Words by Sheila Lam
Photography by Justin Chung

Jessie James, Supply Paper Co.

Sydney, Australia

When I was first introduced to Jessie James, one of the initial things she said to me in our correspondence was, “I’m much more comfortable in writing.” As we prepared to have our conversation about her life and her company, Supply Paper Co., it seemed rather fitting. Born out of a lifelong avocation passed down by her father and mother, Supply Paper Co. is equal parts paper goods atelier and a study on the forbearing things in life. “I didn’t always know or set out to be a designer, or even to work in my own practice,” Jessie explains “but when I think back, I can see how it was natural that I became one.”
Hailing from the North Beaches of Sydney, a smaller town outside the city surrounded by the sea and the Australian bushland, she spent most of her time among Gum trees collecting organic objects, drawing, writing, always creating. “I owe most of what I am as a designer and a person I guess to my upbringing,” she says. “By that, I mean both the landscape and the influence of my family.”


Full story available in Faculty Department Vol. 2

Photographed in 2019 – Sydney, Australia