Homegirl London pays homage to Katie Leamon. Known for her luxury cards and sophisticated stationery, Katie’s designs are well considered and quite proper with a dash of English eccentricity. Expect to find and vintage curiosity style illustrations from pineapples to bumble bees and dragonflies along with neat rows of polka dots or zig zags and plenty of interesting typography spelling out glorious greetings. The neutral colour palette is interjected with the softer hues of Katie’s marble effect designs along with glimpses of gold. The extensive offering includes greetings cards, boxed cards, wedding invitations, desk stationery, personalised stationery, notepads, notebooks, gift wrap and more. Everything is proudly made in England using premium papers by members of Katie’s family. I caught up with Katie Leamon to find out more.
Card Selection
Meet Katie Leamon
Katie studied Textile Design at Loughborough University and worked in fashion for a while. She explains why she decided to start her own business – “I wanted to do something I loved every day with the flexibility to design exactly what I wanted. I had such a burning desire to make beautiful things with a unique design identity. I wanted to be able to write my own path and have a say in what direction a business should take. Besides, I’m a bit of a workaholic so I’d rather be reaping the rewards of my own hard work. I must say that it has all turned out much better than I ever expected. I get to work with family members and my partner which is great. The hours might be long and sometimes over the weekend but its well worth it!”
Katie
In 2011, Katie launched her stationery business which now employs five people. Katie is responsible for the creative side and overseeing all decisions within the company. She is very lucky to have great help from family members including her mum, sister and partner plus a couple of employees who have now become part of the family. She reveals – “We have grown very organically, taking baby steps at first and then continued to reinvest in the business as we grew. I am very lucky that my family were able to support me when necessary and provide financial advice when needed.”
Stationery Selection
The design studio and head office is located near Waterloo in London. Katie tells me – “I live nearby and my brother found a space here that was really reasonable considering its location. I have been here for nearly five years now and have built up a great group of friends and colleagues. Our production studio is based at our family home in the Essex countryside. It works well because my mum and sister are able to help out and still be close to where they live.”
Luxury Stationery Set
Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co is someone Katie holds in high esteem. She elaborates – “Her business model is incredible. She has gone so far in such a short amount of time. I’m not sure how she has done it so quickly but she is true to brand, produces beautiful, original products and doesn’t seem to have lost any quality or style as the brand has grown. She continues to be a huge inspiration in terms of company structure and growth and also seems to be very down to earth and modest about her success.”
View the Katie Leamon Collection
Katie talks me through her design style – “I would describe my style as tangible, considered and sophisticated. My designs are very thought out, all the materials and components are sampled and then executed with huge precision and care. I love the initial drawings and sketches that start the way to a final collection or product. We are a luxury brand so we use a lot of premium papers such as GF Smith and tend to stick to a neutral colour palette as most of the cards are hand printed in black onto cream board. We have recently introduced more colour, but keep it quite soft and blend it into the ranges.”
Bumble Bee Card
The business launched with an exclusive hand printed collection which Katie tells me continues to be the signature piece from the brand. She adds – “We use rubber stamps and print them all in house using an adapted letter press that holds the polymer stamp in place. It means that as each card is individually printed you get a unique piece every time.”
Pineapple Card
Typography cards with simple yet very apt sayings are popular. Katie elaborates – “My typography designs are often a result of brainstorming sessions where we decide what we would want to say to our friends or family on a special occasion. That might be something as simple as You’re Fabulous to Hooray It’s Your Birthday, Let’s Party.”
You’re Fabulous Card
The ideas for new collections are an evolution of popular designs. Katie reveals – “I try to develop my collections and use what is selling well to create new variations on that theme. For completely new designs I keep an eye on fashion trends, art exhibitions and what’s going on in the stationery world. I now have some cards with gold foiling which I think is going to be a trend and this offers a touch of luxury.”
Notes Notebook with Gold Lettering
The biggest and most renowned collection in recent months has been the marble range. Katie elaborates – “There are twelve greetings cards, six notebooks and notepads, gift wrap and tags as well as some stickers. I marbled the original pieces using some inks and water. It’s a technique that I learnt at school, the separation in the water creates a pattern on the surface which is then transferred onto the paper. It’s been a really successful collection both in the UK and internationally. I’m currently expanding this into other colour ways and products following its success.”
Caspian Gift Wrap and Tags
Buy the Katie Leamon Products
You can buy these cards and stationery from the Katie Leamon. To give you an idea about price points Cards are £3.25-3.50, Two Pack Gift Wrap and Tags £4.75, Notepads £5.75 and Notebooks £8.75. These can be shipped overseas.
Wedding Invitations
If you’re planning a wedding you might be interested in their wedding invitation service. Katie can personalise a range of simple designs to fit with your particular theme. She can also personalise correspondence cards with your name and contact details. All the designs and printing is done in-house so will be top quality.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Courtesy of Laura Hutchinson Photography. Thanks: Katie Leamon and Georgia Fraser.
