2019-08-01_Country_Homes_&_Interiors.

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❝Our first order was

10 parasols for

Glastonbury festival❞

G

orgeousparasolsmade

fromvintage-stylefabrics

arethetrademarkofhandmade

parasolcompanySunbeam

Jackie.It’snosurprisethatfounders,Katyand

CharlieNapier,aretalentedartistswitha

wealthofdesignexperiencebetweenthem.

Theinspirationforthebusinesscamein

2011 whenKatyandCharliewerewatching

WernerHerzog’sfilmCobraVerde, anda

scenewithvillagerscarryingparasolsand

paradingtheirchiefina WestAfricanvillage

caughttheireye.‘Wethoughttheparasols

werefantasticandwe’dneverseenanything

likethembefore,’saysKaty.‘Therewas

a scenewitha numberofopenparasols

piledupsidedownandthatreallystruck

us.Wewantedtomakesomethingsimilar.’

KatystudiedfineartattheUniversity

ofBrightonbeforecompletinganMA

atCentralSaintMartinsinscenography.

Charlie,meanwhile,alsostudiedfineart,

butatFalmouthUniversity,followedbyan

MAatNewcastleUniversity.Aftermeeting

Charlieona filmset,Katylatermovedup

to Newcastle where he had a job working

onartinstallationsattheBalticCentrefor

ContemporaryArtinGateshead.Katyalso

landeda jobnearbyworkingoncostumes

forthepopularITVshowVera.

Thecouplehadbeenlookingtostarttheir

ownbusinessfora while.‘I hadgrownupin

asmallhotelandsawmydaddoinghisown

thingandbeinghisownbossandthatwas

instrumental,’saysCharlie.Theninspiration

struckwhenthecouplewatchedCobra

Verde.‘Wedidn’thavethemoneytomake

a prototypesoweboughta fishingumbrella

fromArgosandsomefunkybrightfabricfrom

GoldhawkRoad,’saysCharlie.‘Katymade

a makeshiftcanopyfortheparasolandwe

tookit outtotheNorthumbriancountryside

andtooka greatphotoofKatyholdingit.

Theparasolwasunfinishedbutwesentthe

shottoMistyBuckley,a friendofa friend

whodoesproductiondesignforliveshows

andevents.Wegotanemailbacksaying,

“I’llhave 10 ofthosefortheartists’warm-up

areaatGlastonbury”.Wedidn’thave 10 –

wedidn’tevenhaveone!Soweenlistedthe

helpofsomefurnituremakerstohelpdesign

and manufacture them, then we went fabric

Parasol designers Katy and Charlie naPier