Eco-friendly Stationery “Choose well, make it last.”
In conversation with Chloe at Chloe Ainsley Creative
A gentle voice filled with passion and confidence, and a smile in her voice is what I felt the first moment when I connected with Chloe. I had stumbled across her beautiful collection of stationery and could not await to connect. It only took seconds to see that Chloe Ainsley Creative understands how to balance beauty with a conscience. When speaking it was clear that we already had a lot in common and sometimes you just feel when a collaboration will feel good. This is one of them.
Photo credit: @jogreenfieldphotoandfilm
Chloe Ainsley Creative is a modern, design studio based in Kent serving UK wide. A studio focusing on eco-friendly more sustainable stationery for weddings, events, private celebrations and brand launches. Passionate about meaningful design and reducing waste, Chloe is a Graphic Designer who loves to explore ways to create beautiful, intentional pieces that celebrate the details and spark conversation.
Her vision to establish an eco-conscious business that does not compromise on aesthetics and wanting to be an integral part of making the wedding and event industry less wasteful aligns so well with our ethos at Woven. Chloe is passionate about making a difference and playing a part in working harder to doing the right thing.
Photo credit: @nickisheaphotography
Her work is clearly unique and although she is only a few years into her business, her work is premium and professional, speaks to quality over quantity, is bespoke or part of her inspirationally crafted packages, and best of all is better to the planet. I encourage you to discover her talent on her IG account here. I particularly love that it speaks to less is more as for styling and being less wasteful, by reusing, recycling, repurposing, rethinking.
Chloe’s values are so well matched to Woven’s. Chloe focusses on 3 M’s which encompasses Materials, Meaning, and Mindful Spending. Her materials are either sourced from sustainability-managed forests, are multifunctional and have a longer shelf life, or are sourced from the UK where possible to minimize the overall carbon footprint.
With all of her approaches, she makes the paper work as hard as possible. She even adds an experiential lens by finding ways to add meaningful and memorable details to her pieces to enhance the story being told.
The third value is rooted in mindful spending which encourages her clients to spend money in more considerate ways, so it’s clear that Chloe’s brand has heart versus just profit at the top of mind. I applaud her for that.
Photo credit: @esmewhitesidephotography⠀
Working with other eco-conscious suppliers comes naturally to her and that is probably what made us connect quite quickly and although it’s harder work and takes more time, we both agree it’s what matters and is needed to make the events and wedding industry a better place to be.
A powerful message I stumbled across from Chloe which I wholeheartedly agree with and just felt I needed to share is about her winning a 'Sustainability Award for Eco-conscious Business Practice 2020'. “I decided to run the business eco-consciously both in terms of business practice and products shortly after entering the wedding industry and discovering just how often it operates in the realms of waste and excess disguised as "luxury" and started to question if there was another way! I believe every little helps. Few can claim to be completely eco-friendly, but I've decided to try my best to be responsible, steward well and avoid waste and excess where I can. I'm still learning! Good design can get things down to the essentials in beautiful ways and I'm really enjoying exploring ways to do that, creating pieces that function with intent (not just look pretty!) and act as a vessel for meaningful expressions of love and commitment.” Chloe Ainsley.
Photo credit: @sammytaylor.weddingphotography
Now over to Chloe
Tell us about the day you decided to bring your brand to life?
“It was definitely more of a gradual decision over several months! As a creative person and Graphic Designer by trade, I’ve always looked at art and design in various forms for enjoyment and inspiration (my book shelf is proof!), wedding stationery was one area that kept catching my eye because of the unlimited visual possibilities and opportunities to work outside the box. I initially designed wedding stationery purely for pleasure, giving myself a chance to generate ideas and explore creatively and then I slowly moved into offering my service to real people!”
What is most important to you when working with your clients?
“It’s most important to me that my clients are fully aware of the options available to them so that they can make an informed decision.”
You are also located in Kent, UK. Tell us about your favourite venue in South East England that you have been at for a wedding and had your beautiful work featured.
“One of the great things about being a Stationery Designer is that I’m not restricted by location so get to work with couples anywhere. One of my favourite venues in the South East is the exclusive riverside complex Trinity Buoy Wharf in London. I had the privilege to create stationery for a wedding reception held in the historic Chainstore which is a beautiful, urban space with white-washed brickwork and huge windows.”
What are your top two tips for what not to miss when thinking of your stationery when it comes to a wedding?
“One, think about ALL the stationery you’d like from the start (not just the invitations) – order your wish list from 'definitely have to have' down to 'we can do without if we have to'. You might find it helpful to write a few notes as to why you've placed said item in a particular position. You can then use the list to help you quickly make decisions.
Two, think about how you’d like to express information and/or include personal touches on your stationery. There’s a huge misconception that you need to opt for totally bespoke stationery to express your individuality or personalise - don’t forget the power of your words.”
How about a secret fact that always surprises your clients about stationery?
“I don’t recall anyone directly expressing surprise about my stationery but many are delighted by the little details and in awe of my patience because some pieces involve hours of hand-finishing.”
If we fast forward 5 years from now, where do you see your brand?
“As I expand my knowledge of eco-friendly papers and processes, I’d love to be in a position to be one of the UK leaders in innovative, meaning filled, design-led stationery solutions for special events, eco-conscious brands, artisans, makers and creative professionals.”
Photo: Chloe Ainsley, Owner & Chief Designer of Chloe Ainsley Creative
Photo credit Kirsty Mackenzie Photography @kirstymackenziebranding
Thank you, Chloe for being part of building back better and making the hospitality world a less wasteful one but packed with beauty. I am excited to work alongside you in the future.
Signed off with a love for creative,