Le Figaro Nantes
Pen holders, sealing wax sticks, seals... and especially many cardboard cards. A little piece of paradise for stationery lovers settled a few months ago in the city center of Nantes. In January, when opening her Foglietto shop, Emeline Pedemonte discovered by chance that this location was not trivial. From the nineteenth to the twentieth century, in this same rue Santeuil, the paper mill of a certain Madame Pottin reigned supreme in the city of the Dukes.
A nice sign for the thirty-year-old passionate about beautiful objects and who has been marketing since 2019 "foglietti", small note cards. "The notebook is no longer adapted to the way we work. It's very frozen. I imagined something more creative and flexible," explains the entrepreneur who was inspired by the "index card", these "cardboard cards invented in the eighteenth century in England and distributed for two centuries". These have long been used as library catalogs or for customer files of different corporations.
The "foglietti" are sold by weight and come in two formats (A6 or A7), 6 different patterns and 7 colors. LT/Le Figaro
The founder, born in Nantes and married to an Italian, became familiar with the field of publishing when she was a student. She was then in charge of the creation of an interdisciplinary journal. That's when she started collaborating with the historic paper manufacturer Fedrigoni, which she still uses today. Their very thick paper, 80% recycled, is sent to France, in Maine-et-Loire, where it first passes through the printing box. Once covered with lines or tiles, it is shelled and assembled by disabled workers from an ESAT. Since January, the preparation of parcels is done directly in the new premises of Foglietto (Italian term meaning small sheet of paper, NLDR).
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Products sold all over the world
For three years, Émeline Pedemonte marketed her products worldwide through the internet and through retailers located all over the world. The cards even circulated to the Design Museum in London. After accelerating recruitment - the 100% female team is composed of six people - the founder started looking for premises. While visiting a large premises of 116m2, the idea came to him to open a store corner to highlight his cards and resell some products derived from other handpicked brands: made in France if possible or environmentally conscious production. After soliciting his community via an Ulule pot to help finance the additional costs of work evaluated before the crises related to Covid and Ukraine, his shop was able to see the light of day.
The former communication officer is aware of offering "not cheap" products: it takes about € 4.50 for 25 sheets (A6 or A7 format). But "made in France" comes at a price. Émeline Pedemonte denies selling the equivalent of simple Bristol cards: it is a universe and a method of organization. Some customers refer to his concept to learn foreign languages, for their revisions, or others through the Kanban method which allows to sort the tasks to be done / in progress / done. "Some also use them to better distribute the mental load within the couple!", while professionals also use them.
Even at Foglietto, employees use it. This does not prevent them from juggling with a Google computerized calendar. "I'm not anti-digital. The two are complementary, "concludes the entrepreneur, who had organized a small party last Tuesday to inaugurate the store.
Émeline Pedemonte in front of an invoice from Mrs. Pottin, hanging in her shop. LT/Le Figaro
