Why did I start PaperGirl:
I have always loved drawing and creating imaginative things. I have always worked designing or creating or illustrating or making art or teaching how to do any of those. But for most of my professional career, I’ve done graphic design for all kinds of clients. As I was working on my biggest most visible project -American Airlines livery re-design- I got to spend a lot of time in hangars around the Southwest supervising how my design was being implemented on all the different airplane bodies. That was a lot of hours waiting for paint to dry. And good amount of hours to think about my next move. I had grown tired of putting all my creative juices into a big client project for months or years only to package it and hand it over to them when the project was finished. I wanted to own a project.
Around that time my baby girl was 2 years old. I had been making things for her room and I enjoyed dressing her in some of my baby clothes (lots of beautiful smocked dresses my mom made for me). I had also been reading picture books to her since she was 3 months old. She is my ultimate why, needless to say.
What if I combined my lifelong joy for drawing, with my still unexplored love for storytelling and mixed it with my design and branding experience? I could create something special, a lifestyle brand with beautiful art that also told stories for clothes, or kid spaces. Then one night, at 3 am, I thought of the name and got the URL: PaperGirl Collection (the next day I started the trademark process…) and the research of how to begin to pull this off.
The PaperGirl name is about how the art was going to be made (on paper), about its connection to books (again, paper), it was reminiscent of a timeless toy (paper dolls). It refer to the little girls that would enjoy them but it was also sort of a nickname for myself, the author/illustrator creating it all.
PaperGirl is about celebrating childhood curiosity, imagination and creative freedom.
PaperGirl loves storytelling,.
i believe in helping young minds discover, learn and play with art, imagination and fantasy.
I set out to create pieces that spark kids imagination via beautiful drawings and engaging stories about nature, art, world cultures, and timeless childhood fantasies.
I set out to create the company from scratch and have learnt so much in these years. I know what I enjoy and excel at and I know what I drag my feet with and what I am not great at. So it has been also a self discovery journey with ebbs and flows.
At some point, I sold 4 collections to Bergdorf Goodman and appeared in their magazine next to Gucci and Stella Mc.Cartney Kids lines! then other years things were really slow, specially during Covid during which my sales plumeted since every one was in PJs.
What would I like to do now with PaperGirl?
here is my list of dreams:
LICENSING: what if I could remove the burden of manufacturing and license PaperGirl designs and stories?
PLAYFUL SPACES FOR KIDS: what if I could create rooms -bedrooms, playrooms, schoolrooms, hospital rooms, that carried PaperGirl’s essence of beautiful artwork + storytelling, both for girls and boys.
CAPSULE COLLECTIONS: new things for little girls, I could create something for older girls and tweens, I would definitely create some gender-neutral options.
WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE MORE BOOKS and other paper products
CREATE TOYS AND GAMES that is why I took a toy design class this Summer
Once I thought of the possibility and I made it happen (a lot of times thanks to people that supported me and helped me with connections and knowledge) . Now I am thinking of the next phase, if you are reading this and have any suggestions or connections I would be eternally thankful.
Are you thinking of starting a clothing line?
Please reach out with questions or to schedule a more in depth consultation, I will pour in all that I learnt -the good, the bad and the ugly.
