Who are you?
I´m Catarina Vaz, designer and creator of grafolita®. Grafolita® is a brand of colourful notebooks, handmade with traditional binding and printing techniques, that reflects my taste by design and by daily, simple, handy and well-made objects.
What is your relation with scar-id store?
We´ve been partners since day one and it´s been a privilege grafolita® been chosen to make part of this project from the beginning.
What is your favourite piece at scar-id store?
I really like Maria and Nel from DAM. Beside pretty, they are funny pieces.
What do you think about the Portuguese design scene?
It´s good to see the emergence of so many projects, some of them already conquered international markets. I think this economic crises make us understand that is possible to create our own projects and accept the inherent problems as something natural, part of the growing process of any idea.
What is your favourite Place at city of Porto?
Porto´s downtown, where still survive a few traditional streets with directional stores where we can find everything. When I visit Porto, I delight myself walking through those streets.
A few things that are inspiring you?
Travel, travel, travel, and… traditional arts and Modernism. My first grafolita´s notebook was inspired in a travel to the East. I use traditional binding and printing techniques. Grafolita´s language is minimal, colourful but at the same time, sober.
Why do you live (work) where you live (work)?
Grafolita® is not my principal occupation and I work mainly outside. But nights and weekends are for this project, so when I recently changed apartment it was a condition to have an exclusive space for grafolita®. Now I have more space and a lot of light. I live in Lisbon city centre, but I hear the church bell every hour and I have an abandoned garden view and two lemon trees! I couldn’t be happier!
Is there any website you are daily addicted to?
Not one, several. But Twitter is always the starting point.
Can you tell us something that you haven´t had the opportunity to tell in an interview?
Why the name Grafolita? Because “Grafolito” is the name written in my prelo (typographic machine). I think it was the name of a company that deals with graphic material and machinery. So, I became Grafolita.
What do you think about the future?
What I think or desire? The way we saw the future is always a projection of our ideas, temper or lifestyle. I would say that people are more aware and demanding in decisions of consume, but at the same time, more limited in their choices.Bling consumerism, ignoring its origin, doesn´t makes sense anymore.Consumers should always know what they are buying. The design role will, more than ever, have a vital importance and should be made for the persons.
And your own future?
I see myself exclusively dedicated to my own projects, not necessarily just grafolita®.
What is in your desktop at the moment?
In my home I don´t work so often with the computer, that is normally at a corner. On table top are always papers, cards, finished notebooks, half-way notebooks.At this moment I have also a few Christmas gifts and a cat. There is always a cat to make me company.
And about scar-id store?
scar-id gave the opportunity to new creators see their work noted, recognized and above all purchased by the public. It´s an inspiration!.. I wish see you achive many more years.