In 2004, Wenda was a bride-to-be with a headache. Her invitation designer had eloped with a high-ranking Google stockholder and disappeared into an Estonian party town (this is just a guess on my part — at any rate, she'd way dropped the ball).
Not one to be steamrollered by these weensy wrinkles, Wenda stepped up and designed her own prototype. The results were Pretty Incredibly Good, so she joined forces with another artist type, Duane, and kept going.
I think I fell in love with Tucci Paper when I happened across this pink, galvanized, sort of molecular design while doing a random search on Google images. It wasn't extravagant, but it was one of the most different ... and confident ... invitations I'd ever seen.
I looked around some more, and I saw that these guys were a) in love with beautiful materials, and b) had an incredibly appealing, extremely West Coast fusion thing going. A little research about their background turned up the perfect phrase: they wanted to create "something for the X and Y's." How cute is that?
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Here are a few materials you might encounter in a Tucci invitation: raffia and hemp twine. Silk flowers or leaves. Leather. Grommets. Sheer satin ribbon. Imported brocade. Beads and fringe. Artisinal and silk screened papers from Europe and Asia. Drooling yet?
And yet, when I look at their portfolio, what I see is a remarkable amount of discipline and a really distinct style. I mean, all this tactile luxury could easily dissolve into a sort of chaotic cottage clutter, but it never does. I think you could honestly recognize a Tucci Paper invite in a glossy without reading the text. (Which you could try for yourself, since they just got some press in the oh-so-very-very-impressive-and-choosy Bride & Bloom for summer 2007.)
So anyway, Wenda was kind enough to take some time out of her super-booked schedule to chat with us about her day and design process. Thanks, Wenda!
Enjoy!
wedsmack: Were you at the National Stationery Show? (Just curious!)
tuccipaper: Not yet, but that's definitely a future plan!
wedsmack: How do most of your clients hear about you? Word of mouth? Online?
tuccipaper: Word of mouth, hands down. It's proven to be an effective form of marketing for us — we've gotten a lot of referrals from past clients.
wedsmack: Do you have an Etsy store?
tuccipaper: Yes! We just signed up for an Etsy account. I love independent art — there are so many great artists on that site. I love the versatility!
wedsmack: Tell us about your favorite project so far.
tuccipaper: There are so many. But I'd have to say designing for this very upscale, swanky wedding in the 250K range made me a bit nervous. This invitation was lettered in gold ink, featuring a custom-drawn phoenix and dragon on imported Italian text. It was all hand-wrapped in a gold-flecked onyx cardstock.
That was the most extensive art piece I've ever worked on — but it was exciting, and the client loved it. And it represented more than their exchange of vows, it honored their past and their history, so the invitation had a lot of meaning.
wedsmack: You use amazing materials, and they seem to be very important to you. What are your favorites right now and how do you choose them?
tuccipaper: I'm a big fan of Japanese washi, textures and color! I don't discrimate when it comes to materials, though. I'll basically use anything that catches my eye and meshes well with the client's personality.
wedsmack: You seem to have a very west coast urban/Asian focus. Where do you get your inspiration?
tuccipaper: I'm inspired by all these beautiful people out here on the coast! I'll meet a client, we'll talk about their event, and a design will come to mind. It's like seeing their "aura" and putting it down on paper.
wedsmack: What's your favorite afternoon pick-me-up to keep yourself in the groove? The perfect latte from somewhere in the neighborhood? The gym?
tuccipaper: Ahh yes ... we all need a dose of creativity. I'll put on some funky, feel-good music. It feeds my soul! And I'm a caffeine junkie, so a mocha frapuccino helps too!
wedsmack: What's your favorite accessory, art piece or furniture find in your home?
tuccipaper: I work a lot, so my favorite place is the last place I'm in — my bed! Plus, I'm a thread-count snob. I have these beautiful chartreuse and chocolate sheets in 800 tc's. The design is awesome - a beautiful Indian pattern with hand-applied beading.
wedsmack: Do you have a favorite design magazine or blog?
tuccipaper: I love http://www.trunkt.com/ ... lots of interesting up-and-coming artists on this site.
wedsmack: Anything else to share with us?
tuccipaper: This was fun! Thanks, Blake! We'll keep you updated with our new pieces (fun stationery, notecards, imprintables and more!) with the launch of our new site: tuccipaper.com. We'll also be featuring products on our Etsy store. We love to create — so any custom work is more than welcome. Talk to us! Have a good one!
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