STYLISH STATIONERY
74 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2019
Art and design have always been a big part of my
life. I come from six generations of antiques
dealers – my surname means ‘art dealer’ – and
started off selling antiques on the Portobello Road.
Putting pen to paper will always be a more
thoughtful way of communicating. It’s great to
see younger generations returning to analogue.
Papier is unique because we're doing something
no one else is – offering consumers a highly
curated collection of design-led products that are
fully customisable and produced on-demand.
We have print operations across three continents
and use state-of-the-art digital printing on the
finest quality Mohawk paper, which is made
with non-polluting, wind-generated energy. We
also use centuries-old foil stamping techniques
and found ourselves recommissioning two tonne
foiling machines that were consigned to scrap.
We’ve come a long way since our wonky
Camden townhouse, when there was just three
of us working in the business. Launching in New
York felt like a real ‘made it’ moment, but we’re
always striving for more – I hope that we have
a few more of those moments to look forward to
in the future (papier.com).I wanted to produce an alternative to poor-quality
notebooks that prescribe what should fill their
pages: Hope & Dreams or This Year’s Goals.
Our signature product is the Layflat notebook.
Months of research and multiple prototypes were
behind its 2014 launch – we wanted a beautifully
crafted tool with a simple aesthetic but a beauty
and tactility that lent itself to contemplation.
The beauty of a notepad is that it can be used to
sketch and write simultaneously, rotated, torn,
dropped and spilt on. It needs no powering up to
record a passing thought and can be carried
anywhere. You can’t say that for a digital device.
We’ve been collaborating with establishments at
the forefront of contemporary art and design.
We’ve produced exclusive collections for the
Royal Opera House, Barbican, Tate and have
worked with the Eames Office.
Producing high quality yet affordable items with
as little environmental impact as possible is our
greatest challenge, which involves a great deal
of research and investment.
At Christmas, we will be launching our first textile
product, organic cotton wraps – a sustainable
alternative to wrapping paper (olastudio.co.uk).The brand was born in 1981, the year my parents,
Peter and Fridette, discovered the shop on Mount
Street. The Queen’s stationers Henningham &
Hollis had previously occupied the premises, so
the building has been a printers since it was built.
Our business was founded on the principles of
value and quality; traditional print methods, hand
craftsmanship and the personalised attention we
offer each customer.
We combine traditional methods with the latest
print technology. We’ve invested in a new digital
printer, but at the same time we’re slowly restoring
vintage die stamping presses.
Our customers are tired of commercialisation. They
appreciate one-of-a-kind, handmade products.
Being a Royal Warrant Holder invokes a sense of
responsibility. We feel very fortunate to have
been recognised by the Royal Family and to be
part of a select group of suppliers protecting the
craft for future generations.
Our most interesting order was a wedding
invitation for a very high-profile client. I can’t
share any specific details, but we were truly
honoured to play a small part in a historic event
(mountstreetprinters.com).
1 ‘Hide’ pencil pouch, £50, Katie Leamon
( katieleamon.com) 2 ‘Mascarade
Myrtille Paseo’ notebook by Christian
Lacroix, £12.99, Abrams & Chronicle
(abramsandchronicle.co.uk) 3 Gift
tags, £2 for five, John Lewis & Partners
( johnlewis.com) 4 ‘Pro 46’ tape by Reliable
Source, £6.95, Cass Art (cassart.co.uk)
5 ‘Weis’ paper clips by Tools To Live By, £12,
Tea & Kate (teaandkate.co.uk) 6 Eraser
set by Monograph, £3, The Paper Parlour
(thepaperparlour.co.uk) 7 ‘Klizia’ stapler
by Ellepi, £24, Selfridges (selfridges.com)
8 ‘The Manager 3’ planner by Papier Tiger,
£23.93, I You All (iyouall.com) 9 ‘N PW
Positive Pens’ by WLLT, £10, John Lewis &
Partners ( johnlewis.com) 10 ‘Claim Your
Style’ pen in ‘Nude’, £39.95, Caran D’Ache
(carandache.com) 11 ‘Perkeo’ fountain pen
in ‘Cotton Candy’ by Kaweco, £13, Katie
Leamon ( katieleamon.com)PA S T E L PIC K
Be inspired to get organised
every day with this collection
in gelato shades(^12)
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4
5
6 7
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(^91011)
MOUNT STREET PRINTERS
This family business offers endless
possibilities in print. Alex Cain,
son of the founders, explains
OLA
Frustrated by notebooks on the
market, Katy Goutefangea, a
printmaker, launched her own brand
PAPIER
Ex-antiques dealer Taymoor
Atighetchi on the global expansion
of this stationery superstar
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