One of my favorite spots at National Stationery Show this past February was Emerging Designers — and one of the brightest spots there was Talfoto! Tal Shpantzer’s ethereal blooms have a timeless, painterly quality to them, but they are meticulously photographed at her Greenpoint studio in Brooklyn.
I interveiwed Tal to learn more about her work and show experiences.
SS: When and how did you decide to start creating stationery?
TS: As an exhibiting fine art photographer, I’ve always wanted to develop a way to share my work in an affordable and accessible way. Inspired by lots of wonderful feedback from people that had saved and collected various postcards and exhibition invites I’d made over the years — to gift, frame, and create “Refrigerator Galleries” — I launched the Talfoto notecard collection.
SS: How did you decide to exhibit in Emerging Designers?
TS: I was building the Talfoto brand to the point where the stockists had grown nationwide and felt ready to “take the next step” to present the collection to a wider retail base. NSS Emerging Designers proved to be just what I was hoping for. New retail partners, connections, insightful and considered advice from industry experts and fellow designers, came together to help grow Talfoto even further.
SS: Please describe your about your booth, location and experience.
TS: Our booth was clean, stylish, and easy to mount our collections of notecards, notebooks, totes, and fragrance. Our position provided a steady stream of foot traffic with ample space to view the booth and engage retailers. The booth was well curated with our neighbor exhibitors, and there was a very supportive and friendly atmosphere.
SS: What did you think of the February date and the co-location with NY NOW?
TS: The co-location was fantastic for many reasons. The NY NOW association added considerable value to my experience. The February date was a perfect fit with other retail markets, popups, and reorders. Similarly, follow up and ship by dates worked well with our routine. A greater variety of retailers who where buying a greater variety of products was an important aspect to many of our orders.
SS: Thinking back to your NSS experience, what were the most valuable connections you made?
TS: Of course, it’s the sum total of the parts that make up the full impact of the many and varied connections made at #NSS2019. One wonderful surprise was the fellow exhibitors that have become friends and supporters.
SS: I would love to hear more about the orders you wrote at #NSS2019?
TS: We made new orders, reorders, and expanded orders from both retail partners we were hoping to connect with and completely fresh introductions to a greater range of retailers. A personal highlight for me was getting the collection into a stunning art museum shop.
SS: What were your most successful releases at #NSS2019?
TS: Some of the most successful releases at NSS 2019 were the original top 6 from my Botanical Art collection from #ThePetalSeries. Feedback on all my work was fantastic and will help me develop our most successful releases into 2020 collections.
SS: Are you returning for the August #NSS2019?
TS: We are planning to return for the August show. Booth size, pricing, and position were well matched to where we are as an independent, artist-run, notecard & gift brand. The volume, range, and interest of retailers at NSS will keep the momentum going and help the brand reach its goals for the future.
SS: Is there anything else you’d like to share with TPC readers about #NSS19, or your thoughts on the show generally?
TS: I highly recommend it! It’s been a great stepping stone, an official launch pad for the Talfoto line and brand. Being New York based, I can testify that the recent development to the West side of Manhattan has been fantastic, with greatly enhanced accessibility, resources, amenities, and general vibe near the show location.
Thank you so much Tal! You can shop her gorgeous range here.
Meanwhile, registration is now open for the August edition of National Stationery Show, which will be here before you know it! Whether you want to exhibit or swoon over all the sensational stationery, you can get started here.
