Erin Huang
Dolce Monachelli’s
Dolce Monachelli’s sells an array of bundt cake flavors, ranging from chocolate whiskey and pumpkin spice to its classic Italian rum butter. These cakes have been a staple of UCSD’s Vendor Fair since Dolce Monachelli’s began participating 15 years ago, and they haven’t missed one since, according to owner Chris Monachelli.
Years ago, Monachelli’s grandmother began baking these beloved bundt cakes in her home kitchen. What began as his grandmother’s small gifts to family and friends became go-to gifts for her daughter, Monachelli’s mother.
“My mom got the idea from her [mother]; she started giving [the cakes] out to her coworkers and customers,” Monachelli said. “And then we had to chain my mom down because she used to give like four to five hundred of these cakes away for free — and not just the little ones, but the big ones.”
Over time, Monachelli took over the enterprise and developed it into the company it is today. Its presence expanded into farmer’s markets, street fairs, and eventually UCSD’s Vendor Fair, where its stand has become an iconic part of the student experience. In fact, Monachelli employs UCSD students to man the stand each time they come to campus, providing insight and connection into UCSD’s student base.
Dolce Monachelli’s ties to UCSD run even deeper than its Vendor Fair visits. The business also sets up shop to assist student organizations with fundraisers. According to Monachelli, these events travel by word of mouth; when one org hosts a fundraiser, other groups usually take notice and follow suit.
“It’s a nice thing that we’re already well known, and we bring all the setups and tents and everything and the samples, and that makes it different from a normal kind of fundraiser,” Monachelli said.
Dolce Monachelli’s is a business with a long legacy of its own, built upon connections with fairs and markets like UCSD’s. As its recognition on campus grows, Monachelli takes pride in sharing his family’s recipes to a larger base than ever before.
— Miriya Huie, Features Editor
Aztec Graphics
Aztec Graphics Custom Framing in Pacific Beach sells pop culture posters and wall art sourced from artists across the world. Rick Bailey, co-owner of Aztec Graphics, has been selling at UCSD since the business’s inception — long before today’s Vendor Fair came about in 2000.
“Before that, we used to sell at Revelle Plaza,” Bailey said. “I started there in 1983. There used to be vendors back there in the ‘60s, ‘70s.”
Since its humble beginning in 1983, the business started out only selling posters. Today, the store has expanded its merchandise to include custom picture frames for patrons to fill with their own art. Over the years, the business has also developed relationships with large poster distributors and publishers, both locally and internationally. This allows it to offer new and unique designs each quarter.
“We import posters coming in from Europe and the U.K., so we have a lot of stuff out here that you won’t find in Target or Walmart,” Bailey said.
Aside from UCSD’s Vendor Fair, Bailey regularly sells posters at San Diego State University, local private schools, and community colleges. This not only promotes business for Aztec Graphics, but it also helps inform its merchandise to best cater to patrons.
“A lot of our business is pop culture,” Bailey explained. “And so, going to the universities … keeps us on top of our game there because you have to keep up with the new bands coming out, the new movies, and what everybody wants. So, we’re always open to listening for requests and suggestions.”
— Abby Offenhauser, Associate Features Editor
Kamyi.Art
This school year, Julie Xu has captivated UCSD’s Vendor Fair customers who approach the Kamyi.Art Origami Designs Stall. In the stall, Xu folds vibrantly colored paper cranes and fans to make each necklace and earring on display.
While studying abroad in Japan just before the pandemic, Xu saw artists creating intricate miniature origami pieces, which eventually inspired her to start this business.
“I’ve been folding cranes since I was a kid,” she said. “But after traveling to Japan, I saw someone selling something similar, and I thought, ‘Oh, I could do that’ — so, during the pandemic, I started making some.”
Xu’s stall boasts an array of designs, from simple paper fans on necklace chains to intricate crane earrings studded with gems and pearls. Each piece is one of a kind.
“They started out as simple ones, but then I gradually added my own design to it,” Xu said.
In addition to her online shop, Xu sells jewelry at several art fairs and markets in the San Diego area each month. This past week was her second time selling at UCSD’s Vendor Fair; she shared that the fair’s lively atmosphere has quickly become her favorite part of selling there.
“I really enjoy this environment; it reminds me of college. I graduated a few years back,” she said. “It’s a chill environment — people like to come here between classes and just relax and talk.”
— Abby Offenhauser, Associate Features Editor
Jungle Hippie
Jacky, founder of the San Diego-based boho pop-up boutique Jungle Hippie, has been setting up shop at the Vendor Fair for the past year. Draped in tie-dye and dark cloth, the stall offers beaded jewelry, handmade clothes, and chic, bohemian vibes.
About 10 years ago, after graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Jacky decided to go back to school and earn a degree in fashion design from Mesa College.
“I was totally obsessed with fashion,” she said. “I wanted to make clothes; I just wanted to be this amazing fashion designer.”
While at school, Jacky’s class took a trip to the Wholesale District in Los Angeles, which inspired her to launch her own boutique. Upon returning home, she earned her seller’s permit and began buying and crafting merchandise for what would soon become Jungle Hippie.
The business initially only carried clothes but quickly expanded into jewelry, which Jacky designs and crafts herself.
“I make beaded jewelry with gemstones and handmade trade beads from different parts of the world: Morocco, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria,” she said. During the pandemic, Jacky pivoted to almost exclusively selling jewelry due to decreased demand for clothing.
“And now, I’m making the clothes again, so I’m building up my rack,” she said. “To me, it’s still a little skinny, but it doesn’t look that bad.”
Though she is still passionate about clothes and fashion, after 10 years of Jungle Hippie, Jacky’s favorite part of the business is meeting customers throughout San Diego. She sells exclusively in person at local pop-up events and shows in areas like Ocean Beach.
“I do all kinds of events,” she said. “I love seeing different kinds of people. When I meet people from different parts of the world, and then they buy something from me, and then they take it back to different parts of the world — that’s so exciting.”
— Abby Offenhauser, Associate Features Editor
Kluia.co
Karen Alleluia, illustrator and creator of Kluia.co, builds meaningful stories with her cute, nature-themed art, developing it into charming products like magnets, keychains, and stickers.
Through her art, Alleluia created storybooks that were meaningful to her, featuring her favorite animals: foxes.
“Foxes are a huge symbol for me,” Alleluia said. “When I was little, I’ve always wanted to be a cartoonist, but it was shut down by my family. But I would always try to draw foxes and I could never do it right, even though it was my favorite animal as a kid. It was only until I started taking art seriously … studying, drawing, doing observation, and [carrying] a sketchbook with me everywhere I went. I was finally able to draw a fox the way I wanted to.”
Alleluia calls that moment in her life “groundbreaking.” When she thinks about the fox, she sees it as a symbol of growth. She explained one particularly meaningful fox in her story.
“Its name is Fish the Fox,” she said. “It’s a story about a fox who covers her blue spots because she wants to be accepted into the world. But at a certain point, she’s faced with reconciling her differences, she ends up not covering them anymore. And it turns out that everyone else was covering their own colored spots.”
Alleluia said this story resonated with people, so much so that it became one of her best-selling items. These stories also connect her to her customers. For example, other Filipino-Americans have confided in her about their families not supporting their dreams of being an artist.
“I talked to so many people here, and they’re like, ‘Hey, I am an artist, but I’m scared,’” she said. “I always encourage them to listen to their gut, like what I did, and see what they actually want out of life. If you’re studying and working for most of your life, you might as well make it count for something.”
— Sydney McDonald, Staff Writer