About Clémentine

I grew up in South of France, French Riviera by the Mediterranean but definitely not Saint-Tropez. 

Adventure, love and career brought me to live and work in 3 continents. Today my family calls Toronto Home. France nurtured my passion for craftsmanship, Japan developed my appreciation for minimalist design, and New York instilled the idea of entrepreneurship. Toronto gave me the serene environment to put all this together into Clémentine Boutique.

After moving 10 times and 2 kids later, I was tired of purchasing and throwing away broken stuff. My mismatched glasses were an embarrassment each time I had friends over. What was going on? Products were made in very far away countries by people working longer hours for lower wages, transported around the globe, packed with lots of plastic to be delivered to my door. News reporting pollution scandals and documentaries unveiling fallacious green-washing statements were adding to the disappointment. To make things worse, the life expectancy of glassware and ceramic knives in my kitchen was just 3 months. It was not making me happy. 

I had an epiphany looking at the teapot I received for my 18th birthday gift. It followed me in my adventures in Paris-Tokyo-New York-Toronto because it makes very good tea and keeps it warm. I found out loose leaf tea has a better value for money than tea bags because you can be re-steep several times. Tea keeps its aroma, flavours and nutritional benefits. Over the course of 22 years, it prevented 20.000 teabags and packaging to end up in the landfills and counting! It saved me from drinking additional micro-plastics. Its stainless steel curves still look beautiful in my countertop. Yes, this Degrenne Teapot was an expensive gift, but this zero-waste investment is still worth every penny.

Functional, Durable, Sustainable, and Made in France by craftsmen who have pride in their work, healthcare and paid vacation. Ethical consumerism before the concept existed! It inspired me to (re) discover products that are satisfying and bringing joy such to share them in Canada. Stay tuned for more!