What inspired you to start your business/brand?

Both Julia and  Emmanuel  relocated to London from different countries to pursue careers in tech. First crossing paths in 2016 while working as colleagues at a trendy VR agency in Hackney.

When you spend most of your time in front of screens, it’s easy to lose sight of the real world and be trapped in a digital bubble. We all experience moments where we crave a break from the screen and yearn for a healthier tech-life balance, and that’s how CAUSEBOOK was born. Our notebooks stand as an invitation to pause and unlock your creativity in a non-digital way.

 

What are your brand’s values?

Pausing: At the core of our philosophy lies the ancient art of "pausing" — a practice that invites individuals to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves amidst the chaos life might bring.

Sustainability: While we acknowledge that we are not perfect, we remain committed to exploring opportunities for more climate-conscious enhancements when it comes to our product life cycle and processes. For every notebook purchase, we pledge to plant a tree and we want to inspire our sector towards making changes for a greener future as well.

One Mind: We operate as a unified team, driven by a shared vision and common goals. Every team member’s contribution is valued, and together, we harness our collective talents and passions to create work that is both meaningful and impactful. Our intentional collaboration ensures that everything we do is thoughtful, purposeful, and aligned with our commitment to quality.

 

What is your biggest motivation?

My biggest motivation is definitely to inspire creativity and mindfulness in others through the simple act of putting pen to paper.

 

Where did the inspiration for your product(s) come from?

Before moving to London, Emmanuel (co-founder) worked in publishing for his family business in Athens, Greece. His grandfather printed the first notebook in 1933, and during WWII, their printing presses were repurposed to produce underground newspapers instead of books, supporting the resistance against occupation. We are really proud of our heritage so the first collection we came up with was the Legacy Collection which is handcrafted. It really is a tribute to our heritage and craftsmanship. Its soft cover, embellished with gold foil embossing, is complemented by singer-sewn binding with matching gold thread, allowing the notebook to lay flat. It’s those details that makes this collection my favorite one. We really took our time to make sure our vision was translated into our products, a lot of trial and error but we are happy with the outcome.

What has been a highlight whilst creating and building your brand?

Working with talents based in different countries has been a real highlight. Both Emmanuel and I come from different countries and speak different languages - so whilst we are a UK business and our products are proudly made in the UK, we’ve collaborated with creatives from different countries to make our brand come alive. We love the influence of different cultures and at times we’ve used 3 different languages during our meetings to communicate with each other. Our designer is based in Athens. He is great and he understood our vision from the get-go, but he doesn’t speak any English and I don’t speak any Greek. It worked out really well though, and funnily, we communicated great with each other, still do.

 

What advice would you give to business owners, creators, designers and brand owners just starting out?

Well, we just launched in June, this year, so I’m not sure I’m qualified to give advice yet? I’m at the stage where all I do is ask people for advice, I’ll take any advice I can get, haha! I will say though, making mistakes is a humbling lesson. As a small business owner, you need to wear many hats and it’s impossible not to make mistakes. Learn from them and implement a process to avoid the same mistakes from happening again.

 

At the Spring/Summer edition of Top Drawer, will you be launching any new collections and if so, can you give us a sneak peek? 

Since we’ve only just launched our brand, Top Drawer is our big debut – our way of announcing “WE’RE HERE!” to the world. It’s very exciting for us to be a part of this community. We’ll introduce our two flagship collections - the Legacy collection and the Blossom collection.

 

What is your personal favorite from your new collection? 

For as long as I can remember, my favorite colour has always been blue. We have a notebook in a beautiful blue shade called Aegean Blue, inspired by our love for the Aegean Sea. I recently went to visit some friends on a Greek island and brought my Aegean Blue notebook with me. It was the perfect companion, with the blue cover contrasting beautifully against the beach, and the gold embossed details shimmering in the sunlight. And yes, I did write in it too, haha.

 

If applicable, how do you operate your brand sustainably?

With a family history deeply rooted in publishing, we recognise the need for significant changes and our responsibility to implement better decisions. That’s why we pledge to plant a tree for every notebook sold (1 BOOK PURCHASED = 1 TREE PLANTED).

Our notebooks are printed with vegetable-based inks, made without glue, and use FSC-certified paper. Proudly made in the UK, and entrusted to suppliers who practice responsible manufacturing. They operate with a clear commitment to the environment, reflecting our values of integrity and stewardship on every CAUSEBOOK notebook we produce.

We encourage responsible shopping practices while also aiming to inspire the publishing industry towards making changes for a greener future. Our ambition is to constantly evolve and inspire change. 

Visit them at Top Drawer at stand W25.