Stationery Trends Magazine

Editor’s Letter: Anything Goes

By Sarah Schwartz, Editor Nowhere does a sense of what I'm going to be covering for the next year come more alive to me than it does each year at National Stationery Show (NSS). Walking the rows this year, I was struck as always by the wide, rich variety of design sources and social expressions. So on the one hand, the luxe market seems to be flourishing, as evidenced by the plethora of boxed invitations (that is, invitations that are mailed, not sold, in a box), while on the other, it wasn't unusual to see letterpressed cards adorned with text-friendly terms like BFF or LOL. Both these products are at the cream of their respective crops, but these are two completely different creatures, with two very different customers. This can make my job of trying to make sense of it all a bit confusing at…  » Read more

---

What’s in a Name?

Understand the licensing game in order to play it best By Sarah Schwartz, Editor Licensed product seems to be especially omnipresent in stationery, which is not surprising, given that ours is a business rife with designers. Whether the product is from an A-list designer, like Kate Spade who produces for Crane, or from a rising star, like Erin Smith, licensed product differs from its non-licensed brethren in several key ways from its inception - and as such should receive a modified appraisal from retailers considering any such line. In essence, a licensed product is more complicated than its in-house-created counterparts. Contracts between the artist, or licensor, and the company wholesaling the product, or licensee, are necessary. A licensed item costs more to produce since there are fees to the artist to consider, and tends takes longer to produce. "You have to understand that the licensor…  » Read more

---

Designer Profile: Amy Ormond

It may come as a shock to the many fans of Wooster & Prince that Designer and Owner Amy Ormond never saw herself as a "creative type." Rather, she has an undergraduate degree is in biology and an MBA. But when the weekend oil painter purchased Illustrator "on a whim" while pregnant with her second son, everything changed. With her background, Ormond approaches the industry, not to mention running a business, differently than most of her peers. Stationery Trends interviewed Ormond to learn more. ST: How did you get into this business?AO: I've always considered myself a business person, not a creative type. But once I started playing with Illustrator, I discovered it would unleash years and years of creativity that I had mostly ignored until then. As I was creating with no restraints for the first time, however, my MBA side kept nudging and…  » Read more

---

A Personal Touch

A fusion of business savvy and a passion for paper attracts a fascinated clientele By Regina Molaro, Special to Stationery Trends It's the artistic collection, unique experience and distinctive personal touch that lure TT Patton's clientele, a group of paper and gift enthusiasts that includes women, men and even children. After all, where else but TT Patton can you select a card, write a handwritten note and have the shop's owner offer to add the postage amount in and personally mail your card? In 2005, Theresa T. Patton opened up TT Patton in downtown Barrington, Ill. It showcases an assortment of elegant writing papers, artistic greeting cards, custom invitations and stationery, unique journals and fine writing instruments. This interesting merchandise mix is displayed on ancient Asian furnishings, juxtaposed with unusual artifacts to create both a compelling visual and shopping experience. Although TT Patton only encompasses…  » Read more

---

Bonus Online Content: A Wakeup Call for the Stationery Industry

By Richard May, Stationersguild.org National Stationery Show (NSS) organizers deserve kudos for hastily arranging a most informative seminar:  Navigating the Journey from the 2D to 3D World.  The May 15 event provided much useful information and analysis on rapidly changing patterns in social communications and its impact on the stationery industry.  It was a most timely and useful wakeup call. Keynote Speaker Paco Underhill of Envirosell made an eloquent presentation on emerging trends in consumer behavior and how savvy retailers should position themselves to prosper. Visual language is evolving much faster than the spoken and written word. Local businesses have a vibrant future if they can convince clients “that they care about them.”  Mr. Underhill says stores have to become a “temple to communication” where shopping is convenient, fun, interesting and, most importantly, local.  Many examples were cited to improve store design and encourage the…  » Read more

---