Colourology planners and Luminary notebooks from In Real Life now available at Waterstones in-store and online.
Former Paperchase colleagues turned business partners, Clare Morant and Kitty Chan launched their stationery company, In Real Life at Top Drawer last month, showing their Colourology planners and Luminary notebook collections.
Clare and Kitty’s journey began with a shared passion for design and all things stationery, having spent many years crafting innovative products for Paperchase during the retail chain’s heyday, pushing the boundaries with trendsetting yet affordable ranges, that were revered the world over.
“We worked closely together for 10 years at Paperchase, scoping out the trends and turning them into saleable products, so know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, ” revealed Clare. “However, together we can bring valuable insight into what product formats resonate with customers, the price points customers expect for paper products, the ideal factories to collaborate with, and how to innovate around customer needs while prioritising sustainability and commerciality.”
Following the sad demise of the much-loved retailer, Clare moved on to become buying manager at WHSmith’s new retail concept brand Curi.o.city, while Kitty became a WHS buyer. But with an itch to flex their entrepreneurial drive and to develop their own products, they took a leap of faith and launched their own company.
Their experience is already paying dividends, with the Colourology planners and Luminary notebook collections are debuting in Waterstones – certainly a strong start for a completely new brand.
These are the first of their stationery ranges to launch at retail, with follow-ups of Expressions and Petalscape collections in the pipeline to land in the spring.
Alongside the stationery, the dozen greeting card collections have been crafted in collaboration with former Paperchase designers Laura Girling, Jessica Holt, Emily Hopgood, Laura Bertinelli and Jessica Eyre, each reflecting current trends with their own style. Also on board is David Howard who was senior brand content manager at the retailer.
Read more about In Real Life’s story in the Autumn/Winter issue of Stationery Matters.
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Top: Kitty Chan and Clare Morant on the In Real Life stand at Top Drawer last month.
