Bookselling

Stylish Sidelines: Basics & Beyond
Cynthia Clark -- 10/30/00
With style and subtle sophistication, original artwork offers classy sideline opportunities


Morrow Designs' hand-colored
photo note cards are a
whimsical delight.
Sidelines offerings, increasingly influenced by the proliferation of museum stores, European design and original artwork, look sharper, chic-er and artier than ever.
Morrow Designs, in Berkeley, Calif., gives the traditional black-and-white photographic greeting card renewed vigor and flair. Photographer Georgia Morrow hand-colors original photographs and inserts them into black photo corners on white card stock, resulting in an individual, nostalgic presentation. The images, however, are fresh and keenly observed, which gives the whole a modern, perceptive feel. Ranging from whimsical to hilarious, sentimental to funky, these charming cards, blank inside, lend themselves to a broad array of occasions, including holiday, birthday and personal. Call (510) 644-3220; fax (415) 467-2525; e-mail morrows2@earthlink.net.


Waste Not Paper, of Chicago, Ill., takes an entirely contemporary approach to classic stationery goods, including journals, albums, papers, notes and envelopes, as well as gift wrap, ribbon, labels, boxes and tins. Paper-bag sheets and envelopes in 100% recycled paper are fun, stripped-bare essentials, while the glassine and vellum versions knock your socks off with color and verve. Journals of unique formats, either 6"×6" square or 6"×12" horizontal rectangle, come in various combinations of vellum and glassine papers, in color mixtures to titillate and inspire. Sophisticated, with an edge. Call (800) 867-2737; fax (312) 906-9667.


Fiddlehead Life Accessories, in Seattle, Wash., introduces its first collection of paper products for the consumer market after 10 years of business focusing on private-label products for major U.S. corporations. And quite a splashy debut it is. Journals, notecards and stationery, photo albums and party invitations, travel and desk accessories, address books and business-card holders, Post-it cubes and postcards, all in lively colors and styles. Especially eye-catching are the two complete lines of journals, address books, stationery, Post-it cubes and matching paperclips in significantly vibrant shades of red and blue. The more subdued but equally appealing 24.7 line features black-and-white pages with red spiral binding and accents. Not to forget newer technology, Palm Pilot cases in charcoal or cranberry leather are also part of the lineup. Call (888) 343-2738; fax (913) 307-0461; e-mail papercollection@fiddlehead.com.


"Benza," Italian slang for "gasoline," also means hot new ideas from a young international group of designers based in New York City. While Benza's products cover a wide swath of categories, many would brighten a desktop at home or office. The Mutant Vase, an unlikely sounding but sleekly attractive moldable cylinder vase made, in essence, of the world's largest steel Slinky trapped between the top and bottom parts of an aluminum vase, offers a unique receptacle for a lone bud or small spray of flowers. Mousepads in fanciful shapes (the Superbug tadpole; paint splash Squiggle; cartoon-figure Goober) and hip colors provide refreshing alternatives to the usual desktop fare. Sticky Clocks, smallish wall clocks that adhere to just about anywhere with Velcro, come in two styles: the Sticky Cheese, a rectangular clock whose face numbers are holes reminiscent of Swiss cheese, and the Sticky Sauce, a splatter shape whose extensions roughly approximate the essential hours on a clock. Perfect for an office cubicle wall. Call (212) 243-4047; fax (212) 243-4689; e-mail help@benzadesign.com.


Drawing on the cutting-edge design of ages past, H-n-W International Inc. of West Caldwell, N.J., presents the Rennie Mackintosh Collection, a line of gift and home products inspired by the work of early 20th-century Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, leader of the Glasgow School and member of the international Art Nouveau movement. The product line features both Mackintosh patterns and replicas. Desk clocks, table lamps, photo frames and boxes would all make elegant, upscale accouterments. Call (800) 446-9862; fax (800) 446-4023; e-mail hnwint@bellatlantic.net.


American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, whose own work was deeply influenced by Mackintosh's designs, now also has a retail collection based on his creations. MANI-G'Raps & Co., in Madison, Wis., presents gift wraps and enclosures, tote bags, invitations and picture frames that bear interpretations of Wright's textiles, stained-glass windows and architectural projects from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and the Robie House in Chicago, among others. You can't go wrong with Wright's designs, and the many other coordinated gift-wrap lines from this company reflect similar high quality and style. The Edward Gorey line adds tremendous wit as well. Call (800) 510-7277; fax (608) 255-070; Web site www.mani-g-raps.com.


The ultimate arbiter of good modern design, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, has taken its renowned museum store on the road with a wholesale catalogue of impressive dimensions. New items for fall 2000 include baby and garden journals, boxed holiday ornaments and optical vases by New York sculptor Sydney Cash. A variety of tote bags, intriguing small lamps, bookmarks, playing cards, colorful nylon portfolio bags, geometric paperclips and boxes upon boxes of note cards, journals, calendars and fabulous holiday cards are also to be found in the catalogue, all based on objects in the museum's esteemed collections. Profits from sales contribute to the support of MoMA. Call (212) 708-9800; fax (212) 333-1103; e-mail wholesale@moma.org.