We chose MIMIKRIDesign's recycled leather bags to complement NON+'s fall collection. We were delighted to discover the brand, as its models are close to the world of NON+ in terms of geometric design and spirit. We spoke to the brand's founder and designer, Krisztina Nagy, about the collaboration.
- Where did you work before?
- I graduated from the MOME Textile Design Department in 2012 as a printed material designer. After graduating, I worked as a production manager and production preparer for three years, which is really not a creative field - most of the work is filled with planning and calculations in Excel spreadsheets. After the intellectual creative environment of the university, I did not find this type of work motivating in the long run. I did not really find my place as an employee, but at the same time I never thought that I would start my own brand one day, I simply did not feel comfortable with someone else always telling me what to do in my work. I had a thousand things in my head, but for a long time I could not pinpoint one of them that I wanted to deal with exclusively in the long run.
- How was the first MIMIKRIDesign bag born?
- The brand started in 2017 practically by accident. I have always been a big fan of rummaging through things, I find this kind of treasure hunt very exciting. During one such occasion, I found a leather skirt in perfect condition, made of beautiful materials, which I immediately grabbed. The cut was not particularly advantageous, so I decided to make it into a leather backpack, which I had been wanting for a long time. That very evening, I disassembled it, made the pattern and sewed my first bag. I enjoyed every part of the process so much, from the disassembly to the design to the execution, that I immediately felt like I wanted to do this.
- Are all your bags made exclusively from recycled leather?
- Yes, this is the basis of the brand's philosophy. Thanks to the recycled material, each of my bags is unique, no two are the same, I can only make similar ones. Making each bag is a long process, it is not enough to find the right material in the form of trousers, skirts or jackets, the subsequent cleaning and dismantling phase is also a long job, and the design only comes after that. The geometric patterns characteristic of the brand are laser-cut onto the cleaned materials, so the entire process takes at least two days of work for each bag.
- Do you make every piece yourself?
- I always make the first samples, I usually outsource the mass production of more complex styles, but I usually produce the smaller pieces - wallets, belts - myself.
- How would you define the style of MIMIKRIDesign?
- It's not typical for me to follow trends, so I usually don't think in collections, but in matching pieces, in the design of which I follow my own intuition, which I feel is much more authentic than if I were to develop the brand's style by reflecting on constantly changing international trends. The basic character of the bags is determined by the monochrome color scheme, the use of simple geometric shapes and the clean nature, and since I don't think in terms of seasons, I plan my pieces for the long term.
- Where are your products available?
- In connection with the collaboration, my bags are also available at the NON+ Showroom, and they are also continuously available in the stores of mono art & design, Rododendron and FIAN Concept, as well asin my own Etsy webshop .
