From Textiles to Text:
The Making of Stationery Designer Alexa Pulitzer

When we consider artistic exports from the city of New Orleans, most often we think of music and cuisine.  But there are artists of all kinds inspired by the saucy flavor, Old World sophistication and cool attitude for which the Big Easy is known. In the case of Alexa Pulitzer, native culture mixes with vast experience abroad in creating original, gorgeous paper collections.  Gaining notice across the world, the designer is also recognized for her personal invitations, reversible silk bags, gloriously large jacquard floor pillows and other adornments for the home and wardrobe.  Over 11 years, Alexa Pulitzer, LLC has grown into one of New Orleans’ proudest exports.

Born into a family of like-minded artists and entrepreneurs, Alexa’s training began in her family’s textile company, the Wembley Corporation.  As a child, she accompanied her father on design and buying trips to Lake Como, Italy, designing her first tie to carry the Wembley brand at a mere 16. After earning her BFA from the University of Denver, which included a year in Florence, Alexa headed back to Lake Como to apprentice for Ratti SpA, designers and esteemed silk printers behind collections such as Prada®, Versace® and Ferragamo®. This led to stints in Paris and Milan as well as further apprenticeships for major Italian printing and weaving textile companies. In 1994, Alexa returned to New Orleans, bringing her newfound skills in fabric and color to Wembley.  She also brought the language, sensibility and aesthetic of Italy into her daily life and artistry.

At Wembley, now called randa corp., Alexa designed and merchandised ties and boxers for popular brands such as Tabasco®, Endangered Species™, and The Beatles®. Stimulated by the challenge of these complex novelty designs, she was also frustrated by the artistic and corporate constraints that came with them. The designer found an outlet in the company’s paper printing shop, where she started creating pads from the designs she might have used on silk ties. It was here, unintentionally, that her dreams took root.

Wanting to thank her Italian employers, the artist spent extra hours in the paper shop to create a collection of postcards from her photographs of that time. Seeing these, friends urged her to show her work to a local stationer, who ended up placing an order on the spot.  La Cartoleria, the stationery service mark of Alexa Pulitzer, LLC, was born. Now represented in paperies and fine retailers across the nation, Alexa is even better known for her one-of-a-kind custom creations. Her textile roots never far, she recently added silk accessories to her repertoire.

For most of her 10 years at Wembley, the designer filled stationery orders at night and on weekends. The last Pulitzer to work at the empire founded by her grandfather, she then joined the couture linen company, Leontine Linens, before striking out on her own.

Since August 2004, Alexa has been living her long time dream of working full-time on her own designs.  Her papers are stocked on the shelves of Anthropologie and high end boutiques as far as Toronto, London and Tokyo.  New Orleans favorites, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Adler's and Mignon Faget, supply her devoted local clientele. 

Four years after Hurricane Katrina, her city is still in need of repair, but Alexa Pulitzer, LLC continues to thrive.  When Alexa isn’t keeping up with her custom orders or her role as mother of two (Kagan and Edge), Alexa can usually be found entertaining at her home or out catching an exhibit or a live music show. Living it up in her favorite culture, her beloved New Orleans.

view Alexa's Curriculum Vitae