Thursday, December 16, 2010, by Danica Lo
If you’re tired of seeing the same brands, products, styles, and demi-celebrities on every other shopping site, check out this trend that’s sweeping the ecommerce world—a crop of e-tailers dedicated to sourcing hard-to-find local products from all around the world. There’s Kiosk, a NYC mainstay, which sources everyday items from a different country each season; L-atitude, which curates high-end clothing and accessories; and Wanderloot, which has a more artisanal homewares bent.

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Wanderloot: Just launched this week, Wanderloot is dedicated to sourcing hard-to-find off-the-beaten-path homegoods from places including Saigon and Addis Ababa. “In a world of mass manufactured products, it’s inspiring to see the continuation of old world techniques, often in surprising, updated forms,” founder Julie Grant Weiss says in a release. Some of our favorite items—also great for gifting—are the handmade spiral cups ($55), which are so understated and chic; the Bali beach bag ($19), which is simplicity embodied; and this Ethiopian lion and dove rug ($49) which we mostly like because the lion looks really surprised.

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