Pen To Paper - Spring 2018

06 | P2P Magazine | Spring 2018 01732 759725 STATIONERY TRENDS From the catwalk to the desktop Many of this year’s key stationery trends started on the catwalks of Paris, London and Milan. Tayla Ansell picks six to look out for. Pastels Inspired by fashion trends, soft and stylish pastel shades have been big in stationery for some years and their popularity shows no sign of abating, with Filofax, Staedtler and STABILO all launching new pastel ranges. Julia Langhein, marketing director at Filofax, said: “Pastels have grown up and sophisticated shades have been seen on the most stylish runways, including Victoria Beckham and Hermes. This has definitely translated into one of the strongest trends in stationery over recent years.” To meet continued demand for softer colours, Filofax has launched a range of pastel-coloured notebooks in Duck Egg, Lemon, Orchid, Rose and Vista Blue. The pastel trend is not confined to notebooks, but extends to writing instruments, including BOSS highlighters, which are now available in pastel yellow, peach, mint, pink, lilac and turquoise, as well as traditional neon shades. Vanya Hunter, UK marketing manager at STABILO, said: “Stationery today is an accessory, just as much as it is a tool for everyday life, and as such is influenced by popular trends. STABILO has embraced this with the introduction of pastel tones to its number one product, BOSS highlighters, which proved to be a bestseller in 2017.” She added: “This trend has been extended to the mini highlighters range for 2018 with the introduction of STABILO Mini Pastellove, a set of mini pastel highlighters featuring feel-good messaging, exclusively designed by lettering artist Hannah Rabenstein. Plus, a brand new pastel series of STABILO Swing Cool highlighters is coming soon...Watch this space!” STAEDTLER, too, expects demand for pastel shades to stay strong this year. Marketing manager Rachel Owen said: “The trend for pastels we noted in 2017 looks set to continue into 2018 and we are bringing out a range of pastel- coloured pencils, tub sharpeners, rulers and erasers in response to this.We expect them to be a big hit for BTS (back to school) 2018.” Digital convergence A love of stationery might seem at odds with today’s digital world. But, as a number of stationery brands are proving, stationery and technology can, and arguably should, co-exist. STAEDTLER, for example, while being quick to respond to new creative pastimes, such as adult colouring, hand- lettering and calligraphy, has also explored the possibilities of technology, as Owen explains. “Although analogue pastimes are still key – and bullet journaling reflects this – there are developments in digital and the world of technology, which STAEDTLER is embracing. These include our exciting partnership with Samsung, initiated in 2017, when we launched Noris Digital, an S-pen for Samsung devices featuring the eye-catching livery of a Noris pencil. This has been a hit with consumers who know and love Noris from their school days,” she said. As we describe on page 11, there are also a number of solutions that blend the digital and analogue, providing users with the best of both worlds. Filofax’s Langhein suggests that the relationship between technology and even traditional notebooks is more symbiotic than many realise. “We have noted with interest that as sophisticated technology has reduced in size and been brought in hand with the smartphone, people are moving to larger paper products. For many years, a pocket- sized notebook was the most popular format, but over the past three years larger sizes such as A4 and, in particular, A5 have taken over. Users are looking to complement their small screen with the larger page, which gives them more space to plan, think and create,” she said. Premium quality Another trend that reflects the influence of technology, says ExaClair marketing manager Clement Rouillard, is customers’ preference for well- made products over disposable ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ ranges. “Boutique, premium quality notebooks Continued ... STABILO Mini Pastellove Filofax pastel notebooks STABILO Swing Cool ExaClair Rhodia Heritage