The idea of ​​writing with luxury material

Even the simplest and most traditional shops are susceptible to finding a gourmet version. Bakeries, coffee shops or ice cream shops in special and exquisite mode is understood, after all we talk about food. But … And the stationery? Are the catalog of the stationery stores, economical, accessible and massive by definition, gourmetizables? There are shops who think so, and the success of stationery stores like Panda Bohéme in Vigo is a good test.

Everything is gourmet. Or, at least, everything can be gourmet. It is a phenomenon that already dates from some years, linked to premiumization and specialization of traditional shops, where everyday products are transformed into objects of desire through design, quality, customization and purchase experience. It is the answer we have to the advancement of digitalization and mass standardization, looking for exclusivity, individuality and sensory pleasure in daily life and everyday life.

Examples? Gourmet bakeries and pastries, Specialty coffee shops, Artisanal ice cream shopscheese and selected charcations, design florists and, of course, and linked to gourmet stationery stores, independent libraries.

And stationery. This, applied to the stationery stores, runs in the same direction: the type of products that are in a traditional trade in the sector, but with the focus on the exclusive, the artisanal and creative inspiration. A lot of material for crafts, calligraphy, drawing and accent in the premium product: notebooks, pens, folders, all of good quality and with somewhat higher prices than usual. And also import products, especially Japan, where there is a whole Cultural obsession with stationery products.

German origins. A pioneer example in Europe from this type of shops is Divine Designfounded on Germany in 2003and that from its origin it was distinguished by its commitment, unheard of in the times prior to the global massification of the Internet, for ecological materials and the high standards of quality of its products. As of the 2010, The phenomenon began to expand through Europe and Asiadriven by the rise of Japanese, Korean and American brands.

The return to the world in a thousand stationery. According to the trend he has expanded around the world, each country has welcomed it to its aesthetic and cultural preferences. For example, in Japan there are Material brands for this type of shops like Kokuyo, Tombow, Zebra, Pilot, Uni-Ball, Sun-Star or Midori, and stand out for how they combine functionality, aesthetics and pleasure of use. The deep roots of Japanese culture with the paper industry is remarkable, both for its millenary tradition with material and his conception of writing and calligraphy as an act of emotional root, as with the adoption of recent aesthetic currents, such as The Kawaii.

In Korea, aesthetics is even more accentuated, with brands such as Iconic, Monami or Livework, with the accent placed on the design and soft colors. On the other hand in the United States, it is committed to the functional and the resistant, although there are also minimalist designs and veteran brands, where names such as Cloth & Paper or Smythson stand out.

And in Spain? The phenomenon has been settling in Spain for a few years, with certain common elements: the essential presence of Japanese and Korean material and the importance of social networks and the Internet in the business. For example, one of the most prominent gourmet stationery stores is Panda Bohèmeof Vigo, with a physical store of more than 250 m² where it organizes events and workshops, such as Pop-ups of import marks. Significantly, your Instagram account has almost 40,000 followers due to the care with which they show and teach their catalog. Other important stores are Likely.es, Bomagui either Ikigai.

Paper philosophy. This flowering of libraries has a lot to do with the movements of Digital detoxification who advocate a Return to physical experiences. The pleasure of writing on paper, although it seems unchanging in these times of total digitalization, has some connection with ancestral traditions that in high -end stationery stores have been in charge of modernizing and providing meaning again. New times for activities as old as humanity itself.

Header | Panda Bohème

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