NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY LACE

While I’ve talked about various artists and designers on The Tear Sheet, sometimes a material can spur the creative juices. Kate’s Paperie has recently begun carrying a unique line of artisanal papers called the Masa Collection that has been all sorts of inspiring. Handmade in the Philippines by Japanese papermakers, they come in a dizzying array of lacy textures that are so unique, each sheet is almost like artwork in and of themselves.

From large open weaves to sheer sheets with slubby streaks or lattices, they have a really organic look and feel, which is fitting since they’re exactly that, organic. Each sheet is made from a combo platter of raw materials that include mulberry, pineapple and banana fibers, but even better is the fact that much of the material is culled from agricultural waste, so they’re eco-friendly and sustainable too.

Of course, at the end of the day you aren’t going to want something just because it’s good for the planet, but because you can put it to good (and pretty) use. And so far, the applications seem to be as varied as the papers themselves. Some people have bought these papers to use as table runners for party settings, but I can totally see these being made into unique window shades or even textured shoji screens and room dividers.

A quick and immediate use for them would be gift wrapping. Since some of these sheets are stiffer due to the large weaves, they’d make great layering pieces on top of other, complementary papers. Here I applied them to a favorite gift item, a bottle of wine.

There’s no sense in disguising a bottle of wine, because people already know what they’re getting just by the shape of the vessel, so I like to keep it obvious but nicely decorated. A solid sheet wrapped around the body of the bottle hides the label and provides a clean background for your overlaying lace sheet. Just a little bit of texture can go a long way, so a strip of one of the bigger lace weaves provides a nice surface treatment to the clean lines of the bottle. Top it off with a bright bow, insert in a matching wine bag and you’re good to go!

If you have any questions, comments or other feedback about The Tear Sheet, be sure to let us know by emailing us at thetearsheet@katespaperie.com.

George G., Creative Director At Large, is a New York-based art director whose work spans everything from store display to interactive media. Also an accomplished artist, his illustrations have been published and exhibited in various galleries in New York. Being a self-professed design junkie, he is constantly on the lookout for what’s new and fresh in the worlds of art and design.

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