From vintage Happy Meal toys to handmade charm necklaces, we brought a little Los Angeles creativity to New York City's ultimate kids' vintage shopping experience.
This September, VidaKush packed up some of our tiniest creations and headed to New York City for something a little different. We were invited to participate in Elemeno Kids, a one-of-a-kind vintage marketplace dedicated entirely to children's fashion, accessories, nostalgia, and creativity.
Held September 19–20, 2026, in Lower Manhattan, the event brought together a carefully curated group of vintage vendors, independent brands, and families for a weekend celebrating personal style at every age. Powered by Depop and co-created by the team behind Eye Speak Vintage, Elemeno was designed to make secondhand shopping and creative expression just as exciting for little kids as it is for their parents.
For a Los Angeles jewelry brand that's always believed personal style starts young, we couldn't have imagined a better event to be part of.
Our introduction to Kristine Nite Scalzo, founder of Eye Speak Vintage and one of the creators of Elemeno Kids, came through our longtime best friend Ann-Marie. This mutual connection is what gave us the opportunity to take part in such a fun event.
Kristine has created a beautiful world around children's vintage clothing, sourcing nostalgic pieces and giving them a second life through her Pasadena-based vintage business. Her eye for vintage is incredible, and it's easy to see why so many parents have fallen in love with her carefully curated finds.
When we heard about Elemeno, we immediately resinated with the idea. A vintage marketplace where kids could discover clothing, accessories, toys, and creative experiences while parents revisited the characters and styles they grew up loving too? Absolutely. Especially now that our Founder, Rhianna Copper, has a little one of her own.
In the weeks leading up to the event, our Los Angeles studio became a treasure trove.
We found vintage toys, collectible keychains, miniature figures, and old McDonald's Happy Meal toys, all to be transformed into charms for the bag charms and necklaces.
The collection included vintage and contemporary Hello Kitty, Betty Boop, Monchhichi, Blue's Clues characters, Pooh Bear, Bratz dolls, and old McDonald's Happy Meal collectibles, each selected for their iconic history and imprint the characters made on us growing up. Back at the studio, we carefully drilled attachment holes into selected pieces, added jewelry hardware, and transformed them into charms that could be worn on necklaces, or added to the bag charms. You can shop these bag charms HERE.
We made a collection of 50 one-of-a-kind bag charms, and 50 one of a kind necklaces. We loved the idea of taking something that might otherwise be forgotten in a toy box and turning it into a new favorite accessory. Some of the pieces were just as exciting for us as they were for the kids. There were plenty of parents who remembered these characters from their own childhoods which meant the products sold themselves. We intentionally included pieces that would appeal to both generations. Kids could discover new characters, while parents could recognize their favorites and share a new memory.
Alongside our exclusive vintage-inspired charms, we brought our new VidaKids baby anklets. Lots of new colors and textures were added like cluster chain and beads. Our baby anklets were especially sweet additions to the display, and we were so happy to see a few find new homes over the weekend.
Inside the event space in Lower Manhattan, vendors transformed the venue into a colorful marketplace filled with children's vintage clothing, accessories, toys, and unique finds.
Our display was made up of all the new handmade pieces along with our classic charm kit station that we know the kids love from the flea markets. They love getting their hands into all the charms they can find.
The event featured playful experiences from Crayola, including interactive coloring activities, creative installations, and a giant crayon character that quickly became a favorite among the youngest attendees.
We also loved seeing familiar names like OshKosh B'gosh and sama sama involved in the event, with a surprising appearance from The Lorax himself! The room with full of childhood memories big and small.
As a small business, we're always excited to participate in events that bring independent brands and creative communities together. Many of us remember the first necklace we loved, the toy we couldn't leave the house without, or the tiny accessories we collected as kids. Those little things might seem insignificant at the time, but years later they become the objects that remind us of an entire period of our lives. With VidaKids, we want to create jewelry and accessories that become part of those memories.
Our vintage toy charm collection was also an opportunity to explore repurposing in a playful way, giving existing objects new purpose through jewelry design.
We left New York feeling inspired and the best news? We get to do it again.
Thriftland Kids is coming to Los Angeles, hosted by Eye Speak Vintage and VidaKush will be there!
Expect vintage bag charms, tiny necklaces, playful accessories, and plenty of nostalgic surprises for kids and parents alike.
Whether you're shopping for your little one, looking for a unique baby gift, collecting vintage toys, or simply love discovering independent creative brands, we'd love to see you there.
You can get your tickets for the next Thriftland Kids Event HERE
In the meantime, explore our bag charms that made it back from the event and are on the site and follow @vidakidsjewelry for more tiny treasures.
A huge thank you to Kristine, Eye Speak Vintage, Depop, the Elemeno team, and everyone who made our first New York Elemeno experience so memorable.
See you at the next one, LA!
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