Our Story
Welcome! My name is Kristine Barkley, I am a 34 year old antique lover, experiential artist, amateur interior designer, fairytale enthusiast, professional photographer, English rose gardener & curiosity collector.
Nonna Clare Collective was born out of my desire to share my interesting and rather strange "eye" with the world.
Our name, Nonna Clare Collective, is rooted in my own personal history, and ignited by my desire to connect with my past.
Nonna means "grandmother" in Italian. I grew up extraordinarily close to my maternal grandmother, so I wanted to honor her place in my life as well as all my grandmothers before her. I chose to use Italian in honor my newly uncovered Italian heritage.
My paternal grandmothers name was Clare, and even though she went by her middle name, Olga, my ancestral digging lead to a really interesting discovery. Upon extensive research, I was able to deduce my grandmother was named after her paternal aunt, Clare Olga. Looking back further in that same line, I realized the family had originated in County Clare, Ireland. I suspect this is why both my grandmother, and my 2x great aunt were both named Clare (with no "i") to honor their Irish heritage.
Nonna Clare is my passion project! I find myself cherishing my past, understanding my roots, and appreciating all of my history. In doing so, I am creating my story, my legacy. I can't wait to share it with you!
"Curiosity meets storybook aesthetics. Romanticize every detail with our meticulously curated mysterious goods. Forging your own fairytale starts here."
Image by: Eliza Miron