A small notebook has always been an indispensable companion of every writer, artist, and dreamer. The original served as inspiration for the creation of perhaps the most popular in the world known as Moleskine. In the year that this brand celebrates its 25th anniversary, we will look back at the history of the famous black notebook and its path to cult status.
The blank pages of the new notebook, together with dreamers, thinkers and creatives, bring pleasure to everyone and give countless possibilities. Many of us wrote and still write in these notebooks. The original notebook played a key role in the creation of this brand, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
How did this most popular black notebook in the world come about?
Small pocket notebooks called "carnets", bound in impregnated cotton fabric or leather, were sold in Parisian paper shops as early as the 19th and early 20th centuries, and were used by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Picasso and Hemingway. But the origin of the name of the famous notebook is due to the British writer and great lover of small notebooks Bruce Chatwin, who in his book "The Songlines" from 1987 described how he arranged his Parisian notebooks in three personal columns.
British writer Bruce Chatwin, a big fan of Moleskine, is a name that regularly comes up when talking about the popularization of notebooks. In France, these notebooks were known as "carnets moleskines". The name "moleskine" refers to on their black binding made of impregnated cloth. On each visit to Paris, Chatwin bought a supply of these notebooks, produced by a small family business in the French city of Tours. But just when he decided to make a stock that would last him a lifetime, he realized that the company had closed down due to the death of the owner.
But the story does not end there. In 1994, the Milan-based Italian company Modo & Modo, specializing in product design, founded by Francesco Franceschi, hired Mario Sebregondi, who was also a co-founder of the company, to create products for a new generation. Sebregondi had read Chatwin's book, and since she herself had bought the same type of notebook in Paris in the early 1980s, she thought, to create something similar so that the new generation could record their experiences. This is how this little notebook of ivory paper was born.
Moleskine name, which comes from a word that has its roots in the French name for an impregnated cotton fabric, proved to be the right choice. The name was patented in 1996, and the following year, 1997, they started producing the first laptops. This is how the product was born, for which the company will become famous, a small plain black notebook with rounded corners, with page marking tape and elastic and a pocket at the end that can be opened and in which the story of the notebook is hidden, wouldn't it stimulate the creativity of those who use it. This was the first step in building a brand, which became a world bestseller. The first notebooks literally flew off the shelves and are still the company's bestseller today. They were sold in bookstores instead of in Milanese paper mills, and with this move Sebregondieva sent the message that her pages are the perfect place to store thoughts, ideas and drawings, that it is almost like a book whose empty pages are waiting to be filled.
The company was very careful from the beginning and never mentioned that artists like Hemingway, Matisse and Picasso used this notebook, which of course came much later. But between the genius of the avant-garde and the use of similar notebooks, a cunning connection was made, which is enough to excite the imagination of potential buyers. It was a great marketing move that turned out to be a huge hit. The brand was carefully built, and the company never marketed the product as the best on the market, instead focusing on the lifestyle of those who use it. This is how a notebook was created that will become synonymous with culture, imagination, travel, memories and personal identity. It is a product that, according to the company, was designed for modern people on the move, and today it is used by many famous architects, entrepreneurs and celebrities.
Over time, the successful association of the brand with other legendary names began, thus creating limited series of Moleskine notebooks dedicated to lego blocks, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. It followed consumer trends, so in addition to the classic black, they also started producing notebooks in red colors to supplement the color palette every year and followed fashion and design trends. Their family of "nomad products" now includes planners, notebooks, sketchbooks, ballpoint pens, bags, and the company hasn't neglected digital media either.
The company has opened cafes in Milan, Beijing, London, New York and Hamburg, which are havens for anyone looking for new experiences and inspiration. In order to increase the number of customers, Moleskine has opened its doors wide also to the corporate world. He started making notebooks to order for various companies. Moleskine is a brand whose success is the result of imaginative marketing. His own she has wisely and consistently introduced the product to the people with the message, that their thoughts and ideas are worth recording in a special and unique way. That is why Moleskine notebooks have found a place in the hearts of many in their 25 years of existence. By filling the pages of this iconic notebook, each of us can participate with creativity and imagination in writing a new chapter in the story of this world-famous brand.
Last Updated 2024-05-10 / Affiliate Links / Photo Source: Amazon Product Advertising API
