The playful brand Art of Drag, created by The London Studio and now a standalone business in its own right, is planning to slay it for Pride 2024 with a range of giftware, stationery and greeting cards designed in collaboration with stationer retailer Ryman and its new Ryman Design chain of stores.
Launching this month, the Art of Drag Pride Collection includes notebooks with gold-edged pages, mugs with gold handles, coasters, tote bags, water bottles, magnets and more. There is also a range of boxed pens with positive sentiments engraved on the pens, such as: “YOU ARE LOVED” and the fun and cheeky engraving “DON’T F*CK IT UP”, which lovers of drag may recognise.
The Collection was created by Art of Drag’s lead LGBTQ+ artist, who has combined bold, ‘sticker-like’ graphics with geometric grids and the colours of the Progress Pride Flag.
There is also a range of nine Art of Drag Pride cards, which work with the classic style that made the brand famous – bringing drag artists to famous artworks. This selection was created by LGBTQ+ artists and allies. Each card sold helps support these independent artists and the small businesses they manage.
Both ranges will be in-store exclusives to Ryman Design and selected Ryman stores and also available on the Ryman website during Pride 2024.
Ryman and Art of Drag care deeply about the environment and are showing their eco-credentials and support of local economy by opting to manufacture locally, using responsibly sourced materials and plastic-free packaging. They have assigned production to a British family-owned manufacturer which is printing the entire giftware and stationery collection in the UK. And The London Studio is working with a local, family-owned printer to produce the greetings cards, which are printed on FSC-certified board. Both the gifts and cards are completely plastic-free.
Art of Drag and The London Studio director Soula Zavacopoulos said: “I’m delighted to be working with one of the UK’s biggest names in cards and stationery. [Ryman owner and chairman] Theo Paphitis’ dedication to supporting small business is something I’ve always admired, and I love that these values are reflected in the team at Ryman Design, who have been passionate about supporting our independent artists. Together we aim to bring this fun brand and the superb artists that support it to a bigger audience than ever, while celebrating diversity and inclusivity.”
Theo added: “We’ve greatly enjoyed working with Soula on this fantastic project. Her talent for thinking both creatively and commercially means she develops products that our customers can’t get enough of. And this superb new collection doesn’t disappoint. It truly stands out for quality, style and originality – perfect for Ryman Design customers!”
