Alexandra Labriola
Designer & Illustrator / Founder of Al Stampa LLC
Burlington, VT
www.alstampa.com
instagram @alstampa
Pinterest
Q What do you do?
“I currently run my studio, Al Stampa LLC, and make brands come alive with design. I love to create whimsical and silly illustrations that capture real life and make people feel good.”
Al Stampa is a creative design studio that specializes in visual branding development and illustration with the purpose of bringing to life the story of your brand in a tactile, and unique way. I see myself as an artist first - and love to use many mediums to create beautifully long lasting brands.
I work primarily with small business owners that are passionate about their endeavors and excited to work with someone who’s done it before!
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I have been painting, drawing and printmaking seriously since the age of 15 and knew I always wanted to be an artist. I studied printmaking and graphic design in college and my first job was hand painting high-end wallpaper with a team of printmakers. This opened my eyes to the idea that there are so many different types of jobs out there and that I can be a working artist. After that, I worked in-house at brands as the creative director for 8 years or so, and at nights would letterpress wedding invitations and cards for my little side hustle, Al Stampa (it means “to print/to impress” in Italian). Finally when I moved to Amsterdam with my husband in 2016, I decided to make Al Stampa my full-time endeavor combining my creative direction / art direction / design and illustration capabilities into one offering. I haven’t looked back!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Many of my clients have left reviews that touch on the fact that I not only offer design and creative direction, but I also become a partner in their launch / rebrand, which makes small businesses feel like they’re not alone. While being a creative, I also am extremely organized and detail-oriented, which allows me to be able to deliver on time, help to build systems that work, and stick around for support afterwards. I have the experiences of being a hands-on artist, a small business owner, and a creative director to offer my clients direction in many areas of starting a business, touching on the small details and the overall big picture items. I hope to never be a one-trick pony in the industry and I constantly push myself to understand the brand’s vision at hand and tackle it in a humble and authentic way.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I am working for a beautiful local wine shop on a new logo and illustration, branding for an olympic athlete that is launching merch, and retainer work for an interiors brand designing lookbooks and launch campaigns for Q4. I am also developing a wallpaper collection!
Q What’s your style?
Fun, Whimsical, Sophisticated, Approachable
Highlights on Site!
Sasithon Photography
Laura Remmert Events
Germantown Laundromat
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I want to launch a wallpaper line so that I can create more livable art for the home. I love the world of interior design and will always have a strong connection to it, as it’s where I started. I want to be able to make products that make people feel happy in their own homes.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
It’s hard to keep up with instagram and other forms of marketing for my own brand. Working for so many others leaves little to no time for thinking of creative ways to promote my own business for future work. Right now I’m trying to dedicate one day a week to this, whether it’s creating something for instagram, coming up with a fall promo gift for 2023, or writing a newsletter.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Social and marketing! Outreach and research on companies for licensing work.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
There’s a lot of noise and tons of people trying to do similar things as you are. There’s room for everyone, so take your time and stay true to who you are!
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I want to know more about the licensing world for my illustration work and how to create relationships to create more collaborative collections with brands.
I also would also like to be better at working on current projects alongside outreach for new projects. How to market myself in an authentic way.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I love to work with small business owners who are passionate about what they do. It is so rewarding to jump into someone’s dream and help facilitate it.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I want to work in the food/beverage industry more and see my illustrations and branding on bottles, cans etc. I also want to work with restaurants or boutique hotels and be able to tackle signage, menus, wallpaper, and all the other touch points that make an experience come to life.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email directly at hello@alstampa.com or fill out our contact form here!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I am so lucky to be surrounded by artists and makers that it’s hard to pick a couple!
I love my friend and client, Sasithon’s photography. I am also in love with my interior design client/friend’s work at Murphy Waldron Design.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
PAUSE and take a walk outside!
This member profile was originally published in August 2023