Not so long ago I was looking for a gift. A difficult gift to choose for a person who can afford more expensive gifts than I could offer. In these situations, I usually go towards the “symbolic gift” category. So, I started to visit a few bookshops and stores in downtown Cluj. There are not so many. The choice was getting more and more difficult, but in the end, I saw a shelf full of diaries, copybooks, notebooks, and others of the kind. I was looking at printed covers, gilt edges, ribbons woven as bookmarks. I was on the verge of buying some for myself. Besides, my little daughter has a passion for wastepaper from this category. No matter how many diaries and notebooks she has had for her diaries, she still holds one in hand, as “this one is special!”… So, I came across a really special notebook. It had the covers drawn in a hazy animation, with a fine and expressive line, with characters you could say have a history. If a journal is unique in the story its pages tell, why wouldn’t the covers that embrace it be also unique? Zsazsa Notebooks knows how to make a unique object from a notebook!
So, I found out the funny story behind the name and you can guess why Zsazsa’s animation has a playful nature: Behind the brand name there is an interesting story, the name being also my nickname, which I received many years ago, when I was learning to speak. Trying to imitate the bee’s sound, I kept repeating the “word” za-za, and shortly after, my sister decided she would call me Zsazsa (Jaja). Ever since high school, the world knew me as Zsazsa, not knowing my real name, so I thought the world would be able to associate the notebooks with my person more easily, so I chose this name for my brand as well.
And the logo? I made the logo, choosing a minimalist font, on a background of a color that gives a clean appearance, which perfectly characterizes the accurately worked notebooks.
It is somehow poetic the whole route of a handmade notebook. It is made by someone’s hand, step by step, so that it can then reach the hands of a person. It is an object that is touched a lot, is perfected and used only with the hands until it is full!
First of all, I am fascinated by the whole process of creating a notebook, starting with drawing and then cutting papers, laminating or spiraling, each having its own importance, watching how the cover is made from a sticker, then the final product. Secondly, when I see people’s reactions at fairs while they observe the drawings on the notebooks… it is unforgettable, indescribable, especially when I see a wide smile on their face, sometimes even laughter! I find it fantastic to be able to impress people emotionally in a positive way, and this motivates me to create new illustrations and products.
I wonder what inspires Zsazsa?
I always try to create something current, seasonal, thinking about the activities of a given time of the year, and what people like. Some animals seem to me to have a more special character, and make me think of them as an illustration alternative. Sometimes, I try to imagine them in a more interesting situation to attract attention or I think of a text that fits, thus becoming more complex. Lately, being passionate about plants, I made several models with different plants, both in notebooks and bags and, besides, I also had a collaboration where I made bags from my illustrations, which were filled with lavender. In short “The sky is the limit”!
Cluj has lately become a city that knows how to appreciate unique, handmade objects. There are frequent fairs in the field, and this brings new customers for personalized notebooks: Lately, people have been increasingly open to unique gifts and they are looking for me for custom-made notebooks. Be it a birthday, or a college graduation, a make-up course, a coach or any special occasion.
The brand’s message would be: Zsazsa Notebook wants to convey joy through cute illustrations that remind people of their pet, favorite activity or passion, bringing a dash of magic every day. On the other hand, I want to encourage people to practice handwriting or hand drawing, to keep the right hemisphere of the brain in shape (or left, as the case may be).
Where can we find Zsazsa Notebook products? You can find me so far on Facebook or Instagram and at different fairs during the year.
Hassium by Anca B.
