29 May Christine Traulich on The Business of Creation, Part 2

In my ongoing series of interviews with creative people in the event industry, I recently talked with Christine Traulich, half of the dynamic design duo behind luxury invitation firm RedBliss Design. (You can read Part 1 here, and other installments here and here.) For Part 2, Christine talks inspiration, client communication, music to work by, and more. Plus, you can check out more great work from the RedBliss portfolio. 

Where do you find inspiration?

In each other.  Through our clients, our friends, our creative partners…everyone has a unique perspective and brainstorming together is such a great way to foster new ideas!  Another source we rely on is media…art, books, magazines and entertainment are all wonderful muses.

What’s the most important thing you need to know from a client?

The design elements they dislike.  Surprising, but true.  As much as we need to know what they love, their style, their favorite colors and more, we also need to know what design characteristics they want to avoid.

Do you have any favorite materials?

We love all materials.  Nothing is off limits.  Our favorite part is putting them together in new and creative ways. 

Do you listen to anything (music, talk radio, etc.) while you work?

Music is always on.  It sets the mood and often inspires us! Right now you’ll hear Lorde, Amos Lee, Jason Mraz, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay and David Gray.

Do you have a favorite project that you recently worked on?

We recently created a custom invitation for a Gatsby-inspired party (hot on the heels of the big movie release).  This period is such a visual feast for the eyes!  And we played up the idea of each guest becoming a character of the Gatsby era by designing a black velvet box that featured a set of “pearls for girls” and a white “tie for guys”.  The box was designed to look like the The Great Gatsby book and when opened revealed the contents “for the dapper” and “for the flapper.”  Our concept was taken a step further at the event, where dapper/flapper dressing stations were set up with cocktail rings, cufflinks, and more for the guests to don at the party.

Finally, if you could choose 3 PMS colors to represent your personality – which would you choose and why? 

Red PMS 194 because it is our favorite color and namesake! Gold PMS 871 because of its incredible diversity, warmth and visual beauty. Black because it is timeless and chic.