women in war-torn countries with economic opportunities to be positive catalysts for change. 

“The Andaz brand is deeply committed to creating inspiring experiences, which means connecting guests with those in the local community who are bringing those experiences to life and helping them feel like locals,” said Sara Kearney, Senior Vice President of Brands, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We want to take our relationship with those influential community members, also known as our Andaz Cultural Insiders, one step further with the creation and launch of our Andaz Holiday Bazaar. This is a new venture for us and we are thrilled to be working with local talent in the communities Andaz calls home through these fantastic gifts that have been made with a lot of creativity and a lot of love – and the best part is that the proceeds will go to a cause that we proudly support.” 

Since 2011, Andaz has been working with a local community of women in Iraq through WfWI who have learned skills training and been provided with income generation opporunities by creating laundry bags that are placed in Andaz guestrooms around the world. 

“We’re very proud of the work we’ve done with Andaz, a brand that defines what teamwork, collaboration and the true spirit of generosity is all about, and we are thrilled to continue our great work together,” said Afshan Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Women for Women International. “The Andaz Holiday Bazaar is just another example of how we can make an impact when we team up to help women in war torn communities to rebuild their lives.”

The Andaz Holiday Bazaar will include items from artists and local luminaries, many who have contributed to and participated in the Andaz Salon program, along with other artists located in the communities that Andaz calls home. The contributors include:

• Flash Rosenberg: Flash Rosenberg is a “live-cartoonist” based in New York City who draws, photographs, writes and performs. Flash will be selling custom-created white and rose scarves that feature drawings celebrating the knowing smiles between women everywhere.
• Jonathan Cohen: Designer Jonathan Cohen works with the FLAG Art Foundation, an exhibition space dedicated to emerging talent that works regularly with the Andaz brand. Jonathan will be selling short sleeve shirts that make use of flash and shutter to create an ambient design, while the long sleeve shirts he is selling feature the “Love Rock Hands” design fitting for the hippie and rocker in all of us.
• Caterina Occhio: Caterina Occhio’s jewelry line, SeeMe Fair Luxury, is a part of the Dutch Fashion Foundation, an organization dedicated to local and up-and-coming designers that works closely with Andaz Amsterdam. The bazaar will be selling SeeMe large and medium heart necklaces and medium heart bracelets. Each heart is handmade by disadvantaged women and victims of violence in Turkey and Tunisia.
• Alexander Campaz: Alexander Campaz is a designer based in Brooklyn, New York. His work is a combination of casual/formal wear and athletic street wear. The Claudine Dress available through the bazaar is handmade with Ponti di Roma side paneling, a gold lace center panel and gold jersey lining.
• Caleb Aero: Caleb Aero is known worldwide as a groundbreaking aerosol graffiti artist and he regularly hosts Andaz Salon events at Andaz San Diego. He has provided graffiti-style spray-painted trucker hats that can be personalized with the gift recipient’s name.
• Niki Qin Xu: MOODBOX is a local Shanghai designer brand that was founded by fashion designer Niki Qin Xu.  Her feathered, lace and square hat creations are right on trend with Shanghai street fashion. She will be collaborating closely with Andaz Shanghai for upcoming Andaz Salon events.
• Carter Kustera: Carter Kustera has shown in numerous galleries and museums nationally and internationally and was included in two Venice Biennales. Each work provided for the bazaar is based on African barbershop haircut signs, and Kustera puts his stamp on the signs by using the hairstyles of pop cultural icons.
• Claw Money: Known as Claw Money, her graffiti alter ego, Claudia Gold combines her eye for fashion with her edgy graffiti style. If you’re in New York between mid-November and February, you can see her artwork proudly painted on the doors of Andaz 5th Avenue. Through the bazaar, she will be offering colorful, framed screen prints, as well as an Andaz-inspired tote bag, all featuring her signature claw icon.
• Shane Robinson: Shane Robinson’s photography hangs at the newly opened Andaz Maui at Wailea. He has created special edition printed photographs for the Andaz Holiday Bazaar. Each depicts the Ti plant (a Hawaiian good-luck plant). Images are not edited on a computer, but are part of a dye-infused printing process.
• Marcel Wanders: Interior designer for the stunning Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, Marcel Wanders is an international artist who works on interior, product design, and art direction projects for clients around the world.  The bazaar will feature his limited-edition ceramic art plates, designed with the Netherlands’ signature Delft Blue color, that were created in a minute or less.
• Robert Landau: Photographer Robert Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles and has spent the better part of his life documenting various aspects of his hometown. He has made many appearances at Andaz West Hollywood’s Andaz Salons to talk about the inspiration behind his photography. The bazaar will feature signed copies of “Rock ’n’ Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip” which showcases a time when rock was the most important music ever recorded.
• Michael Breach: Michael Breach, a self-proclaimed “espressoionist," is a New York City based artist/barista with a unique talent of creating incredibly detailed portraits and designs in coffees. He has provided framed 8xl1 prints with a portrait of Jimi Hendricks made in latte foam.
• American Apothecary: American Apothecary is a lifestyle brand that uses fashion as a means of promoting social awareness. For the Andaz Holiday Bazaar, the brand has provided stretched, printed t-shirt fabrics over canvases that depict medicines widely prescribed in the 1900s.
• Bompas & Parr: Bompas & Parr leads in flavor based experience design, culinary research, architectural installations, and contemporary food design. They’ve teamed up with Andaz Liverpool Street in London to showcase their fantastic fruit spectacles and will be selling some of their products for the bazaar, accompanied by the Bompas & Parr “Tutti Frutti” cookbook.
• Women for Women International: Andaz and Women for Women International have teamed up to provide community members in war-torn countries with the tools and resources they need to reach their fullest potential and rebuild their societies. Illustrated with stunning photography, the organization’s Share cookbook is perfect for gift giving, as are the signature laundry bags being sold on the site, which are created by women in a local Iraqi community and are in all Andaz guestrooms around the world.
• Jason Laurits: Jason Laurits is a designer and the founder of graphic and silk-screening company, Paste. His approach to Paste has long been influenced by the trial and error that comes with silk-screening. Jason is offering his black and white poodle adorned rocks glasses that are sure to liven up one’s holiday entertaining.
• Sir Kensington & Sons: Sir Kensington's ketchups feature vine-ripened tomatoes sweetened with all-natural cane sugar and are the antithesis of factory-produced, corn syrup-laden ketchups. The Sir Kensington's collection being sold through the bazaar includes spiced and classic ketchup and classic and chipotle mayonnaise.
• Lydia Mondavi: Lydia Mondavi’s skin care line, 29, features products enriched with grape seed extract, straight from the Napa vineyards. This collection includes the 29 Preserves Serum Extract, 29 Preserves Night Moisture and 29 Preserves Eye Emulsion. Lydia has worked closely with Andaz Napa for its Andaz Salon events.
• Andaz Savannah Chef Lauren Teague: Lauren Teague is the Executive Chef of 22 Square Restaurant and Bar in Savannah and is also the Food and Beverage Director for Andaz Savannah. She has created handmade tallow and Georgia-grown olive oil soaps, featuring cinnamon and oatmeal added specially for the holiday season.
• Savannah Bee Company: Ted Dennard founded Savannah Bee Company out of his passion for beekeeping and honey. In the bazaar, he presents his new, all-natural Beeswax Lip Gloss, which perfects your puckers. Shoppers can choose from three flavors: wild blackberry, mint blossom or tupelo honey. Ted has done an Andaz Salon event at Andaz Savannah, and many stores near the hotel carry his products.
• Salvador Odrec: Salvador Odrec’s love for art started with street art and graffiti, and his work will be displayed at Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, opening in December. His piece for the Andaz Holiday Bazaar, 2+2=5, represents the splitting of the being to finally arrive to a metaphysic state of hyperrealism.

The Andaz Holiday Bazaar will be live from November 15 through the end of the year at www.joyus.com/giftsthatgiveback. For more information, or to read more about the relationship between Andaz and Women for Women International, visit www.andaz.com/wfwi.

About Andaz

Global in scale while local in perspective, Andaz delivers an innovative hospitality experience and attentive, uncomplicated service designed to accommodate guests’ personal preferences. Hotels in this collection reflect the unique cultural scenes and spirit of the surrounding neighborhood and are dedicated to creating natural and vibrant living spaces where travelers can indulge their own personal sense of comfort and style. Ten Andaz hotels are currently open: Andaz 5th Avenue and Andaz Wall Street in New York, Andaz San Diego, Andaz West Hollywood, Andaz Napa, Andaz Savannah, Andaz Maui at Wailea, Andaz Liverpool Street in London, Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, and Andaz Shanghai. For more information, please visit www.andaz.com.

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