Connor Renwick: Neenah Paper Asks Creatives to Rethink Everything

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Neenah Paper Asks Creatives to Rethink Everything

Paper company Neenah continues to highlight creativity, and the role paper plays in it, with their latest CLASSIC® Papers promotion, Rethink Everything. For it they asked five creatives a question that would normally be easy to answer, but in this strange time might be anything but: How are you pivoting to meet the changing world head-on? The answers and resulting artistic projects have been pulled together into an inventive editorial designed by Design Army that explores paper in a new and creative light.

“From the colorfully multi-dimensional cover to the oversized coffee table layout, Rethink Everything is designed to push people out of their comfort zones and think further about using paper. We want people to touch it, flip through it over and over again, learn from these inspiring stories and as a result, experiment with new ideas. This piece is meant to reignite the creative flame within,” said Pum Lefebure, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Design Army.

Call it gutsy: Mira and Valerii Tsybukovska of Mio Gallery created a business out of handcrafted paper flowers. The two show big brands how to rethink interior design and maximize budgets without compromising opulence with their lasting installations and displays. This beautiful sustainable solution to fresh flowers is both practical and inspiring.

For Rethink Everything, Mio Gallery created branches filled with orchids, dahlias and hydrangeas from CLASSIC Papers in Avon Brilliant White, Earthstone, Classic Cream, Red Pepper and Haviland Blue.

A lack of environmental design education and fashion industry waste led to designer and entrepreneur Zero Waste Daniel making the first 100% zero waste clothing. Continuously redefining the meaning of sustainable design, he inspired change by creating one-of-a-kind, stylish, wearable, affordable unisex apparel. He continually inspires change and makes headlines by growing the mission of ending waste culture and redefining the meaning of “sustainable design” as a call to action for all who wish to participate.

For Rethink Everything, Neenah sent Zero Waste Daniel scrap papers and challenged him to get creative. He chose to sew them into a work of art that depicts his personal dream for world harmony.

Neenah challenged full-service Studio On Fire and creative firm Design Army to partner up and put their specialties to the test by creating a piece of packaging for Rethink Everything.

Inspiration struck when Design Army noted Studio On Fire’s structural, triangular-shaped engineering. Using CLASSIC papers and working virtually, they came up with a maximalist design that uses minimal colors, custom typography, textures, fine lines, and different levels of foil and embossing that echoes the geometric structure on the box’s surface.

Lucy Grymes Designs creates home furnishings while simultaneously empowering women. Working with N Street Village in Washington DC, she employs a group of women currently experiencing homelessness. Together they create a way forward while improving lives and fulfilling Lucy’s vision for uplifting through design.

For Rethink Everything, Lucy hand made three of her brand’s signature vase wraps in CLASSIC Linen and Natural White Pearl, with gold foil stamps on the exterior folds.

Hazel Sebastian Glass aims to break down access barriers by creating affordable reproductions of her work, as well as to change the misconception around paper artistry. She creates detailed paper strata pieces by layering precision cut paper swatches on top of one another in stunning color palettes and designs.

For Rethink Everything, Hazel used a palette of grays, blues and whites in CLASSIC Crest Eggshell and Smooth Plus CLASSIC Stipple to create a piece full of dimension.