Echo Park Announces Launch of Carta Bella Paper Company

Echo Park has announced today that it is launching a new sister company called Carta Bella Paper Company.

The announcement describes Carta Bella Paper Company as a premium brand that will have a sophisticated design style. Carta Bella's paper and stickers will be produced on textured paper stock, and the lines will also have coordinating embellishments. The company will follow Echo Park's existing business model for distribution, focusing on independently owned retail stores.

Aside from its association with Echo Park, Carta Bella Paper Company is notable for an impressive line-up of experienced industry professionals. The brand's Creative Director will be design luminary Carina Gardner. She's known to scrapbookers for her digital scrapbooking supplies (available through JessicaSprague.com) and her paper designs for My Minds Eye, but she's also designed fabric for Riley Blake Designs and has her own sewing pattern line.

Carina brings with her to Carta Bella the team of designers that make up her CG Inc Design Firm: Deena Rutter, Samantha Walker and Melanie Ritchie. CG Inc will now be working exclusively for Carta Bella, according to CarinaGardner.com.

Carta Bella also has another team member that is well-known to industry members: Lindsay Moore, who will be the company's Director of Sales. Moore was Director of Sales for SEI before co-founding Cosmo Cricket with Eric & Julie Comstock in 2006. Cosmo Cricket was purchased by Advantus in Sept. 2011, and after a brief time with Advantus, Moore has now moved on to help start up Carta Bella.

So why does Echo Park need a new brand name? One look at Carta Bella's first collection tells you why.

Beautiful Moments, designed by Carina Gardner and shipping for Carta Bella in early June, is a huge departure from Echo Park's signature bright, typically graphic style. It's full of elegant, vintage elements in soft, sophisticated colors:

The use of the new company brand name will allow the combined companies to market to a new area of design without compromising Echo Park's signature style. The company is also trying to present a more upscale experience with the use of textured paper stock, similar to what Authentique Paper is doing.

Nathanael Cook, Echo Park's managing partner, described the new company's formation:

We have been looking for some time for the right team of talented people to help us launch a new premium brand. We couldn't be more thrilled with the way things have come together. Carina and her wonderful group of designers bring a style and sophistication to the brand that really sets Carta Bella apart from other manufacturers.

In addition to the release of Beautiful Moments in June, Carta Bella will show several new collection in July at the CHA Summer 2012 trade show in Chicago. To learn more about Carta Bella Paper Company, visit their website or their blog.