Some of the most significant members of the Hello!Lucky family tree are our trusty wholesale carriers. Though many of these vendors live far far away, we still think of them as close friends. We’re delighted to begin a regular blog feature in which we visit the amazing spaces that carry our greeting cards and gifts. These stores make the H!L name shine and so we're excited to give you a deeper look into their lovely boutiques and indy shops. Today we're visiting Urbanic, a sweet paper boutique in Los Angeles started 5 years ago by adorable husband and wife team Audrey Tantaros and Joshua Woollen.
Can you tell us a little bit about the neighborhood where Urbanic is located? Urbanic is located on Abbot Kinney Blvd in the Venice area of Los Angeles. Our street is full of hip, eclectic shops and restaurants in the local neighborhood of Venice (not the touristy part). Abbot Kinney is a creative shopping strip and bursting with good food, style, and design. An absolute must see destination when visiting Los Angeles!
What inspired you to open Urbanic? I've had a love of all things paper for as long as I can remember. My husband and I shared a long distance relationship across the country when we first met through letter writing, so the sentiment of a written letter will always be important to us. Once engaged and on the hunt for invitations we realized how difficult it was to find options that were unique and a reflection of who we were. All of this combined with a dream of becoming a boutique owner gave me an A-HA moment to open Urbanic.
How long have you been carrying Hello!Lucky cards? Since we opened 5 years ago! H!L was one of our very first lines at the shop and have been with us ever since.
Do you have a favorite or best selling card from us? Quite honestly, our customers love all of what we choose from Hello!Lucky. Different seasons bring on different favorites. I usually try keep "birthday girl" in stock because she is part of what drew me into the line originally, and of course the sock monkey is always a hit. Lately the seagulls and L.A postcard greetings have been some of our best sellers.
From what's selling well right now what do you think is the next big paper or wedding trend? Pops of interest and unexpected color (ie. edge painting, backing patterns, printed center wraps, neon). Handwriting fonts - be them casual or script, people are loving fonts that have character and they've never seen before. Novelty Reception Pieces - drink flags, coasters, and signage of every sort!
Anything else? We're thrilled to be the first boutique featured on the HL blog!
Thanks Urbanic for all your beautiful work! If you live in the Los Angeles area, go say hello! The shop is located at 1644 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, California 90291