Tell us a little about you & your business.
Mintchi is an eco friendly brand which I decided to create after working in the fashion industry for 7 years. After seeing the atmospheric pollution the manufacturing industry was causing to Asia I thought that was enough of me contributing to this and I started to hand make owl softies from recycled and end roll materials, this soon became a few more characters and what Mintchi is today.
What do you love about your creative business?
I love the freedom of creativity and creating with my own hands and having control of the full process from start to finish.
What is your favourite thing to create?
I enjoy creating all my designs and new designs are always exciting as you don’t know exactly what may arise. If I have to pick one that I enjoy the most it would probably be my baby owls maybe because they were the first characters I ever made and it’s nice to see how they evolve each season.
Where do you find your inspiration?
What inspired me to start my brand besides the desire to be truly creative was my local suburb of Newtown. I also find a lot of inspiration from going to places I have never been before. Travelling is my most favourite thing in the world and I love that my job allows me to do plenty of this as this makes me feel very inspired and grateful.
Where can we find your work? (on & offline)
Online: at our website here
There is a selection of Mintchi items at Beehive Gallery at Newtown.
I do events and markets around Sydney, all details can be found on my website under ‘Mintchi News’ or by following me on social media:
Facebook: Mintchi
Instagram: @mintchi_
Let’s get to know you.
- Campos is my favourite coffee in the world!
- I absolutely love animals and as a teenager in the country side in Bulgaria I rescued baby animals including our cat’s kittens after their mother died unexpectedly, stray puppies and a baby goat which it’s mother rejected. I hand raised them and feed them with a bottle and they all became part of the big animal family at my grandparents house – I loved it!
- As a child/teenager I grew up in Bondi Beach and I have always had a connection to the ocean and I love summer, how could you ever be stressed around the ocean!?
How did you decide on your business name?
Mintchi is a variation of my last name which is Mintcheva.
What is your most favourite handmade item you have ever bought?
Probably a Turkish rug I bought last year whilst travelling. It is made of little squares which are individually made by different villages, it is like they each have a story, then they are all joined together to form the rug – I thought that was pretty special! I also really love a needle felted hedgehog I bought in my native country Bulgaria.
Any business highlights over the past 12months?
I am currently in the development fazes of a woman’s clothing range! Can’t wait for the launch, there was a slight set back to begin with as I am a real perfectionist and would rather take my time and have something I absolutely love, and now it is looking good for a Summer release!
