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Monica Vinader x Papier

Monica Vinader x Papier

In celebration of International Women's Day 2020

The Papier all female creative team led by creative director Christina Forman, is 10 strong (split across 2 areas: product design and brand design) who all bring the Papier collaborations and in-house collections to life. Read on for behind the scenes at Papier from their perspective.

What inspires you day to day?

Christina: I'm a visual person and love collecting inspiration everywhere and of everything! Anything can spark an idea: from scrap bits of coloured paper in the most perfect shade of pink, to cafe menus with amazing typography from a trip overseas.

Alice: Working in such a creative team really helps me to stay inspired on a day to day basis.

Ella: I always look up and advise others to too! There's so much more going on around you than what's on your devices, it's so important to open your mind to things right in front of you.

Nicola: Day to day I'm inspired by being out and about, taking in what's happening on the streets of London. I'm most inspired by nature but if I'm not lucky enough to be out in the countryside I'm inspired by the people around me, daydreaming on the train… generally soaking up real life rather than staring at a screen!

What is it like working at Papier?

Beth: Papier is such a fun company to work for. As well as the creativity within the role, we have so many clubs, from a mixed 5-a-side football team to board game nights and a weekly yoga club which is taught by Emily in our CRM team.

Fiona: Papier is a great place to work - our creativity is constantly encouraged with 'class trips' to current exhibitions and creative events; and we get a monthly cultural allowance to help us enjoy everything inspiring London has to offer

Trix: Working at Papier is a creative's dream. The product design team are always creating beautiful new stationery that I have the opportunity to plan shoots for and we have our own in-house studio at our office. There are so many gorgeous designs (including our new exciting Monica Vinader collection) to work with and I love to create images that really show off the originality of the designs. It's not all work here though - I've really loved joining our Papier football team having been a complete beginner beforehand. I haven't scored a goal yet… but it's surely only a matter of time?

What's your favourite way of being creative outside your role at Papier?

Alice: I do a ceramics class on a Saturday morning. I love it, it's nice to find different outlets for creativity. I'd love to try Woodworking but living in a little one bed flat in London doesn't leave much space for that kind of pastime.

Beth: Outside of Papier, I do calligraphy in my spare time. I'm part of a letter-exchange with a couple of friends who also do calligraphy and it's an amazing excuse to send intricately lettered envelopes (and receive them, which is the best bit!)

Paige: My nan taught me how to knit a couple of years ago and I haven't looked back! I always have a project on the go, that I can pick up when I'm chilling at home or on my long commute into London. It's kind of meditative and it really helps me reset having a creative outlet away from the screen.

Chloe: I love getting creative with food - it's the perfect way to wind down after a busy day or joyfully waste an entire morning at weekends. I have tons of second-hand recipe books to leaf through for inspiration but love just making up my own recipes. It's an entirely different way to be creative compared to what I do at work and it's also a great thing to be able to share with friends.

What's your favourite thing about working in a team of all women?

Christina: I have really enjoyed building & growing the Creative team over the past 4.5 years. It's been so rewarding to see the team flourish and go from strength to strength - it's just a coincidence that we all happen to be women!

Nicola: I feel lucky to work with an amazingly talented creative team who all support, encourage, and laugh alongside each other everyday. We just happen to all be women, who collectively create loads of great work and eat an impressive amount of biscuits, both of which I'm very proud of!

Paige: It's definitely empowering as a female creative to work in a team of all women. We really do support and build each other up - I feel very lucky that I get to work with this bunch of brilliant, talented ladies!

Which strong women are your inspirations?

Alice: Probably my mum. She quit nursing after 25 years to pursue her dream career in Illustration. Which is incredibly brave. She took a leap and now she's illustrated a ton of children's books.

Trix: A strong woman I really admire is visual artist Hito Steyerl. She's totally one of those women 'I want to be when I grow up'. She's always pushing the boundary of her field in video and really explores why and how we interact with the imagery and media that we consume. Her work is completely and utterly fascinating!

Chloe: I'm inspired by women who fight for social and environmental change, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Greta Thunberg and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Closer to home, I'm inspired by my strong female friends, family and colleagues because we encourage and support each other in the every-day things and that goes a very long way!

What does your jewellery say about you?

Ella: I usually look for unique pieces at vintage markets, rare finds which come with little back stories from the 60s. For my 21st I designed my own bespoke necklace which was then handmade, I had something in mind but I couldn't find exactly what I had imagined - I wanted it to be completely personal to me, one of a kind and now holds a memory with it.

Nicola: I'm a total magpie and don't feel ready for the day unless I'm layered in some jewellery, I prefer the more is more approach! I collect it from everywhere I go so I love that I carry these little stories and nuggets of history around with me. My great nans turqoise wedding ring sits with one I got from a market on holiday 20 years ago.

Fiona: I'm drawn to pieces with an organic shape and feel - i also love green - emerald & peridot are always a favourite.

Trix: I love wearing jewellery that reminds me of a person or memory, I think it's such a wonderful way of keeping a loved one close to you. I have a few pieces that I have worn everyday since receiving them as gifts years ago, and every time I glance at my wrist and see a bangle or ring, I feel a reminder of that person and day. I love picking out jewellery for gifts too, such as picking the perfect gem colour I know that will really speak to the receiver, it's a little piece of love that they can keep with them always.

Describe your workwear style

Alice: I don't really go in for "Work Wear" I wear the same things on the weekend as I do at work. If i bought a suit (It's on my list) I would wear it to the pub on a Sunday.

Trix: My workwear style has to be comfortable and fun! As I spend so much time shooting in the studio I need to wear something I can be agile in, hopping up and down to move lights, sets and props in. My go-to piece would definitely be a bright pink boiler suit, an outfit that makes me feel joy and full of colour like the big kid I am, feeding this positivity and wonder into my work.

Christina: Colourful from top (my pink hair) to toe! I love colour and print and am not afraid to mix and match. Being Finnish, I've grown up with Marimekko's bold oversized prints. I also love a jazzy shoe, and have a few pairs of metallic brogues, some with bunny ears by Minna Parikka.

What do you enjoy most when you're designing a collection in collaboration with one of Papier's design partners like Monica Vinader?

Christina: It's always amazing to work with design partners on collaborations. It's a chance for us to re-imagine something and apply it to stationery products in unexpected ways. With the Monica Vinader collaboration, we were inspired by the bold colours and beautiful textures of raw gemstones. We applied gold-detailing to the designs inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. It was great seeing the stationery collection come to life from the raw materials used in Monica Vinader jewellery.

Beth: When working on a design collaboration I enjoy a chance to imagine myself in someone else's shoes - asking myself what scale shows the original work at its best? How would they style the typography?

You can shop the full Monica Vinader x Papier collection at Papier.com

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