Today I'm revisiting an interview I did with letterpress printer and stationery designer Robin Beth. This interview was pertaining to the 2010 National Stationery Show and what she had to do in order to get ready. For a stationery/letterpress lover the National Stationery Show is like the super bowl of beautiful designs. I think Robins designs and impressive portfolio never get old. Enjoy!
Company name: Robin Beth Designs 
Owner/Designer: Robin Beth
Q: Tell me a little about you ( your design background) and how you started your company.
A: I started Robin Beth Designs in 2005 offering custom designs invitations and stationery. An obsession with letterpress quickly took me to the next level and after taking classes and acquiring my own press, I started printing my own work. I quickly realized that to find the widest audience that appreciated and understood letterpress I needed to be in the wholesale market and I signed up to exhibit at my first NSS in May of 2006.
Q: How did you come up with your company name.
A: I named my company Robin Beth because I was optimistic that perhaps someday as my brand grew, that I might expand into non-paper related product lines, and so I did not want to have the words, paper or press or stationery in the company name. And while what works for me now is purposely keeping my line to handmade letterpress products printed by me, I do still dream that someday Robin Beth will be like Vera Wang or Kate Spade!
As I mentioned before this is Robins fifth time at NSS, however I don't get the feeling it gets any easier as the years progress there are always new challenges and hurdles with each show. The booth design keeps coming up as one of the most stressful parts of the show. Putting together a booth that conveys the feeling and style of my line and doing it by myself and on a budget is always difficult. Robin stated that she has been building on her collection for the past five years slowly expanding and separating them into distinct categories. This year she has added five new designs to her Bar/Bat Mitzvah collection she describes them as bold and playful, still letterpress printed, but in a lower price point that the older designs. One of her goals is to be able to offer my retailers a larger price range to help them sell more of my line. When asked what she hoped to walk away the show with her response was, to find a larger audience of stores for my wedding line and introduce more buyers to my Charming Prints line of personalized letterpress art prints for babies & kids.
Q:What has been the most stressful part about getting ready for NSS?A: I always find booth design the most stressful part. Putting together a booth that conveys the feeling and style of my line and doing it by myself and on a budget is always difficult.
Q: Did you set a budget for NSS or has it been kind of a free for all?
A: I have definitely cut back this year as I am doing a group booth for the first time. I am in with an incredible bunch of talented letterpress printers and designers in the Let {Her} Press booth. It was very important for me to be there and this group booth really is a great way to do that on a budget.
0 comments:
Post a Comment