Don’t email or text, the most personal and stylish way to correspond is still by writing a note on beautiful stationery. For decades, Dempsey & Carroll has been one of the best purveyors of stationery and recently tapped Leo Mascotte [above] as Creative Director to bring his creative vision and passion for design, quality, and craftsmanship to the legendary brand. Leo’s intimate understanding of product design, visual merchandising and brand heritage will play a major role in maintaining Dempsey & Carroll’s iconic position in the engraved stationery market. Leo shares his 5 Favorite Stationery Trends and Tips in this NEW KDHamptons Design Diary, below:  

Gift Tags: “I keep a drawer of these on hand for any occasion.  Whether looped at the neck of a bottle of Cote de Provence or tied around a super hero t-shirt for my favorite nephew, these tags make wrapping paper strictly optional,” shares Leo.

Stamp Collection: Bordered cards with liners. “We had great fun developing The Stamp Collection, one of the newest Dempsey & Carroll originals. Our talented creative team took some of the brand’s most treasured motifs as a starting point to inspire the art work for envelope linings.  The flag is a favorite around the office.  Envelope Linings like these are a great way to mix bold pattern into your stationery wardrobe.”

Stamp Collection: “Vintage envelopes cherished by stamp collectors inspired the colorful motifs which are then “hand canceled” with a blind embossed postal mark.  The vibrant colors and raised bump of the engraving makes for a very elegant set of cards.  We developed two sets, with him and her in mind, great to give a couple.”

Tablets: Seahorse, Lighthouse, Seagull, Sail Boat: “Take your friend up on their offer to stay at their Hamptons home. Head to the east end with these four tablets wrapped in a nautical map secured with butcher’s twine.  They are beach themed, engraved and so handy to have around the house – your hostess will love this gift.”

Fill-in Invitations: “Every year, I trek up to Rhode Island for my friends’ clam bake. I sent them a package of the lobster claw fill-ins and they went crazy for them. It was a nice gift for hospitality and knowing how often they host, it’s an absolute necessity in their home. Fill-ins are perfect for every time of the year and you can engrave them bespoke which allows you to add your personality to the invitation.”