Cartier Rue de la Paix

Cartier – Custom-designed invitation for the reopening of 13 Paix

To mark the reopening of its boutique at 13 rue de la Paix in Paris, Cartier designed an invitation directly inspired by the architecture of this iconic address.

Designed by Fakepaper and produced by Atelier Bulk, the set includes a three-panel invitation, an insert card, and an envelope—all custom-made. The project incorporates several of our favorite techniques: microstructured hot foil stamping, multi-level embossing, contoured foil stamping, die-cutting, and hand finishing.

The architecture of 13 Paix brought to life on paper

The main invitation is designed as a three-panel triptych. When opened, the two outer panels swing apart like two doors to reveal the center of the composition.

On this section, an elaborate microstructure hot-stamping process in gold reproduces the design of the door to the Cartier boutique at 13 rue de la Paix.

The gilded surface was created usingabout ten different microstructures. The variations in patterns and reflections reveal the door’s details solely through the way light interacts with the gilding. A single film color thus takes on different appearances depending on the structure applied to it.

A microstructured gold finish developed for the project

The microstructure makes it possible to go beyond the principles of traditional hot stamping. By finely machining the surface of the foil stamping tool, it becomes possible to alter the way the metallic film reflects light and thus create patterns, depth, and contrast without changing the color.

For this Cartier invitation, the combination of about ten different structures captures the architectural richness of the door while maintaining an entirely monochrome composition, created using hot gold foil stamping.

The precision of the marking and the intricacy of the patterns required a significant amount of fine-tuning to ensure that each microstructure remained legible on the paper.

The rotunda and the glass roof highlighted by a multi-level embossed pattern

Inside the invitation is a second card that continues this interpretation of the architecture of 13 Paix.

This time, the design is inspired by the central rotunda and its glass roof. The design is reproduced on the paper using multi-level dry embossing combined with gold foil stamping.

The varying levels of embossing allow the architectural volumes to be built up gradually and give the design a real sense of depth. Light plays across the paper’s reliefs, revealing the details of the composition depending on the angle from which the cardstock is viewed.

“Pure Cotton Cocaine” by Zuber Rieder, a paper suitable for relief work

The entire piece was created on Zuber Rieder’s Pure Cotton Cocaïne, a white cotton-fiber paper particularly well-suited for embossing and calendering techniques.

Its flexibility and ability to withstand significant deformation make it possible to achieve sharp, deep reliefs, which are essential for reproducing the full subtlety of the multi-level embossing developed for this project.

The whiteness of the paper also creates a very sharp contrast with the various gold foil stamping details.

A custom-made envelope with embossed gold lettering

The invitation comes with a custom-made envelope, also crafted from the same white paper.

The Cartier logo is embossed on the envelope using a curved gold-foil stamping technique, which combines the application of a metallic film with the creation of a three-dimensional effect. The logo is not merely gold-colored; it also features a slight raised texture that enhances its visual impact and tactile quality.

Printing and finishing by Atelier Bulk

Based on the design created by Fakepaper, Atelier Bulk handled the technical development and production of the entire project: microstructured hot foil stamping, multi-level embossing, contoured foil stamping, custom die-cutting, folding, assembly, and finishing.

This project for Cartier illustrates how paper embellishment techniques can be used as a true graphic language. Here, gold foil stamping and embossing do more than simply decorate the invitation: they translate the architecture of one of the House’s iconic venues into paper.