South County native and resident Jesse Barber has always had a flair for creativity, though her path toward putting it to good use wasn’t always clear.
“I actually went to four different colleges to see what I wanted to do,” she says with a laugh.
First there was a year at the Providence campus in Johnson and Wales, followed by a year at CCRI. Then she really took her step at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, where she got associates in textile design.
“It was something completely different that I was interested in,” she recalls. “It was still an art, but it involved making patterns and illustrations and using that for decor or home clothing. It sounded very interesting to me, and I’ve always wanted to go to New York.”
After a year at the Big Apple, Barber returned to Ocean State to complete her bachelor’s degree in textile marketing at the University of Rhode Island. Her hard work paid off, as she eventually landed a position as Marketing Director at the locally renowned interior design firm, Blakely Interior Design. However, although curating content for the company’s social media and website offers her many opportunities for creativity, Barber has found that her spare time also requires a creative outlet. So, last May, I decided to set up my own stationery company dedicated to offering elegant wrapping paper, gift cards and cards.
“I thought this was a good way to use my one-year degree from FIT,” she says. “Plus, I love gift wrapping and I love hosting; it all kind of makes sense.”
Barber describes her design style as a perfect blend of classic coastal motifs and timeless patterns—the same aesthetic that also dictates her wardrobe and home décor tastes. When creating products, she often finds inspiration from her coastal surroundings in Charlestown as well as from traditional New England sentiments. The name of her business follows the same pattern.
“I’ve had a ‘pearl print’ in my head for a while. Pearls as a symbol are classic, beautiful and enduring. Hence my friend works on oyster farms, so I have a connection there,” she explains. “The name felt right. A lot of my patterns are based on classic gingham, checks, and plaids, all in line with pearls also historically.”
Although she considers it a “side hustle,” Barber puts a lot of thought, time, and effort into the designs of Pearl Print Co. Creating a new batch and seeing it complete can take up to two months at a time between improving color palettes and patterns and ordering wrapping paper test prints to ensure good quality. Her latest release in her collection includes four spring-inspired wrapping paper patterns and five gift cards.
Small Spring Collection from Pearl Print Company
“I’m always thinking about whether new products will go with existing prints because I want everything to go with my cohesive brand aesthetic. For example, if you have three gifts, you can use two or three different patterns and they’ll all come together. And then you can make it up Have fun by mixing and matching gift cards or merging different ribbons,” she says. “When creating new combinations, I try to keep them all at least in the same color palette and then introduce a different color. Like at Christmas, for example, I made a lot of green and white instead of blue and white, but it still goes with my styles. current”.
And more future combos on the way. Barber plans not only to create more prints for the summer season, but also to design a collection inspired by her favorite place in Rhode Island.
“I’ve already sold a Block Island themed sticker sheet and it’s gotten a lot of interest from a few stores out there, so I thought maybe I’d make Block Island wrapping papers and note cards to use with them,” he says.
For her favorite part of the process, Barber says she sees it all come together.
“It’s completely different than seeing it on screen when I’m designing — it’s so flat. Once I have the paper in my hand and a thousand gifts, finished with a tag and a bow, it all comes to life,” she says. “I always encourage my clients to share their gift wrapping pictures. Over Christmas, people would put me in their Instagram photos of how their gifts are being wrapped, and it was really nice to see me. I also get gifts from my family and friends with gift wrap and say, ‘Okay, that sounds familiar. !” I love him.”
If you’re interested in using Pearl Print Co. wrapping paper and accessories for an upcoming birthday, shower, or wedding gift, you can buy directly from the Etsy store here. You can also keep up with the latest group styles on Instagram here.
