The Artist:
Sarah-Allen Preston, principal designer and owner of Preston Paper, has earned national recognition with her modern and chic ready-to-write collection, which originated from sketches in the margins of her college notebooks. In addition to an Art History degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, she studied drawing and painting at Parsons School of Design in Paris. Sarah-Allen’s always stylish and sophisticated designs reflect her artistic sensibility and diverse personal experiences. As an article in Dallas’s PaperCity magazine put it, “She paints, she draws, and she knows the difference between Demeulemeester and Dior!”
In a chic Dallas townhouse adorned in green hydrangeas and cowhide rugs, you will find this 20-something businesswoman meticulously studying spreadsheets and order entries while her brother’s band jams through the speakers of her computer. Sarah-Allen’s appreciation of art and the world of high style developed from her prep-school upbringing in Kansas City and summers back east. Traveling for horseshows and family vacations opened her eyes and interest in classic, haute-style that she saw across the country. Her eye for fashion has long been envied, but it was a summer spent in Paris at Parsons School of Design that enabled her to combine her talent with training. “Spending that summer in Paris really gave me a sense of what I could do with my art. It is the duty of any artist to represent the world as she sees it--as an ideal. Light-hearted, beautiful, happy, and fashionable is the world I live in! It is how I was raised, and I want to share that with others.” This lifestyle is certainly reflected in her products: smart and stylish.
The Paper:
Preston Paper is a fusion of fun, fashion, and functionality. “Our line is, above all else, fun. It’s a stylish representation of you...or who you want to be! We appreciate the importance of a hand-written note and we provide you the products to make your correspondence more stylish and personal.” In addition to her ready-to-write line of imprintables, Sarah-Allen offers customers her Custom Collection---a hand-illustrated line of custom-created likenesses for stationery, invitations, announcements, weddings, Christmas cards, and other special projects. These projects entail a close relationship between artist and client as Sarah-Allen works with you to make your paper dreams a reality.
She emphasizes Preston Paper’s Custom Collection as not only a luxury item, but also a lifestyle. “At any important time in your life, your wedding, a college graduation… you can engage me as an artist and designer to create the most beautiful representation and products for your special event. Then, as your lifestyle develops, you can reuse your custom-created illustration for baby showers, announcements, a change of address card (ok, how about a new illustration OF your new house for this one!)… anything and everything you can think of! I value my clients and love getting to know them personally. This helps me create the perfect paper for their lifestyle!”
