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| 27 Nov 2024 | |
| Written by Daria Sukhanova | |
| Alumnae |
Sisters Kitty Sparks (OQ 2012) and Rose Sparks (OQ 2013) have recently launched their new antiques business, Clementine Parker. They aimed to found a business that has a different take on the antique and vintage market, and we were lucky to catch up with them, and hear their thoughts.
What inspired you to start the business and when did your interest with antiques start?
My sister and I have spoken for many years about working together in some capacity. She is very creative by nature and I have more of an analytical mind so we knew we would be able to cover good ground working together. Mix this with both loving to buy unique and vintage pieces - well, the rest was history.
What is your favourite part about working with antiques?
Our favourite part about working with antiques has to be the hunt. We scour the internet, auction houses and homeware markets at every opportunity. There is always a buzz when we find something we haven't seen before or when we are able to get a really special piece at a good price.
What was the inspiration behind making antiques affordable to everyone?
A long time now the connotation with antiques has tended to be dark depressing auction houses selling old pieces of furniture - we wanted to change this up. In order to do this, we needed to create great photographs of pieces using warm lights in settings which look aspirational. Also, it was and still is important to us to have a wide variety of pricing, we want the majority of people to be able to find something they can afford.
Why do you think antique décor and furniture are important to have?
For us antique pieces are simply a lot more interesting that the mass-produced items. Each piece has a history and in a magical way one can imagine this history up themselves as we will not always know the provenance of each item. We also love having items in our homes that most people will probably not see again, they are unique to the buyer. It is important to note that older pieces tend to be made more superior in terms of quality and build than the items produced today. This means they can last forever and be passed on and on!
Visit the Clementine Parker Website for more information.
