THE MANY WAYS OF PAPER - A DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: with Summer Yang Calligraphy, Paris
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello! My name is Summer. I am from Taiwan and now I based in Paris, the city of light!
It all started 7 years ago after helping a friend’s wedding papers. I instantly fell in love in this forgotten art. It really reminded me how much I love writing and stationery since I was a kid.
Then I started to take online calligraphy classes and graphic design classes, and violà, here I am designing papers for clients on their special day. I work on weddings, press events, and product launches. I have both private and corporate clients, mostly private.
Show us one of your favourite designs and tell us about how it came to be.
One of my favorite designs is the Edna suite that it is now in our semi-custom collection. I wanted to create a suite that is modern yet artistic with an organic feel. So I worked on handmade paper and cardstock, playing with colors and other elements in the suite, such as envelope liner and wax seal.
I did a few trials on the papers and also tried out different elements to see how they changed the character of the invitation suite. This creative process is always my favorite part of being a stationery designer.
I love how it turned out minimal, modern, a little bit of nostalgic and very elegant!
What are your favourite colours to work with right now? And why?
White, sand, olive and jeans blue. It is the subtle and neutral color palette that I am into now.
Your all time favorite colour in Hex and how would you describe it?
The hex# f2f0ee. It is a warm light grey, like a contrast shade of white smoke.
Which of all our colours of handmade paper do you like best if you had to chose one?
Hm..this is a tough choice but if I can only chose one, I would go with white.
Colour combination that will never go out of style? Colour combination that will make a comeback?
I think the combination of white and sand will always be in style, and it feels like dark neutral colors are coming back, they would make a great combination to mix with white and sand as well.
What are design elements that you use consistently in your work?
The mixture of modern and classic, lots of negative space and vintage illustrations.
How do you see handmade paper? Is it a more modern or a more retro design element?
I think it is modern! Or maybe better to say that I like to use it in a modern way. I especially like to play with handmade paper and cardstock, the deckled edge creates a great combination with smooth edge.
What inspires you?
Painting, architecture and nature.
Your dream design project?
It would be amazing work with magazines, design a music album cover or a fashion show invitation!
If you had to use only one font on handmade paper for the rest of your designer's life, which would it be?
Garamond.
Are you secretly a serif or sans serif person?
Definitely serif.
Which three words best describe your style?
Elegant, modern and sophisticated.
Did you teach it yourself or did you go to school for design?
I actually went to school for fashion design. Calligraphy and graphic design are self-taught.
How did you learn calligraphy?
I started with watching YouTube videos, then took the online classes on Skillshare, then a lot of practice.
Your guilty pleasure in design?
I love fashion and interior design, and I don’t feel guilty about them (laughs).
Why do you like working with handmade paper?
The texture, natural deckled edge and the artisan feeling. It gives nostalgic vibes which are very enticing to me!
See more of Summer's work on her website.
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