NAME TO KNOW Montes & Clark, who champion the small maker and work with artisanal communities
Montes & Clark – the online shop that stocks stunning homeware made by female co-operatives and which is run by Kate Clark and Emily Pinsent, who have shared a love of colour and pattern since childhood
Tell us a little about the background of your business.
We’ve known each other since we were 16 and always talked about working together. It was in 2016, when we both found ourselves living in Wiltshire, that we finally took the plunge. Kate had already set up Montes & Clark in 2015 with another old friend, Lucy Montes De Oca. Montes & Clark was looking to share a retail space and as Emily was already sourcing and selling ceramics, baskets and glassware from Portugal and Italy where she has family, it was an obvious fit. Since then we have worked closely to expand the business to encompass as many of the crafts we love and continue to champion the small maker as well as co-operative communities.
How do you go about sourcing items for the shop?
Everything we do is rooted in tradition, but essentially it is about the handmade and colour. Emily is the main buyer and has a knack for finding things that are just a little bit different. We have a very similar aesthetic which obviously helps, but it is an instinctive approach that we have towards our buying. For the first time this year we launched a Spring Textiles collection of hand-painted lampshades and cushions. We are so lucky to be able to experiment in the workshop utilising Kate’s knowledge and sewing skills, which helps the design process enormously.
What’s involved when working with artisanal communities?
We have a very strong affiliation with two amazing female artisans who work at a women’s textile co-operative in southern Mexico – we built the business with them. Elvia is the matriarch, warm and friendly, nurturing generations of young weavers and embroiderers. Marla is efficient and organised and makes everyone laugh. Together they run a co-operative tucked away in the hills of Chiapas and do so much more than co-ordinate the textile orders, they are a real sisterhood. Over the last year they have relied on our orders as the markets have all been closed due to COVID-19.
What’s been your biggest success story so far?
That we are still friends. But also seriously, when you have developed a solid relationship with a crafts community or co-operative, where you understand how they work and vice versa. It takes years in some cases to be able to do this, especially if you are not on the ground with them.
What struggles have you come across in the business?
As a small business, new collections can take a long time to produce, and working with craftspeople is a slow process, as it should be. The first order might be a disaster, especially with textiles, but it’s taken you six months to get to that point and then you often need to start again. This obviously costs time and money and so we’ve become adept at figuring out how to turn a design that the makers have interpreted differently into something we love enough to share with our customers, often with some really surprising and unexpectedly brilliant results.
What’s in the pipeline for this year?
Earlier last year we had planned for Emily to visit a very special craft community in India, set up after the devastating earthquake of 2001, which was created to support many artisans across various disciplines. Sadly that has been put on hold, but she is determined to get there as soon as possible.
How would you advise anyone wanting to open their own artisanal shop?
Love what you do and enjoy your working day as it takes up a lot of your life. Believing in your product is hugely important; craft is not about trends, it’s about longevity and timeless design.
“EVERYTHING WE DO IS ROOTED IN TRADITION, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT IS ABOUT THE HANDMADE AND COLOUR”