Multiple nominations at the Louies and new licensing deals for members of The London Studio’s Artists Collective
Art licensing and design company The London Studio has announced that six members of its Artists Collective, a community that brings together, promotes and collaborates with some of the world’s most exciting independent artists, have appeared among the finalists at the Louie awards – the prestigious awards given by the Greeting Card Association, the US trade association that serves the greeting card and social expressions industry.
Not only that but two of the finalists have had their art licensed for a set of exclusive planners for Barnes & Noble, the number one book retailer in the United States.
A total of six of The London Studio’s licensed artists have been shortlisted for 12 awards in ten categories and, for the first time ever, they include a UK finalist: Mifkins, a UK-based brand of luxury greeting cards and gift wrap that are made with sustainability in mind.
The London Studio’s partners honoured this year are:
Celebrating Latinx Culture: Lucy Loves Paper
General Birthday: Darling Lemon
Birthday Humorous: Fine Moments
Birthday – Small Company: Fine Moments
Children’s Cards: Mifkins
Friendship/Encouragement – Humorous: Kwohtations
Romantic Occasions: Darling Lemon and Kwohtations
Sympathy: Kwohtations
Thank You: Mifkins
Valentine’s Day: Mifkins and Kat French Design
The London Studio has also licensed art for finalists Kat French, a maker of fun and colourful paper goods with an occasional weakness for obscure pop-culture references, and Darling Lemon, whose rich colours and whimsical details inform a variety of hand-illustrated paper goods, for a set of planners for the leading book retailer in the US, Barnes & Noble.
Published by Designer Greetings in the US, the planners are due to hit the stores in late July this year and are all exclusive to Barnes & Noble.
The 36th Louie Awards winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Sunday 27 July at Las Vegas World Market Expo. All submissions are reviewed by a judges panel made up of buyers, retailers, members of the press, sales reps and others looking for the best new cards in the industry.
At the 35th Louie Awards Lucy Loves Paper, Allyson Wilson and Fine Moments, three admired US greeting card designers and publishers represented by The London Studio, won a total of four awards. Lucy Loves Paper and Fine Moments are back among the finalists this year.
Launched by the Greeting Card Association (GCA) in 1988, the prestigious Louie Awards, named after Louis Prang, who is credited with the birth of the US Christmas card, recognise the most outstanding greeting cards, invitations and announcements marketed in the US during the previous calendar year. The competition is open to all domestic and foreign publishers of greeting cards, invitations and announcements. It attracts hundreds of entries annually.
Soula Zavacopoulos, founder and director of The London Studio, says: “We love talent-spotting some of the best greeting card artists and helping them with representation and promotion. It’s even better when prestigious awards like the Louies and big-name publishers like Designer Greetings also love their work! Congratulations to the nominees and licensees; it’s thoroughly deserved. We’ll be cheering you on in July.”
