As someone loves analogue journalling, I’m always on the lookout for new notebooks—even when I have plenty in storage, just waiting to be filled. What can I say, I’m just a sucker for beautiful stationery.
Over the years, some great homegrown brands have popped up, such as Mossery, Ana Tomy, as well as Summorie. Another that I came across not too long ago was one called Mucca Paper (Mucca).
Based in Penang, Mucca is a “notebook lab” selling a variety of paper products, from wirebound notebooks to threadbound ones.
As someone who has been keeping an eye on the local scene, I do find Mucca to be more underrated compared to the aforementioned names. So, I decided to reach out and learn more about their journey.
A personal interest
Mucca Paper formally got its start in 2017, primarily as an online business. By 2019, though, it had expanded into its physical store in Penang.
The founder behind it is Kwan Yee Mung. Prior to starting her own business, she had obtained her Bachelor in Finance & Economics at UTAR, and was working in an MNC as a white-collar worker.
The reason for her to start Mucca Paper was simple: to fulfil her own demand.
“When I started Mucca, I wished that I could have a notebook that is durable enough for me to carry around,” she explained.
She was inspired by the classic “F4 hard cover” notebooks typically used by students or accountants to track their notes.
However, she felt that the material used in the cover of these notebooks was still too fragile. What she was looking for was something made with cloth, canvas, or leather.
To DIY this, though, she needed to find the perfect glue. Too watery and you would deform the shape of the notebook. Too sticky it will dry too quickly before cloth can be properly wrapped around the card stock.
Moreover, Kwan has always been interested in stationery since she was young, oftentimes customising her own organisers and decorating the cover to make it look unique and personalised.
“Whenever I travelled, bookstores and stationery stores would be the place that I must visit,” she said. These stores, especially ones in Japan, further motivated her to start her own brand. Tasked with an interest in stationery and a desire to create her ideal notebook, Mucca Paper was born.
A labour of love
At Mucca, the notebooks are all handmade with the aid of tools and machines.
Sharing about the process, Kwan said that cutting is one of the most important elements. This includes cutting the cloth, card stocks, as well as the paper. Consistency in this process is vital to ensure the end result is perfectly sized.
Making a notebook also involves glueing, printing, and assembling. The last part involves not just putting the paper and covers together, but also finishing touches such as elastic closure and eyelets.
“We wrap the cover by hand, the pockets are folded and glued by hand. This is why we embrace workmanship,” Kwan said.
If this process sounds interesting to you, you can actually watch their process online.
But before we can even get to the production of the notebook, the team must first conceive an idea and develop the design.
Kwan shared that Mucca will usually build a number of samples with different sizes, materials, and thickness. This helps the team understand whether the combination of material, glue, and size actually works in a user-friendly manner.
She shared that R&D takes months, or even years, as you need to take into account not just material sourcing but also innovation and creativity.
The whole experience is very detail-oriented and tedious, Kwan admitted. This is especially the case as Mucca often gathers feedback from customers as well as the team to find opportunities for improvement.
“It’s important for us to stick with our core pillars—flexibility and versatility—when it comes to product design,” she said. “We try to design a product that can be used in more than one way.”
While their core offerings are usually quite simple in terms of design, Mucca also collaborates with artists and brands that share the same ideals to come up with unique cover art.
With their dedication, Mucca has found an audience of stationery lovers who embrace workmanship as much as they do. Kwan shared that most customers are actually tourists from different places or countries.
A strong vision
As mentioned, though, there are quite a number of notebook brands in Malaysia, such as Mossery and Ana Tomy. Many great global brands are available locally too, such as Moleskin and Leuchtturm.
To that, Kwan explained that it’s not so much about competing with the other brands, but more so championing analogue notebooks as a whole.
“When I started Mucca, a lot of people doubted and questioned me,” she started.
Many would wonder whether people even still use notebooks, which can be easily replaced with digital products.
“However, I still believe in writing as it helps us to process our thoughts twice,” she continued. “Our brand value is also preserving the art of writing.”
So, instead of expanding the business, Kwan wants to focus on developing their products as well as their brand to really hone in on her visions. Of course, it’s not always easy to hold onto your beliefs.
“The biggest challenge I would say is having faith, whether you believe in what you are doing,” she said. “Even people surrounding you, sometimes they doubt your vision or what you are doing.”
Yet, seven years into running her business, Kwan has learnt a thing or two about ignoring out the naysayers. “Don’t be afraid of failure,” she advised. “Keep trying and be consistent.”
Featured Image Credit: Mucca Paper
