Maker Spotlight: MINNA
MINNA is a queer and woman-owned B Corp business working with master artisans in Central and South America to ethically produce handcrafted textiles and home goods. When we sat down to collaborate with MINNA and create linens for the Night Swim & Molasses seasonal collection, we knew we’d walk away with thoughtfully designed, durable pieces to grace our tables and perfectly complement the colors of the vessels.
Check out the story behind MINNA’s name, their penchant for feminist art, and commitment to preserving traditional craft techniques below.
An interview with Sara Berks, MINNA Founder and CEO
Can you tell us the story about the inspiration behind naming MINNA?
MINNA is named after my Omi, my maternal grandmother’s, middle name. She actually dropped her name when she was 14 as she went through Ellis Island. She only told me this story when I was in college, so it stuck with me as a beautiful name and quirky rebellious act that my grandmother did when she was so young.
MINNA was actually a family name, her own grandmother, so she really rocked the boat with her father when she did it. When it came to naming MINNA, I knew I wanted something that had meaning, wasn’t necessarily my name, and also wasn’t a word that conjured an image. MINNA was perfect.
Your designs are informed and inspired by Feminist art, the Bauhaus, traditional craft, and vintage textiles. What are some of MINNA’s favorite pieces of Feminist art and Bauhaus design?
I always look to Anni Albers, Agnes Martin, Eva Hesse, Gunta Stozl, Paul Klee for inspiration. The Bauhaus was a period of time that has always truly fascinated me, and I was exposed to it in art school. (I studied graphic design.)
The belief that ‘form follows function’ has really informed my own design process and our emphasis on designing for a specific technique, as well as elevating craft to be equal with art.
Paint us a picture of your vision for sustainability that’s regenerative and community-centered. How is MINNA currently creating and evolving with this vision?
Sustainability is always an evolving initiative, as our needs and the earth’s needs are always shifting. We have big goals when it comes to our impact whether that’s on the earth, our employees, our communities, and the artisans we partner with. It’s important to be level headed when setting regenerative and community-centered goals, though. What can we really do as one small business?!
At the end of the day we are a business, similar to East Fork, with a social justice bent, and in order to support our sustainability initiatives we also need to support our business health. It’s a fine balance! We currently support our NY community by ensuring our team has access to health insurance, that we support social justice organizations in our backyard, and that we can continue to create stable employment opportunities.
We also strive to source the best materials we can within the regions we work. That means we prioritize local sourcing that might not be ‘organic’ over importing organic which increases carbon footprint.
What are some of the traditional craft techniques used by the master artisans you’re in relationship with, and why is it important to preserve these techniques?
We work primarily with handweavers and knitters, as well as wood workers, ceramicists, and glass blowers all over Latin America. Our focus is creating stable employment opportunities through design for small scale weaver workshops and cooperatives.
The techniques these artisans work with are SO incredible - intricate, patterned, well-made, timeless. In the face of mass production, there’s a risk that these techniques could disappear. By using design to create impact, we’re able to participate in the preservation of these techniques.
