Our Bridal designer,
Kyla recently took a trip out East and as luck would have it a beautiful store called
Whink in St. Johns, Newfoundland recently started carrying a wide selection of our bridal collection! Naturally, we put 2 and 2 together and realized it only made sense that Kyla make a point of stopping in to see our pieces in their natural retail habitat, and have a chat with Whink’s founder – Kim Sparkes.
In need of some inspiration, a friend and I took a 10-day trip to the East Coast. I’d never been before, and what better way to re-energize the soul than to visit the ocean. Luckily enough, earlier in the year we received a bridal order from Whink, a lovely little boutique store in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which happened to be the last city stop on my ten day adventure. The owner, Kim Sparkes, was kind enough to let me visit, photograph, and interview her for the Headmistress blog.
Here’s what Kim had to say about East Coast brides and life in St. John’s:
Q. Is there anything unique about an East Coast bride?
A. I don’t think so. We get a range of brides looking for simple to extravagant accessories. Some brides have an ocean or nautical theme, many look for something casual, and some prefer more intricate pieces. I’d say overall, most East Coast brides are pretty relaxed.
Q. When did Whink open, and how do you promote your bridal products?
A. We’ve been around for 3 years now, and we do three-to-four wedding shows a year.
Q. What do your brides look for in accessories?
A. Accessories are the last thing that a bride will buy. They already have everything picked out, so they’re looking for something that adds to the theme or colours they’ve already chosen.
Q. Where did you hear about Headmistress?
A. At the Mode Tradeshow in Toronto. I met Jill and her mom at their booth, and we hit it off immediately. A lot of the bridal pieces were quite simple which is what I’ve been looking for.
Q. Have you experienced any challenges with operating a store on an island?
A. Yes. Shipping has been a major challenge, as it can get costly. Also, being a Canadian store owner is often challenging, having to compete with stores from the U.S. However, a lot of people have embraced “buying local” which has helped ease the threat of competition. Most of our products are hand-made in Canada.
Q. What’s your favourite thing about living in Newfoundland?
A. The people, the culture, and the landscape. I love being surrounded by water.
And that was that! So many thanks to Kim for taking the time to speak with me. Seeing Headmistress Bridal in store was the perfect ending to an incredible trip. I encourage anyone who hasn’t experienced the East to do so as soon as possible. It was beyond beautiful and entirely refreshing. I will definitely be back to see those people, those cliffs, those boats, and that ocean. Sheeeesh, I’m smitten.
She also did a quick 
