A notebook is this season's must-have accessory, if Rhodia gets its way

In this age of Blackberry and iPhone, are diary notebooks relevant or necessary? For Reisse Raphaelle (pictured), the answer is an absolute yes. The French executive was in town on Thursday to celebrate Rhodia's 75th anniversary with displays of its old and new one-staple-binding writing books at both Times Square's and Harbour City's City'super.

'People still love the sensation of writing,' Raphaelle said. 'When you write something, it is an experience, an emotion. You don't give up on the emotion. It is not like typing on a keyboard, because the emotion isn't the same. When you sketch, draw or write, there is a specific sensation you create with the paper, and this continues. People still like to take notes and put down their thoughts on physical notebooks.'

In fact, as more and more people fall victim to 'crackberry' addiction in and out of the office, the luxury of indulging in tactile penmanship is a status symbol of its own. Among its fans are filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and designer Paul Smith, who designed a new nano-book the size of a business card for Rhodia.

'I agree the functions of notebooks and pens have changed,' she added. 'It is not only for practical use at school, but something different like an accessory matching a bag or a dress.'