The washi tape phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down with Japanese brand masté now available in Australia after Vevoke signed on as local distributor.
“We think that the washi tape market, although huge, is still in its infancy and is loaded with upside potential,” says Chris Dibley, managing partner Vevoke. “However, there are very, very few brands of washi who do it well. There are hundreds of cheap imitations on the market, but very few companies manufacture in Japan, use rice paper as the medium and use premium adhesives, all of which are important ingredients in the performance of the product.
“The final essential ingredient in a great washi brand is the breadth of colours and designs. masté leads the market in the colour palette and design innovation. It’s a beautiful brand.”
Washi tape has been popular with craft and design blogs for years because of its versatility and strong design features. It can be used to decorate, label and for present wrapping.
“The desire for self-expression and tactile creativity will never die and washi tape is the perfect vehicle. Apart from the joy of colour and design which is intrinsic to the product itself, washi is very forgiving, so you can decorate and adorn and create anything and if you make a mistake or want to make a change, you can just remove it and re-stick it. It’s highly addictive stuff.”
Vevoke has launched masté with a comprehensive range of the best-selling designs from around the world. The reaction from trade clients has been positive.
“Quite overwhelming, from retailers who understand washi very well and see the opportunity for masté to complement their existing offering, to retailers who have seen washi for the first time and had an OMG reaction,” adds Dibley. “It has been a very exciting start.”
