If you are a stationeryphile, you have already most likely heard of the amazing Antiquaria and the design duo behind it, Bailey Ammon and Emma James. But, if you are a retailer, you may not have heard of them, since up until now their incredible array of product has only been sold direct to consumer.
“It’s not an understatement to say that we’re obsessed with all things paper,” they write in their inaugural wholesale catalog. “And we love, love, love a good old-fashioned hand-written note.”
Thanks to the bevy of card collections they just released last Friday, good-old fashioned hand-written notes just got a lot more interesting. In their charming world, a vintage-meets-modern design aesthetic is the order of the day, and masterful calligraphy meets hand-drawn illustration, well-considered foil accents and lots of breathtaking surprises.
First up we’ve got A Tropical Affair, the vibe is very Lily Pulitzer meets Holly Golightly.
I grew up tailing my mom through estate sales and antique stores, so to me the Hankerchief Collection is everything I love about those cultural museums.
The retro collection is definitely in a similar vein — though more androgynous and whimsical. If I had a store, I would display these alongside vintage Russell Wright or Dansk tableware.
Their gilded botanical collection really epitomizes Antiquaria’s signature modern-meets-vintage aesthetic.
The Great Outdoors collection is tailored to the masculine market but appealing to everyone. I adore that copper foil-navy combo!
Antiquaria is also a purveyor of patterned paper, great for craft projects or lining envelopes. The linen text weight paper features an enticing range of their hand-painted designs. I feel like these would make a great backdrop for a window display.
Don’t miss the sweet pocket notebooks or holiday cards either! This launch was obviously a huge endeavor, and Bailey & Emma were kind enough to take a few questions about it.
SS: How long did the process of going wholesale take?
B&E: It took about 9 months, however, the big push for the catalog and design selection started in April 2014.
SS: What were the inspirations behind these gorgeous new cards?
B&E: We LOVE collaborating with each other so we really just designed what we wanted to use ourselves. We typically start our design process with an inspiration board and color palette as well. Our collections, The Great Outdoors and A Tropical Affair started this way.
SS: Bailey, you are in Santa Clarita, California, and Emma, you are in Austin, Texas. How do the two of you collaborate long-distance?
B&E: We’re really good at it now! We use technologies such as screen sharing and video chat to have collaborative meetings as well as old fashioned phone chats to hash out details. Of course, we miss each other like crazy but we’re happy that we can make it work! For big stuff, like our catalog photo shoot we will travel to physically both be there to help.
If it’s not obvious, I’m pretty smitten — and very excited to see how retailers are going to promote and integrate this incredible release into their existing merchandise mix. If you do reach out to Bailey & Emma to carry their line, please tell them Sarah sent you!
Oh, and for you regular old stationeryphile consumers, you can shop the line here — and hopefully in person at a store nearby very soon!
The Great Outdoors collection is tailored to the masculine market but appealing to everyone. I adore that copper foil-navy combo!
Don’t miss the sweet pocket notebooks or holiday cards either! This launch was obviously a huge endeavor, and Bailey & Emma were kind enough to take a few questions about it.
