What is the name of a person who loves ferns? Dryopteris filix-mas lover? 🙂 I don’t think so, but ferns have something special among medicinal plants, wait, you didn’t know that it is also a medicinal plant? Neither did I, fond out by searching for the Latin name. I like ferns because they have an unmistakable green and an interesting geometry, from spirals to infinite branches, basically Fibonaci`s piral in a pot! It was expected to catch my eye: paper + fern = FoaieVerde. Simple.
Andreea Hoha, who is behind this brand, explains the choice of the name through the derivative of the noun leaf… leafs… leafy!
This name came to mind from the first moment I wanted to shape the future brand. Initially I started with sewn patterns with traditional Romanian specifics, so I wanted to have a name in Romanian and I found this combination of words so familiar to us and fits perfectly with good “foliage” products. Even if the specifics of the notebooks are now moving away from folk art, I consider that “foaie verde” is still a representative name.
I know Andreea by her wonderful engravings, she surprised me when I realized that these diaries are made by her, but in the end the delicacy of fern leaves, the handling of the needle and the paper start to make sense thinking of her hands as a graphic designer. I asked her, though, how and why?
The brand developed naturally and imperceptibly I could say, because initially I did not think of it as a brand in itself, but simply as an exercise. The zero point was when, in order to complete a project in college, I studied book binding a bit. The more I learned about bonding techniques, the more intrigued I was. As a child, I was passionate about sewing and traditional Romanian motifs. I had an old card with such patterns, which I sewed on pieces of fabric, without any specific meaning. One day, I had a click: what would a booklet wrapped in a cloth with sewn patterns looks like? From there, everything grew naturally, I created a Facebook page to share my crafts, and slowly, slowly I received personalized orders and I suddenly started to build a brand.
So the brand message would be…?
I try as much as possible, to work with and from recycled materials, to reuse, to transform clothes, bags or other objects, which would normally be thrown in the trash, in precious things… in short, not to waste. I receive various materials and old clothes from friends, and from all of them I manage to make something, or I go around the flea markets, where I save real treasures and I notice that even those who buy products made in this way, appreciate this approach. The brand is still evolving.
I asume you created the logo.
The FoaieVerde logo is made by me. Initially, as I said before, the brand was born as a toy. This is how this logo was created, just enough to give a name to my page with sewn patterns. As time went on, it occurred to me I could change it, but I came to like it as it is and I stick with it.
From all the notebooks hand made by you, which one remained your favorite?
It is extremely difficult for me to choose a favorite product. All the products I make end up being very dear to me, because from the beginning to the end I am extremely happy with the process of making them and I handle them the way I would create them for myself. However, after I notice the joy of those who buy or those who receives it as a gift, I miss it and only the joy remains. If, however, I were to make a top, the notebook with fern leaves would be on top of the list.
Could you then tell me what do you think your notebooks have apart?
The main special thing that the products have?… I think is the love and attention with which they are created, which I think can be seen from the final shape and presentation of each product.
How do we get to your products?
In quiet times, you could find them at the stand, outdoors, with the Association of Folk Craftsmen Cluj. Now, in less quiet times, I have retired to the online environment, especially on the Instagram page, where I also receive personalized orders. In addition, I work secretly on a website, where you can place orders and view FoaieVerde`s products much easier.
Hassium by Anca B.
