Mina
Instagram: @minaforherWebsite: https://minaforher.com/“Mina provides refined and effortless staples for the understated, modern woman.
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BC: How would you describe Mina?
Natalie: Mina plays between femininity and contemporary through soft tailoring and clean lines. Understated and ageless with a hint of self-expression, Mina is designed with intention.
BC: Who do you see as the typical Mina customer?
Natalie: The Mina customer can be any age, but her outlook on life is thoughtful and conscious. She’s smart, she’s a host, and she makes a statement through her pared-back style.
BC: After finishing your design degree you took a fashion trip to India, how did this trip change the way you look at fashion?
Natalie: While on this trip to India, I was following a 6-week seed-to-garment process to see how clothing comes to life. This experience changed my outlook on fashion as I saw all of the people that were involved at every step and I was so intrigued by each of them. It dawned on me that people are central to fashion production and that I wanted to start a label that celebrated this. Since the inception of Mina in 2017, our makers and supply chain has continued to be at the heart of our brand story and ethos.
BC: This obviously led to the decision to create a label dedicated to making conscious and ethical decisions. What ethical practices do you use when producing your range?
Natalie: Our ethos around production comes from a commitment to having a relationship with each person involved in the production. Our clothes are all made in New Zealand and this is an important part of why we can be so confident that our clothing is made ethically. We can visit our makers and connect to them on a personal level which is important to us. As for fabric, we utilize dead stock supply which is the extra fabric that is leftover from a larger fashion house. Often, this fabric would go to waste; so integrating this into our design is a great way of ensuring we aren’t creating more waste.
“Our clothes are all made in New Zealand and this is an important part of why we can be so confident that our clothing is made ethically.”
BC: I know your love for natural, organic, ethical doesn’t stop with the fashion industry, what does your beauty regime look like in terms of products?
Natalie: I have been playing around skincare for years trying to find the right fit for my skin and with my values. I have very sensitive skin with a mainly oily complexion in winter and dry in summer. I use Aesops Amazing face cleanser as well as their Bitter Orange Astringent Toner. As I am always trying to be mindful of my wastage I am trying to use as many soap bars as I can. I am currently using the Ethique range for my evening face moisturizer as well as their shampoo and conditioner bars.
BC: Moving from design school to designer is a massive step, did you have a mentor to help you navigate the journey?
Natalie: I surprisingly didn't, mentors are rare finds nowadays. I went through all sorts of government programs to find a mentor early on but was never able to find someone that was the right creative fit. I was lucky to have so much support around with me with friends and family, so I guess it is quite a humbling feeling to have built the brand in a very organic and authentic way.
BC: What have you been focusing on during lockdown?
Natalie: As a small business, the lockdown was pretty tough to begin with, but we’ve been focusing on the positives. We felt it was important to reach out to our supply chain to see how they are going and strengthen each of these relationships. This resulted in an online community series called ‘Every piece has a story’ so that our customers could get to know the people involved behind our garments. Focusing on this integral part of the business has been really rewarding.
BC: As we come out of lockdown and the country resumes to its new norm how do you see Mina going forward?
Natalie: What we’ve learnt from lockdown is that there is so much strength in the community that Mina has built in the 2.5 years that we’ve been around. Moving out of lockdown, the new norm will be that we continue communicating with our supply chain, customers and collaborative partners on this deeper level. It’s proved to be such a positive driving force for our brand and is so central to our ethos.
AW 2020
