When was the last time you sent a thank you card? Or a congratulations card? Or any card, really? And we don’t mean an e card. With the advent of all of the emailable options for party invites and the like, stationery companies are scrambling to keep relevant. Leave it to Connor NYC, one of the world’s finest bespoke engravers and stationers to understand the need and take the e card to the next level of quality.
The signature print collection from Connor includes invitations, holiday cards and simple monograms available digitally for the first time with Connor’s uniquely high end yet very humorous engravings. For the client who wants a truly personal digital notecard, Connor can work with you on a custom digital card to wow your friends and coworkers with (and make them twitch with envy).
The man responsible for creating this now iconic brand is Creative Director Henri Richter-Werner. Growing up in Czechoslovakia he recalls how amazing his mother’s and grandmother’s handwriting was. He also remembers that to shut him up, his mother would hand him a pencil and paper and encourage him to draw. “Because of that, esthetics are really my thing,” he told us.
Henri moved to New York City in 1989 and became a fashion photographer’s assistant and instantly found access to incredible people, homes, designs and travel. This led him to become Creative Director at brands such as Brooks Brothers, J. Crew and Loro Piana, but his ultimate dream was to create his own luxury brand. When he worked on a project with Justin Felber at the then ‘it’ stationer John L. Strong, they worked together brilliantly and once Strong folded, they decided to stay in the luxury stationery market. They bought an archive of vintage steel dyes, brought back fonts that were no longer used, and opened their doors in 2010. “Creatively it was extremely interesting and the right customer realized that overnight,” he explained.
Everything at Connor is engraved by hand in Paris, using the same techniques and craft that has been used for centuries. And Henri has not created just a paper company but a true luxury brand with not just cards, but calendars, notebooks and business cards as well as an amazing new app.
With Henri’s obvious top tier in taste when it comes to his career, rest assured it relates to his closet. Read on as he tells us more about his personal style.
I am probably the worst customer you can find because I am the biggest snob and I am not hiding it. I am very much anti-brand. You would never see me wearing something that flashes the brand. I want to wear either custom made or an Old Navy t-shirt.
When it comes to my attire, it typically includes a custom blazer from Principe di Firenze in Florence. A fair amount of the blazers I wear are semi bespoke by Isaia. I also have suits made at Sartoria Partenopea in Naples; the eclectic classic and sportswear choices are right up my alley.
For shirts – They range from every New York custom maker to Borelli. Also I like simple button down broadcloths from Brooks Brothers.
Sweaters- Lora Piana cashmere
Topcoats- Loro Piana to Man Ray in Milan.
My shoes are made by George Cleverley in London. They are a very old brand that became famous for making shoes for the European royalty and Fred Astaire. They also make custom shoes for Ralph Lauren.
Sneakers – Old Nikes, Tretorn, Superga, some in still unopened in boxes! Im just collecting and storing it, hopefully one day I will wear them all.
I collect vintage tennis clothing from Vintage Fila, Ellesse, Sergio Tacchini, Australian, Adidas and Nike as well as vintage ski clothing from Ellesse, Moncler, Conte de Florence, Maser, Silvy Tricot, Nordica and Rossignol.
I have a huge watch collection- vintage Patek Philippe, Rolex, Jaeger, Glashütte ( when they were made in East Germany).
I also have a thing for Persol glasses which I started collecting in 1984. I have probably 50 or so frames, some still in boxes that it’s time to sell. I love Ray Ban too. I like Tom Ford but it can be too flashy these days.
It’s embarrassing to listen to myself – I am worse than a girl!
The Connor iPad app is available now to download for free.
