Sometimes, the old ways are still the best ways. This statement rings true for our most recent subject in the NoFilter Who series, Deborah Lau-Yu of PALETTERA, a maker of truly iconic stationery. We spent a day touring the office of PALETTERA and were lucky enough to catch Deborah at work on some of her signature designs, which have appeared in The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards and Suzanne Rogers Presents, among other events.
Deborah also chatted with us about her love affair with vintage press, and why she feels that the tools of “the past” are still essential to preserving the stories of our lives today. Read on to learn about her creative process and to find out more about a special giveaway that PALETTERA is offering our readers!
NF: We know you are an expert in designing stationery. Can you share with us what you have created, how it started, and some of your influences?”
D: One key area of our business is indeed luxury stationery, eluded by our motto, “The Makers of Iconic Stationery.” We have designed invitations and event stationery for intimate events such as weddings and anniversaries, as well as for large-scale events such as galas and corporate milestones. Some of our notable clientele include the David Foster Foundation, Shangri-la Hotel, The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards, Canadian Fabric Magazine, Suzanne Rogers Presents, Toronto Fashion Incubator, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, and the Ford Motor Company.
The function of event stationery is to invite and to indulge your guests with an incredible experience, sharing with them an inspiring or tell-worthy story. An event marks a milestone and is a sacred marker of time. Therefore, we cherish stationery because of what it represents.
Our influence overall comes from the community and the stories of our clients. Formally, our inspiration comes from all our surroundings everyday — people, fashion, architecture, music, art, history, travel, the news, agriculture, events, celebrations, home decor, business…. it’s important to look outside of one’s discipline to discover its true value and function.
NF: The work you create at PALETTERA is crafted by hand using vintage presses, traditional techniques and tools of “the past”. Can you tell us what inspired you to go against the grain of an increasingly paperless and computer-based digital world?
D: Most have heard the feared phrase, “print is dead.” Most have also disagreed with it, including ourselves, and we have complete clarity on why print is alive more than ever! Print was originally invented so that books and human knowledge could be documented and shared consistently throughout the world. It was functional and though printing methods were beautiful, they were mundane to their time. As technology was enhanced, it became easier to encounter print and today, we can purchase a home office printer for under $100 CDN and print easily. It’s also very easy nowadays to send an electronic invitation or an email; these modern necessities make communication more efficient. We can chat, shop, date and be entertained online.
But at the core of it, we are human. We have hands, hearts, minds and eyes. Therefore, in a highly digital age, beautifully made physical objects are cherished so much more. Printed work has tangible substance; they are physical objects that take up space and time. It is this very fact of physicality that relates to the human scale — our printed pieces fit into our hands, and is fascinating to touch and discover. The texture of letterpress is so stunning, when combined with our hand-illustrated artwork that also has the warmth of a human touch.
The tools of “the past” were so beautifully made, with robust logic and durable parts. The clinking of metal that meets on our letterpress, or the book press that spindles to a halt. These sounds and experiences of tools are so magical. When I draw with my fountain ink pen onto paper, it makes a wonderful scratchy sound just as the ink trickles down, and an image is born. This is SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING than stock images and downloading graphics.
NF: One-of-a-kind creations for every individual project are indeed very challenging. How do you draw inspiration from your clients to create something that reflects their story?
At PALETTERA, when a client commissions work with us, we sit down and discover their story. Then we do research and draw on our experiences to differentiate them from their category. Everyone has a story, and we make it interesting and unforgettable through our work.
NF: As an entrepreneur who works with her partner, what advice would you give other family business owners?
D: Entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging things someone can take on in life. It requires vision, determination, endless patience, resources of time and money, and complete passion for it to succeed. My advice to other family business owners would be to first evaluate what the goals are and to define the core values of their company. As my husband would say, the core values are the soul of the company and they help to keep everyone aligned from top to bottom.
You must also trust each other. You have to be able to love, argue, debate, forgive, build, overcome, and go to war together as a company. So getting into business with other family members is on one hand a good thing because you should technically be able to trust each other. However, if you don’t, then don’t risk everything by overlooking the issue of trust. Trust isn’t just about money (as some may think in the early stages of a business)… it’s about a partnership and working together everyday for as long as you employ each other and your staff.
NF: Work aside, you and Ray are very active in the community. Tell us about a memorable event PALETTERA was involved in?
D: Philanthropy and building our community is another key area of our business at PALETTERA. Our body of work is not only about our clients and the quality final product — it is also about our legacy and overall role in the community. Some of the non-profit community organizations we have worked with include Sick Kids Foundation Herbie Fund, Yee Hong Geriatric Centre, the Assaulted Women’s Helpline, David Foster Foundation, Toronto Fashion Incubator, and the Markham Stouffville Hospital.
One memorable event that is noteworthy is The Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, which is now in its second year. PALETTERA is the official graphic design and stationery partner. CAFA was created to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement and emerging talent in Canadian fashion design. In doing so, we hope to encourage the economic development of the Canadian fashion industry and Canadian culture. The culture of a nation is reflected in the many ways that people express themselves and fashion is the visible and collectively accessible means of that self-expression. We believe the time has come for Canadian fashion and culture to step into the national spotlight. Together with CAFA, we help Canadian designers build stronger businesses on Canadian soil.
For this project, our work had a national and international audience, so it was important that the theme of Canadiana was loud and clear in the first year. We created the event branding, overall logo design and art direction, invitations and program books, event graphics, and ads that were published in the Globe & Mail and National Post. Long time talents including supermodel Coco Rocha, fashion icons Joe Mimran and Kimberly Newport-Mimran, international designers Dean & Dan Caten of DSQUARED2, and iconic fashion TV host Jeanne Beker were amongst the award winners and guests. It was AMAZING to see CAFA draw out an incredible crowd to the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, like a mini-Oscar’s for fashion design, and finally recognizing Canadian talent on Canadian soil. We hope that this initiative will continue to build the cultural landscape in Canada.
We are also working on several other projects that are similar in cultural impact, and hope to share this with you in the near future! If there is anyone who is looking for a meaningful place to work and be a part of a dynamic team of designers, craftsmen, business minds, and cultural enthusiasts, get in touch with us!
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We immediately fell under the spell of Deborah’s craft. From intimate weddings to business events, Deborah’s designs truly capture the essence of a memorable event and all the people involved in it. We think you will be just as enchanted as well; we are excited to offer our readers a bonus gift with PALETTERA. From now until December 31, 2014, PALETTERAwill include a set of 250 bespoke letterpress business cards with the signing of any branding or event project. NoFilter readers can take advantage of this offer by presenting the code “NoFilter Magazine” to PALETTERA.
Take a closer look at PALETTERA here:
https://www.facebook.com/PALETTERA
Twitter: @palettera
