LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?
FIND IT HERE!
NYC SHOPPING SEARCH
|
Floral Scents from Prada and Nina Ricci
Officially summer doesn't end for another few weeks, but the unofficial finish line is in sight-dreaded Labor Day, when, alas, we start to think of back-to-school, back-t
|
|
Sferra, S'Fine
We love Sferra linens -- all that luscious Italian bedding, so handsomely designed, so soft to the touch, so elegant on the bed. It is th
|
|
Summer Camp for Furs: Alexandros
By this time, your furs should have gone to summer camp -- if they haven't, now is definitely the time. Don't think that keeping them sequestered in the back of a closet in an air-conditioned apart
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beautiful Papers from Bell'Invito
Back to the Blog... | Post Feedback | Author Bio | Printer-Friendly
 Not so long ago, Heather Wiese-Alexander worked at Neiman Marcus as an art director, but in her spare time, she loved to make striking note cards and wedding and shower invitations for friends. As might be expected, that avocation took hold over her life and soon it was the vocation, not the pastime. Her passion for elegant stationery and exquisite writing papers led her to the Italian paper-maker, Fabriano, manufacturers and purveyors of some of the finest 100% cotton papers with a luscious feel to the surface.
Her next quest was to locate the right machinery to produce old-fashioned letterpress. Yes, many people like engraved stationery, but the true (and perhaps smug) aficionado knows the value of handsomely turned papers, as they are spewed out of a hand-cranked letterpress. There is nothing like the feel of a wonderfully crafted letterpress note.
Husband Scott Alexander remembered seeing pictures of a letterpress back in his family's printing business, in Arkansas. It took a little arm-twisting, but the couple succeeded in wresting away a press from Scott's great-great-great uncle, and after noodling and doodling, Bell'Invito was born.
Wiese-Alexander and her team do everything themselves, by hand. Her designs range from the expected anima ls and flowers, to the unexpected - her Merletto (lace) collection is rife with splashes of gold, textured, lace-like patterns. There are Oriental-inspired motifs, fanciful designs, and representational themes; envelopes are exquisitely lined in lavish papers. The stock is heavy, substantial, and weighty enough for serious thoughts.
There are custom-made designs, and Wiese-Alexander specializes in imaginative and chic wedding invitations (the save-the-date invitation on a wine bottle provides info on hotels and so on for out-of-town guests), her ready-to-write boxed sets, and all manner of cards, notes, and letter papers come in assorted sizes (and locally are available at Bergdorf Goodman. Every one of her papers is a treat to touch and a pleasure to write on, although you may be tempted NOT to write on them, since they are so special. .
Posted on July 07, 2010 - by
Reader Feedback -
Be the first to kick-start this discussion...
About the Author: About the Author: Ruth J. Katz is a well-known shopping and service writer based in New York City. She has written about shopping for 25 years for New York magazine; covered the topic on-air at Fox-TV for several years as the Home Services expert; and had her own show on both the USA and Lifetime Cable networks. Katz wrote extensively for The New York Times as well, and contributed periodically to the New York Daily News. She is a passionate shopper, always looking for not merely a good buy, but the best buy, ferreting out a "steal" or discovering up-and-coming designers. She has written five books and is a former contributing editor to Hearst's Redbook, Classic Home, and Colonial Homes; she is currently a Contributing Editor of New York Home, Golf Connoisseur, The Modern Estate, and Promenade magazines. She is also the former Shopping Director for Davler Media's Manhattan Living.
Recent Entries:
|
|
| FIND IT HERE |
|
|
