Papier Passions

Behind the scenes: Tropical Escape

Our in-house design team takes us away on their design journey.

Behind the scenes: Tropical Escape

This summer, our in-house stationery collection is designed to transport you somewhere far, far away. Amidst the coldest, darkest lockdown days, our Papier team worked on the designs, dreaming up a series of notebooks, planners, notecards and more to whisk you (and us) away to balmy, exotic lands, where skies are clear, the sea is near and the sun's glow warms your skin. We had a chat with three members of the team – Molly, Alice and Emily – to find out a little more about their design journey when creating Tropical Escape.


Watch the behind the scenes video from our IGTV channel


Alice, Papier Designer

What was the initial inspiration behind the collection?
“After the manyyy lockdowns we were all feeling dull and deprived of the sense of freedom that a holiday brings. We wanted to transport people to a sun-soaked escape away from the stresses of regular life. And so came Tropical Escape.”

How would you describe the collection in 3-5 words?
“A sun-drenched oasis.”

Which piece from the new collection would you pick for…
a far-flung adventure?
Paradiso!”

a cultural weekend away?
“Paradise Beach.”

a mini-break by the sea?
El Sol.”


Emily, Head of Print

What was the team’s process for designing the collection?
“Initially we came together as a design team and chatted about what was going on in the world and how we were feeling. It was obvious that we were all missing being able to travel and be with people and nature. We decided to bring our own imaginary paradise to us and create a sense of optimism and fun. Both the stationery and print team worked together, painting and drawing by hand, together with the computer, to create our collection of dreamy destinations.”

What did you focus on personally in the creation of the collection?
“I worked on the tile prints for the Mirage and the Paradiso melons. I wanted everything to feel warm and textured so I painted the scenes with watercolours, layering up the colours to create a feeling of depth. The melons were painted in acrylics to give the soft, layered look – I wanted them to feel edible! The stationery team then worked their magic with the artworks adding super lovely typography and bringing it all together.”

Which piece from the new collection would you pick for…
a far-flung adventure?
“Paradise Beach.”

a cultural weekend away?
Fruit Market.”

a mini break by the sea?
Beach Towel.”


Molly, Design Director

How would you like people who pick up a piece from the collection to feel?
“I’d like the pieces to remind people of their favourite summer holiday moments and transport them to feelings of happiness of the past. We hope this in turn will inspire hopeful moments for the future with your friends and family. Feeling the warmth of the summer sun and embracing loved ones in person again.”

You create a playlist for every collection. Tell us a bit about the Tropical Escape playlist. Did you listen to it while you were designing, and what are your standout tracks?
“It was such a big part of our design journey. It really transported us to the places we were travelling to in our imagination. On constant repeat were: Sunshine by Tom Misch, Sunshine by Powers, Coconut Airline by Jazzinuf and Joy by FKJ.”

Which piece from the new collection would you pick for…
a far-flung adventure?
“Mirage.”

a cultural weekend away?
Fresh Lemons.”

a mini-break by the sea?
El Mar.”



The destinations we're most looking forward to visiting...

“I can’t wait to visit Sri Lanka. It’s been on my hit list for a few years. It’s definitely my idea of paradise… culture, beaches, jungle, sun, and amazing food.” ~ Emily

“Jeju in South Korea. It's the most wonderful volcanic island.” ~ Molly

“Oh gosh, there’s so many! Either Puglia in Italy or maybe an Island in Thailand. I'm basically desperate for a good beach.” ~ Alice


Craving an adventure? Take a virtual trip from your desk and shop our entire Tropical Escape collection here.


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