Aesara's designer, Vivian Leung, received her BFA in fashion design from Parsons School of Design, and an AAS in Graphic Design from Parsons as well. She spent four years in fashion, designing menswear and children's wear for clients such as Banana Republic, Timberland, and Takashimaya. In 2004, Vivian founded 9SpotMonk Design. 9 Spotmonk's wedding and social albums are in 60 stores worldwide, and their drop-dead gorgeous boxed stationery and notebooks are pretty much everywhere too (in 400 retail stores!). In addition to designing, Vivian is a letterpress printer herself (self taught on the SP-15 and Heidelberg Windmill). Vivian has designed and printed for clients such as Edun, Neiman Marcus, Merrill Lynch, and Whole Foods.
Q&A with Vivian
What inspires your designs? Everything inspires in one way or another. Right now I am most inspired by observing what my children are drawn to when they are in a city environment—what they focus on, what their likes are (sweets), what their dislikes are (cabs honking), the first things they grab once entering a store. I observe their color and pattern choices and file those memories in my mind. I'll bring those memories out and it will lead me to think of something else and something else and then I may have an idea for something to put on paper.
Where did you honeymoon and why? Positano, Italy. One of the most beautiful places by the water in Italy (that I know of). The food was simple and amazing, the views, gorgeous. Our little hotel was right on the beach and on most nights we had dinner watching the sunset. My little secret I have told no one since our honeymoon—Positano is a short boat ride to Amalfi, where the paper mill has been since the 14th century, the real reason I chose Positano to honeymoon. Just don't tell my husband. And yes, I brought a lot of paper home.
What are your favorite colors of the moment? Taupe, espresso and clover
What were the colors of your childhood? Brown, indigo, orange, crimson red
Describe the place where you design. I like to design in bed in the middle of the night when my house is completely silent and usually when my husband is traveling (the only way I can get away with having hundreds of pounds of books scattered on the bed AND the light on). I have a stack of design books in which to draw inspiration and a 7 by 9 gridded leather sketch book with my favorite brown pen. Everything starts on paper.
What's the most exciting thing you've done? There's a lot but nothing tops becoming a mother.
What's on or in your nightstand? Three books - Proust and the Squid by Marianne Wolf; a signed copy of Lyrics by Sting; and Let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard. Also, a bunch of my daughter's little Hello Kitty hair bands and my iPhone charger.
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