An Interview with Vana Chupp, the Founder of Le Papier Studio

Business + Finance

An Interview With Vana Chupp, Founder of Le Papier Studio

An Interview with Vana Chupp, the Founder of Le Papier Studio Image

Right around the time that Vana Chupp, 36, became a new mom, she experienced another type of birth—the idea for her own silhouette design company, Le Papier Studio. Evolving from a personal habit of documenting her sons’ growth through portraiture, Vana’s art would eventually expand into a successful Etsy shop and, later, a book deal (or two!).

But before finding success as a one-woman entrepreneur, it all started with a Master’s in architecture. With degree in hand, Vana started out working for an architecture firm and subsequently fell head first into her innate passion for beautiful design. Now, as owner and creative director for her own company, Vana truly has the best of both worlds—a thriving business, in which she has her hand in every step of the design process, and the ability to shape her schedule, putting her family first.

Although the demand of Vana’s business often requires a late night or two, she considers the chance to share her passion with the world enough of a reward. With sound words of advice and a perspective that young designers will no doubt hope to share one day, Vana’s story shows that love and family can inspire beautiful art and, ultimately, a lasting, fruitful legacy.

Her Starting Point

Let’s rewind to the beginning. Can you tell us about your first job? What did you learn about yourself and where did you go next?

I began working at an architecture firm right after graduating college. The firm was a woman owned business run by my college professor. I loved the detail that went into each and every drawing. The projects we worked on were high-end residences, so eventually the clients had certain expectations. I quickly discovered my love for the design process, something I carry with me to this day.

How has your training and degree in architecture shaped your work as a designer?

Being trained in architecture I developed a great appreciation for good design and an understanding of how it affects life (mine and of those around me). I have always been drawn to the kind of architecture that will withstand time, so it is only natural that I would make the classical art of silhouettes part of my work.

What eventually attracted you to the idea of opening your own custom silhouette business, Le Papier Studio? What was it like to transition to this from your work as an architect?

I was a new mom working freelance in architecture, and in desperate need for a creative outlet. The idea of custom silhouettes came to me after the birth of my first son, Nikolas. I used silhouettes to document his milestones, capturing his personality and essence. I drew his silhouette each month for the first year of his life. Soon after I opened an Etsy shop and started offering my services in designing custom silhouettes. I found out people loved silhouettes just as much as I did—it truly is the perfect art form to capture special moments and commemorate loved ones. Transitioning from architecture to working on my craft was easy. At that point, I was so busy with Le Papier Studio that I had to let go of architecture and focus working full-time, doing what made me happy.

Her Big Break

What was the process of starting your own business like? How did you handle things like marketing, production, PR in the beginning? Have those things changed since founding the company in 2008?

I set up shop fairly quickly and started selling my art. I got lucky in the very beginning. A few big blogs featured my collection and immediately I had more requests that I could ever handle on my own. So I hired some help here and there, and my husband and family would assist me during busier times.

At first, my studio/production area was out of a corner of my living room. As we continued growing, I moved my studio outside of the home—best decision at the time! I didn't spend much time marketing my work besides blogging and being active on social media. It wasn't until 2010 that I started working with a PR firm. It was right around the time my first book launched.

Speaking of, can you take us through the process of becoming an author? How has that venture changed the scope of your custom silhouette business?

Chronicle Books reached out to me in 2009 (only a year after I had started Le Papier Studio). They were browsing through Etsy and found my shop unique. They liked my esthetic, photography and overall product range, and proposed a book deal on the art of silhouettes. Working with the wonderful team at CB has been so rewarding for me as it opened the door to many other opportunities that would later follow. My book, Silhouette Art, was published in September of 2010 and is still selling well. It also received an award on Design Excellence for the particular type of format—something new CB rolled out.

I would say becoming an author has enhanced my work in that it has allowed me to touch a bigger audience in a way I wasn't planning. I've always wanted to share my craft and business knowledge with those interested. This book has given me the opportunity to do just that.

My second book, Pretty Paper Parties, although doesn't translate exactly to what I do, is an extension of the first book in that it is of similar format. I love crafting by hand, so it felt natural to work on another DIY book kit.

One of the challenges of a creative career is staying inspired. Where do you find your inspiration?

I draw inspiration from everything around me—my past as an architect, my boys, places we visit, trends and fashion. My husband and I like similar things, so I know I can always count on him for inspiration. There's always Pinterest and Paris—it's safe to say I have a small addiction to both.

Many people would be shocked by all of the pre-planning that goes into even the smallest of collections. After you have an idea for a collection or even just a piece of one, what happens next?

I start by talking about the particular collection, most of the time with my husband. Something about vocalizing your vision makes it more real and tangible. I then proceed to sketch my ideas on a pad of paper. The thrill of seeing these ideas come to life is the driving force behind all of my work. Then I reach out to my fans and customers to get their thoughts and reaction. I let them in early so they can be part of the process, too. Next come prototyping, photography and drafting the story behind that particular piece or collection. Telling the story of how it came to life is a big part of my planning. I want people to understand and know the “why” in everything I put out there. Launching is the most terrifying yet rewarding element of this entire process. I never know for sure how my work will be received but also there is no going back now. I might as well “sit back” and enjoy!

Her Perspective

If we had the chance to peek at your schedule, what would an average day look like?

No one day is like another, especially since John (our baby) joined the family in 2012. I've always put my family first any given day, so my work schedule reflects that. On the days that John is with the sitter, I sit at my desk around 8:30 a.m. I start by reviewing the list of tasks from the night before (always a list maker!) and attend each item according to the order of priority. I spend most of my morning designing custom orders, answering emails and following up with my consultants on order fulfillment. I set limited amounts of time to check social media, mainly Facebook and Pinterest. I then break to pick up John from the sitter and Nikolas from school.

I spend the afternoon with the boys then prep dinner. After dinner, I might get back to work for a few hours, but I prefer to not do any work until the boys go down for the day. Aaron (my husband) and I chat about our day and other interesting ideas for an hour or so, and then it’s back to the drawing board for another 2 to 3 hours. I am pretty much a night owl!

There are days I work until the wee hours of the morning to get things done. But that's my choice. There also are days when all I want to do is be with my baby, so that's what I do. It’s as simple as that.

What is the most important thing you have learned since starting and running your own business?

You will get out of it what you put in. Working for yourself can be both challenging and rewarding. But it's how you choose to experience it all. At the end of a challenging day I remind myself of how blessed I am to get to do what makes me happy while sharing my talent with the world. If you ask me, it's pretty amazing!

Le Papier Studio is now a thriving brand with booming Internet business, countless press mentions and a loyal customer following. What’s next for LPS?

My wish is to continue bringing unique, meaningful and heirloom quality products to my customers. We are in the process of streamlining our collections—getting rid of what doesn't work with our brand esthetics anymore. What's more important to me than actual growth is the joy I feel doing what I love.

What advice would you give to women hoping to start their own design business? What skills are essential, and do you think having an industry niche is an advantage?

I would advise them to research the market before they put themselves out there. And if what they hope to offer already exists in a similar shape or form, do it better. And by doing it “better,” I mean do it from their own perspective. Customers aren't looking for just any other business to shop, they are looking for one they can connect with in such a way that it would be impossible for them to not shop there.

Having a niche is definitely an advantage. Working on refining your offerings from the get-go will save you a lot of effort down the road.

And finally, what do you wake up looking forward to? What’s next for your career?

I love waking up to my kids' voices. Becoming a mother has made me a better person, a better businesswoman. I value my time and my worth a lot more now that I have kids. As long as I find joy doing what I do each day, I'll keep at it.

Business wise, I have a few exciting products in the works that I think will be well received. This year, I intend to incorporate more hand illustrations into my work. It's a long lost love of mine and I can't wait to revisit it.