Shoppers browse vintage clothing and local vendor items at Dollhouse & Co’s Sanrio-themed Kitty’s Sweetheart Market in February. Credit: Courtesy of Sania Mohamed.
With spring comes budding flowers, sunshine and sweet strawberries — and now, a hint of childhood nostalgia.
Dollhouse & Co — a feminine-focused market featuring women-owned, people of color-owned and queer-owned small businesses — will host its Berryland Bazaar, a free-to-enter “Strawberry Shortcake”-themed market at Studio 614 Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nine vendors will be in attendance, offering items such as vintage clothing, upcycled jewelry, baked goods, crochet plushies, home decor and even an interactive charm bar.
Sania Mohamed, host of Dollhouse & Co, said her markets take place at the end of every month and are all centered around a specific theme, drawing inspiration from late ’90s and early 2000s pop culture.
“I really want to try and like, emulate that theme through the vendors and what they bring,” Mohamed said. “I do prioritize women of color or POCs and queer vendors first — who align with the theme — but obviously if there’s someone else that matches the theme better, I would choose them just because I want the theme to come to life.”
Mohamed said she chose the theme of “Strawberry Shortcake” to coincide with the season.
“I feel like, what’s more perfect for spring than ‘Strawberry Shortcake’?” Mohamed said. “I just feel like it was the perfect theme for May.”
After she opened her own shop, Genie Babie, in 2021, Mohamed said she noticed a lack of vendors selling exclusively feminine items. She said this motivated her to coordinate markets that are welcoming, accommodating and affordable for feminine-presenting people.
“When I started, there weren’t a lot of femme sellers at all really — there were five maybe, definitely less than ten. I was like, ‘Oh, it’d be so cute if I could do a little market, like a hot girl market,’ and I mean obviously then that’s why I created Dollhouse & Co,” Mohamed said. “Throughout the years, even though the vendor space has grown and there’s more events, I feel like there’s still a divide between some vendors and not every vendor is very welcoming.”
Dollhouse & Co is run exclusively by Mohamed and her partner, Hyde Ebright, who she said designs the flyers and other graphics. Their first pop-up shop took place in December 2024 and has returned monthly, with the exception of January 2025.
Guests browse handmade items at a vendor booth during the Dollhouse & Co. Fashion Pixie Flea market in March. Credit: Courtesy of Sania Mohamed
Mohamed said one element she likes to include in her markets is interactivity. Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in Studio 614’s candle-pouring services along with a featured vendor.
This month, she said dabl — Ohio State alumna Dimi Sovinski’s shop — will offer a charm bar.
Sovinski graduated in 2018 with a degree in marketing and fashion retail studies. Sovinski said she shifted from selling pre-made and commissioned charm necklaces to giving shoppers the chance to customize their own.
“I wanted to make myself a charm necklace, and by the time I gathered all the supplies to make my own I thought, ‘You know, I think other people would like this too,’” Sovinski said. “I was already selling to people in Columbus, so I thought I might as well put it out there and see if people were interested, and they were.”
Aside from local markets, Sovinski said she’s brought her bar to a variety of events — ranging from pop-ups in New York City to here on campus.
“I’ve done events with sororities for the Ohio State campus, a lot of times to support their philanthropy,” Sovinski said. “I’ll come and do the charm bar and send the shares back to their philanthropic cause. I’ve also done it for mother’s weekend as something special for girls and their moms to do.”
Additionally, Sovinski said she has brought the charm bar to parties and larger retail stores, such as Madewell.
Mohamed said feedback has been positive so far and she’s excited to see how her events grow.
“I’ve hopefully — or at least I think I have — created such a welcoming, safe environment where people can just come, whether they come alone or come with friends, and meet people,” Mohamed said. “It’s just a fun time, especially in the summer if you’re here and have nothing to do.”
More information on upcoming events and vendor applications can be found on Dollhouse & Co’s Instagram page.
