THE STATIONERS TO KNOW
MOUNT S T R E E T P R I NT E R S This family business offers endless possibilities in print. Alex Cain, son of the founders, explains
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).
OL A Frustrated by notebooks on the market, Katy Goutefangea, a printmaker, launched her own brand
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).
PA P I E R Ex-antiques dealer Taymoor Atighetchi on the global expansion of this stationery superstar
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).