Christmas Stars -- and Stripes ; Celebrity greetings will be personal, patriotic

Kelly Carter

7 December 2001

USA Today

LOS ANGELES -- Designers who make holiday cards for celebrities are dreaming of a red, white and blue Christmas this year.

Even the messages inside have themes of peace and patriotism.

Card designer Marc Friedland discarded his "Merry Everything" campaign and created a "Hope + Happiness" 2001 Holiday Collection. The cards -- several of which feature flag designs on the front -- have simple messages, such as "May your heart be filled with hope this holiday season" and "Hope Unity Freedom." One of the most popular styles reads "Peace" on the outside and "Now More Than Ever" inside.

Sex and the City creator Darren Star has chosen the Hope + Happiness collection to send to friends and family. The collection, available at www.creativeintelligence.com, ranges from $375 to $525 for a box of 100 cards.

And 90% of Claudia Laub's celebrity Christmas-card clients are requesting words that allude to the Sept. 11 tragedy. "Peace on Earth like never before" is a big hit. Laub's clients Brendan and Afton Fraser have chosen this message: "Greetings for the Season. May the Light of Hope always outshine the darkness."

"This was not about Hollywood this year," Friedland says. "This was about how to reconnect with folks and how to communicate at a time that is very unsettling and not necessarily very joyous."

Custom holiday cards with personal greetings is a tradition in Hollywood.

"People spend all this money on their wardrobes, home decor and lifestyle," says Friedland, founder and creative director of Creative Intelligence Inc. "But when it comes to how they express themselves, there really haven't been materials (in stores) that reflect that sensibility. That's the niche that we're filling."

Over the years, Friedland's holiday card clients have included Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, Kenneth (Babyface) and Tracey Edmonds, Kevin Costner, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Quincy Jones, Kenny G, Universal Studios and TicketMaster.

He also designed invitations for two high-profile celeb weddings: Pitt and Aniston's and Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd's. And he did the invites to a birthday party Oprah Winfrey threw for beau Stedman Graham.

The Christmas card he designed for the Pitts last year had a hip '60s design on the front and this message inside: "Have a groovy holiday season. Wishing you all the love, peace and happiness you could possibly stand."

Laub, who designs personal stationery for Sally Field, Mena Suvari, Michael J. Fox and Julie Andrews, has done holiday cards for Madonna's Maverick Records and Nicolas Cage. This year, friends of Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer, Bruce and Patti Springsteen and Meg Ryan will receive cards made on the nearly 200-year-old printing press in Laub's garage.

Ryan's card, which offers greetings from her and her son, Jack, features a photo the actress took in Thailand this year.

"I oversee every aspect, from an individual's personality to the message and feel they wish to convey," says Laub, who has been in the business 30 years. "It's personal because my hand is touching every piece from beginning to end."