Millennia before the dollar was king, luxury textiles were some of the most valuable commodities around. It’s an image that Perennials Fabrics cultivates today through the use of brochures that feature sumptuous photography and, in the case of this gorgeous piece, paper that evokes the haptic impact of those great treasures of the Silk Road.
With its ‘Suit Yourself’ brochure, Perennials took a tongue in cheek approach to promoting its luxury fabric collection by presenting their model wearing their drapery in a gorgeous vest and blazer.
To hammer home this theme, designer Tom Nynas selected Mohawk’s Carnival Premium Linen for its deeply textured surface which mimics the look and feel of tightly woven linen fabric. The 80-lb. cover sheet is an excellent choice here as it’s heavy enough to feel substantial without being so heavy as to compromise the illusion that you’re holding a bundle of swatches in your hand.
To watch Sabine Lenz discuss Suit Yourself Brochure click here or on the video below:
It really is astonishing just how dramatically the use of texture can elevate a piece that already features rich photography to a whole new level. “The surface of Carnival Linen was the perfect canvas for this incredibly beautiful collection of luxury fabrics,” says Tom. “The minute your fingers touch the cover, the paper texture becomes part of the story.”
If they had simply stopped there I would’ve said “Well done, I’m sold.” But as you can see from the photography, Perennial Fabrics doesn’t seem to be the type to “stop there.” Clever die cuts call to mind the jagged edges of a fabric swatch while the red saddle stitching instantly brings to mind a tailor’s alterations. All in all, this clever pairing of paper stock and product is a perfect fit.
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- Mohawk Fine Papers
Sabine Lenz is the founder of PaperSpecs.com, the first online paper database and community specifically designed for paper specifiers.
Growing up in Germany, Sabine started her design career in Frankfurt, before moving to Australia and then the United States. She has worked on design projects ranging from corporate identities to major road shows and product launches. From start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, her list of clients included Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Deutsche Bank, IBM and KPMG.
Seeing designers struggle worldwide to stay current with new papers and paper trends inspired Sabine to create PaperSpecs, an independent and comprehensive Web-based paper database and weekly e-newsletter. She is also a speaker on paper issues and the paper industry. Some refer to her lovingly as the "paper queen" who combines her passion for this wonderful substrate called paper with a hands-on approach to sharing her knowledge.