The Gift Fair Launches its Future Star Award

This award will provide a launchpad for talented entrepreneurs to show off their wonderful products in way they might not otherwise have the opportunity to. This year, we were spoilt for choice so two wonderful companies have been selected, it was just too hard to pick one!

The Gift Fair Future Star awards go to Cheeky Legends www.arrthi.com for their colourful and cheeky greetings cards and Little Roglets www.littleroglets.com for their beautifully painted animal collection. Cheeky Legends was created by Arrthi Little, a cartoonist based in Hampshire creating entertaining characters in her signature style 'Cute, Chubby, Cheeky'.

She has since joined the Greeting Card Association (GCA) in 2022 and launched her Cheeky Legends greetings card collections at Progressive Greetings Live tradeshow in 2023. Little has gone on to win the Bloomsbury Writers & Artists competition, been a Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) finalist and become a HarperCollins Author & Design Academy Alumni.

"We were instantly captured by the depth of the inviting and humorous world of Cheeky Legends. The artwork has a wide appeal, thanks to Little's use of shadow and colour it feels both compelling and modern, up to date. It strikes a fine balance between being simple yet sophisticated." says Fabian Santoro who sits on the judging panel of the Future Star Award.

Alternatively, Little Roglets are hand painted watercolour animals in the form of friendly small characters that have been crafted into timeless products for children spanning Greetings Cards, Gifts, Toys, Clothing and Prints.

"Having had a paintbrush in my hand since I was tiny, as well as always being the one to be surrounded by animals, I feel incredibly grateful to now combine and share the love I have for both art and animals. My paintings are happy and fun and the faces you see are very often inspired from my travels and the animals I've encountered along the way." Says Lex Rogy, the artist behind the collection.

"We fell completely in love with the story behind the brand. When creating classic looking, potentially timeless pieces, we as consumers often look at the person or the inspiration behind the collection. Lex's story and the fact that she continues to create one-off commissions gives each artwork a sense of preciousness. We also loved the whimsy of using atypical classical animals like orangutans, kangaroos and hammerhead sharks" says Fabian Santoro.

Come to The Gift Fair to check these companies out, other amazing companies exhibiting include Find Your Glow, Annie Oak, Professor Puzzle, Swing Cards, Bangoberry, Leuchtturm1917, Paper Mirchi, All Shades, Dollyhotdogs and many more! Register and use the code #wearethechange when purchasing to claim your free ticket.

This is a brand-new online tradeshow for the Gift Industry taking place January 8th - 28th February 2025. It is a groundbreaking event that removes the geographically and financial constraints of a traditional trade show giving everyone greater choice, greater convenience at a fraction of the cost.

It also eliminates the huge carbon footprint and unnecessary amount of waste generated by a traditional tradeshow. If you would like to be considered for the Future Star Award September 2025 feel free to submit yourself or your company to bethany@xpofairs.com