Credit: Līneae
Written by Ardi
With the advent and adaptation of digitization, art and the process of writing slowly takes a step back, fading into the shadows of obscurity. What more the tools used to help create content are quickly becoming synonymous with tools of early mankind, soon to be forgotten by the rapid progress of technology.
But Līneae doesn’t think so. A newly established online store dedicated to designer stationery and accessories, the store carries around 20 different brands, many of which are sustainable, of the highest quality in design and function.
Credit: HMM (RuleOne)
The founder of Līneae is Stephanie Chew. Working on her day job alongside handling her online store while studying for her Master’s is no easy task. She has traveled to many places and experienced different cultures and ways of living from all around the world, gathering experiences as she reaches the far corners of the globe. We managed to talk with her about her love for stationery, sustainability and her plans for the future of Līneae.
“We often wait for the ‘right time’ to do something, and sometimes, there just isn’t a ‘right time’. Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut and give things your best shot.”
We were curious to see what made Stephanie start Līneae while being very busy in her life. The reason for her initiative was the fact that she felt there is not enough exposure and awareness about designer stationery in Malaysia and other countries in this region. She mentioned : ”I realized that there was somewhat low awareness of designer stationery, and consumers didn’t necessarily know what they were buying in terms of quality of make and materials – as long as it looked pretty or cute, that was good enough.”. For her, pen and paper are simple things that are often taken for granted. The idea behind Līneae is to curate a space where she can sell and showcase the work of small, independent brands that she has come across through her travels. A place where everything not only looks great but also functions well.
There’s something intriguing about the time and era that Stephanie has decided to start her business. The time when we type down our tasks, notes and stories on a computer or a mobile phone rather than writing them down on a piece of paper. We don’t write letters like before, we don’t take notes like how we used to do maybe 5 or 6 years ago so this question comes to mind, why start such business when we are using stationery less and less day by day?
Credit: The School Of Life (Philosophical Keyword Pencil Set)
For her, it is not just about the writing or note-taking, She believes that writing benefits us psychologically. It improves our mental health and can take away stress. So writing does still have its merits! She still takes notes by writing them down and she wants to let others experience the same joy and skills that she has from writing and penmanship.
Nowadays, getting a hand-written note can mean much more to us since it hardly ever happens. “We often wait for the ‘right time’ to do something, and sometimes, there just isn’t a ‘right time’. Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut and give things your best shot.” Says Stephanie.
”I believe that you do pay for what you get. The studios that craft designer stationery emphasises on dedicated craftsmanship, quality, methods of production, and even community. This love and thought elevates their products beyond what is available on the mass market.”
Since she has great love for stationery, we asked her what is her favorite piece and she describes it as:
“A mechanical pencil that I bought when I was about 10 years old. We were in LA on holiday, and my cousin took me to the Sanrio store there. I nearly lost my mind – it went on to be my favourite store for many years to come. Anyway, it was there that I purchased with my own money, a simple blue mechanical pencil that was bedecked by a tiny figure of Pekkle, a Sanrio character represented as a white duck in a blue t-shirt.
Credit : Stephanie Chew
It turned out to be the best mechanical pencil I’d ever used (at age 10) and never failed me. I used it in exams (everything was handwritten in my time) and to take notes even throughout high school. I was convinced this pencil also brought me good luck in exams and would bring it along with me to my uni exams. This pencil is special because it reminds me of the good times I always have with my family in LA and how 13 US Dollars has created such lasting memories in math, and more.”
Moving on, we decided to ask Stephanie’s opinion on how the designer stationery is perceived by Malaysians compared to the people from other countries where she has traveled to.
In her opinion, There is a much larger audience and appreciation for designer stationery overseas and the reason is the lack of exposure and awareness of such a small industry. She compares the designer stationery with haute couture pieces: “Many people know about the work that goes into luxury fashion and haute couture: someone designs the outfits, and seamstresses stitch them together in ateliers using the best materials they can find. Designer stationery is really not very different from that. You have a designer who draws up the structure and form of a product, creates the patterns and chooses the colours to produce them in.”
Credit : Monograph ( Pencil with eraser )
You might think why is there such a high price tag on the items but partially it’s because of the high currency rates but also Stephanie wants to make sure that the customers do get the best quality.
”I believe that you do pay for what you get. The studios that craft designer stationery place an emphasis on dedicated craftsmanship, quality, methods of production, and even community. This love and thought elevates their products beyond what is available on the mass market.”
The artisanal quality is usually sustainable and eco-friendly due to their exclusivity and method of production. The items are not mass-produced. They are built in small quantities and often need the help of other local artisans and craftsmen to give them a hand in their production which results in bringing the community together.
Credit: HMM ( Scissors with base in black )
Stephanie believes that the reason why in Malaysia designer stationery is not appreciated as much is because of the lack of interest for are and literature. “I have found that in countries where literature and art are more prominent, you find more designer stationery produced. For example, in Europe – you find that there is a greater awareness of the process and thus a greater appreciation of what one is purchasing. “
For her, the artisans who create these pieces should be supported just the way we support fashion designers and their work. It may be a bit pricey to purchase but by doing so, we can help to preserve “one of the oldest traditions of mankind and an important part of our culture – writing and the evolution of literature.”
Stephanie is an avid traveller, So we wanted to know if that has made her carry and care more about stationery as a way to plan her trips or maybe keep the memories of the trips or no? and we were not disappointed to find out that she still uses travel guidebooks and travel stories before she plans her trips on paper!
Credit : HMM ( Ballpoint )
“Somehow, drawing arrows and crossing something off on paper is still easier than hitting delete on a computer.” she told us. “That said, I am definitely picky when it comes to keeping a journal of my explorations! It’s always a tough choice when it’s time for a new travel journal, especially when you’re travelling light, every item has to be worth its weight in gold! I tend to keep separate journals for each trip so that each is a story on its own, but it also means that I can use smaller notebooks that are more portable and lightweight.”
Sustainability has become an important element in our lives and also in many industries. Fashion brands are producing sustainable pieces, cars are becoming more and more eco friendly. But how can we be sustainable while buying stationery ?
“When it comes to paper products, check if the paper is certified by the FSC. This will tell you if the paper has come from a sustainable source. And when purchasing recycled products, select products that are either 100% recycled, or FSC Recycled.”
Simply put, the FSC label will tell you whether a product is made of sustainable materials, both pure and recycled. Another obvious way is to try purchasing products with less packaging, or environmentally friendly packaging such as biodegradable or compostable plastic. You may also try to find out whether natural inks and dyes such as vegetable-based inks are used in place of synthetic inks which generally contain more chemicals.” Stephanie advised.
“Malaysia has an amazing range of crafts, which speaks to the different skills that still exist in our society today. From embroidery, beadwork and weaving, to more illustrative art such as batik and henna; I think that there certainly is potential for some of these art forms to be applied to stationery design.”
Another key point of Līneae is the attention on sustainable materials and products. The way that Stephanie deals with it is by trying to work with designers and brands who are faithful to produce their goods ethically, it can be sourcing their materials responsibly, to provide opportunities for their local community. She also aims to work with suppliers to enhance her packaging by working towards more eco-friendly alternatives.
It just doesn’t stop with her work, Stephanie is trying to be sustainable in her personal life as well.
“If there’s one thing traveling has taught me, it’s that you really don’t need half the things you own. Especially clothing items. So, I am trying to avoid fast fashion or disposable fashion where possible, and opting to buy better quality items that are made using better processes and more sustainable materials. As with the rest of the world, I am trying to consume less plastic – from shopping bags, to purchasing items that have minimal packaging or non-plastic packaging – and also consume fewer chemicals through simple but nonetheless important lifestyle choices, such as using reef- and marine-safe sunscreen.”
Since sustainability was a feature important to Stephanie for working with a brand, we asked her what other factors are there and she replied : “There are a few key factors when it comes to choosing which brands to work with – I look at the quality of their product, their values and most importantly, their story. I love brands that tell a story of their creation, and their motivation for doing so.”
Some of the smaller brands she collaborate with are either a family-run business or are owned by individuals. These brands work alongside other artisans within their community to produce their items.
When asked about her favorite local brand, she replied “I don’t have a favourite in particular, but I do like some of the notebook designs from Summorie (especially since they love layflat binding as much as I do) and the traditional patterns/designs that Nala has used on some of her stationery products.”
Credit: HMM ( RuleOne )
When it comes to Malaysian brands, we were eager to see if all the local crafts that we have can be infused with something like stationery to create unique pieces and Stephanie agreed with us.
“Malaysia has an amazing range of crafts, which speaks to the different skills that still exist in our society today. From embroidery, beadwork and weaving, to more illustrative art such as batik and henna; I think that there certainly is potential for some of these art forms to be applied to stationery design.”
This idea might need new methods of merging old crafts with something like a notebook or pencil or maybe the old techniques can be used to create certain products that carry the craft within it.
Credit: HMM ( Ballpoint )
At the end Stephanie shared with us her plans and vision for the future of Līneae.
“I would love to be able to grow Līneae as a brand and make more beautiful stationery available to people in the region and hopefully introduce these brands and products to people in other parts of the world where they are less known.
For now, I want to focus on sharing this with my fellow Malaysian stationery lovers and making well-designed stationery from all over the world available to them. It would be great to have a physical store or showroom in future where I can combine all my interests in one – design, stationery, travel, and food – a place that can showcase different parts of the world and at the same time educate people about culture and sustainable practices around the world.”
It was a great opportunity to be able to have this conversation with Stephanie Chew as it showed us a lot about the service and items that she is offering and did bring awareness about the things that she is most passionate about!
If you’re interested, you can have a look at Līneae Website here and don’t forget to follow their Instagram here.
