The Art File is extending its portfolio into contemporary cards for key cultural festivals through a licensing collaboration with Zakera Kali, founder of award-winning multi-cultural card company, Peace & Blessings.
Under the new arrangement, The Art File are to launch a range of Peace & Blessings designs under licence with Zakera. The inaugural range, which will debut on The Art File’s stand at Autumn Fair will comprise card designs covering Chinese New Year, Passover, Eid, Diwali, Vaisakhi and Hanukkah. These will feature the Peace & Blessings brand as well as The Art File’s on the rear of the cards. “These will be followed by other key Cultural Festivals throughout the year,” confirmed Ged Mace, md of The Art File. “Zakera is such a talented designer with a fresh approach. Up until now the market has been rather dominated by more traditionally designed cards and we feel there is a real appetite for more stylish cards that appeal to a younger more progressive audience.”
Peace & Blessings won the Greetings and Stationery Award in the GA’s Gift of the Year 2018 awards in February for its Mono and Pastel range. As Zakera told PG Buzz just after she had collected the award, although Peace & Blessings only launched last May, it is the culmination of an idea that Zakera has been nurturing for the last 20 years.
“I always wanted to launch to premium, ethically-sourced greeting cards covering many cultural and religious events from the around the world that uses many traditional techniques, from block printing to hand-stitching.”
Zakera, who is also a co-founder of a business and design company, plus a part time lecturer in surface design at Leicester’s De Montfort University, says that the tie-up with The Art File feels like “the natural fit at the right time.”
As she recognises, although she has been able to secure some key retail distribution for Peace & Blessings (including in John Lewis, Selfridges and National Trust), she feels that The Art File high standing in the UK and in export market will enable her brand to grow.
“It is a real win win for both parties, especially as we both share a very similar ethos,” sums up Zakera.
While she feels that there is still greater potential for cards and related products catering for more cultural festivals, Zakera is encouraged by “the growing awareness among retailers” to cater for them, as testified by the Peace & Blessings pop-up events in John Lewis’ Oxford Street and Westfield Stratford stores around Eid.
The standalone Peace & Blessings website will continue to exist, offering the company’s other products, such as its beautiful Hajj planner and journal used by those going on their Islamic pilgrimage.
