15 stalls to keep an eye out for at the makers and shakers market
Top-notch creators to peruse this coming weekend.
The Makers and Shakers Market is shaking its way back into Melbourne/Naarm for another weekend of rad stalls and ripper creatives. Featuring 185 Australian-made stalls palming off ceramics, homewares, slow fashion, jewellery, skincare, food and heaps more good stuff, The Makers and Shakers Market will take place from Saturday April 18th to Sunday April 19th at the Royal Exhibition Building. With so many stalls to feast your eyes on, it’s no doubt a tad overwhelming just wondering where you’ll begin perusing. Fret not – these 15 creators and small-biz owners are a darn good place to start.
WONDERBAO Before you explore any further, please, for goodness’ sake, get some tucker in ya. One of our favourite stalls to stop at for a feed is Wonderbao – an icon of Melbourne’s bao bun scene – and you can bet they’ve got some steaming-hot baos ready to be noshed on this weekend.
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LOOP LAB If the cool stuff at Loop Lab looks a bit familiar, you’re in the right place. The Perth/Boorloo-based design studio creates playful, colourful, textured art for your walls. Just try to not take one home. (Trust us, you will.)
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EMMA WINTON DESIGN No one turns our frowns upside down like the one and only Emma Winton. The Melbourne-based graphic designer and illustrator is a pro at creating hand-drawn digital art prints and accessories, and you can spy some of it this weekend.
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SQUINT We’re big ol’ lovers of Squint over here at frankie headquarters. Perusing the threads of this super-cute fashion label is like feasting your eyes on everything you’ve ever wanted to wear but didn’t know how. Well, now you do! Plus, Squint’s size-inclusive range is top-notch stuff.
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CELIA LOVES If you’re a fan of the smelly stuff, then you’re going to be a big fan of Celia Loves. The Aussie fragrance house combines a playful aesthetic with some very chic-smelling candles, perfect for mood-setting while we almost drop our current romantasy read in the too-hot bathtub.
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DC CARTEL DC Cartel are pretty darn great at running a market stall – we should know, we chatted to the biz’s head honcho to get the low-down on what it’s like. The chilli oil business has quite the good stuff when it comes to hot stuff – make sure to nab a jar to take home.
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BIG BITE STUDIOS Take a big ol’ bite of the nice bits Seonaidh Murphy is cooking up – the creative director of Big Bite Studios is the mastermind behind the rad design studio creating things that have a habit of sparking joy in the everyday.
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CLUMSY HANDS Where we’re going, we won’t need a map… because we have Clumsy Hands! The Melbourne-based illustrator lends her talents to the visuals of big brands, but it’s her own work that we’re more than a healthy amount obsessed with.
ABLE AND GAME Able and Game need no introduction. We’ve picked the brains of the greeting card whizzes numerous times over the journey, and no doubt they’ll have a whole lot of adorable goodness we’ll want to get our mitts on at this weekend's market.
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XUE FEI ART frankie 2026 calendar-owners are in for a mighty treat once we reach November. Why? Because Elaine Li (aka XF Illustrations) has a super-pretty picture in store for us! The rad illustrator is one of our favourites exhibiting this weekend, so make sure to have a squiz at her stuff.
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AL ELÉ The perfect blend of contemporary fashion and nostalgic imagery, Al Elé is a lovely label full of bits handmade by founder Alice Kavanagh Federici from natural materials. This is a must-visit stall for those with a hankering for timeless design.
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HELLOMAË frankie favourite hellomaë has quite the knack for making her wonky wares look like something special. The handmade and hand-painted ceramics are individual parcels of goodness, perfect for an autumnal cup of cosy tea.
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PAJAMA ART The brainchild of artist Jassy Laragan, Pajama Art is all about fun photobooth-style portraits made in minutes. Bring a pal or ride solo for the happy snap – and nab some of Jassy’s rad artwork, stickers and prints while you’re at it.
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YAN YAN CANDY NG frankie readers will be no stranger to Yan Yan Candy Ng’s illustrations. At The Makers and Shakers Market, you can expect a whole lot of cute stuff, like Candy’s risograph prints, postcards, stickers, limited-edition tote bags and heaps more.
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NZURI ORGANICS If your skincare collection is looking a li’l dull as of late, make sure to swing past Nzuri Organics’ stall. These handmade skincare products – made by owner Nadine using certified organic ingredients – are as lush to look at as they feel on your skin.
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Want to discover some more top-notch creatives? Feast your eyes on our chat with writer Mx. Sly or take a peek at our chinwag with tattooist and ceramicist Lydia Szubert. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.