MINIPNG ENTERS A NEW ERA ON EDWARDS STREET
CAFETERIA SITS DOWN WITH FOUNDER EIRESS HAMMOND TO CHAT ABOUT CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF
In dark and dreary times like these, it’s clear that the world needs a huge dose of joy and whimsy. Thankfully, MINIPNG founder Eiress Hammond is creating joy and nurturing community in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. Hammond first established MINIPNG at the tender age of 22 years old, but is now entering a new era with a new location on Edwards Street. Obsessed with fashion from a young age, the vintage clothing store owner and designer is evolving in tandem with her store. What started as a modest venture on Depop selling her handmade items has soon escalated into a full blown business. Despite the barriers to entry that entrepreneurship can sometimes present - astronomically high security deposits and doubtful landlords — Hammond is doing it her own way and doing it well. “When I was first looking for a space, landlords wouldn’t take me seriously as a young woman, especially as a woman of color. Opening a store in New Haven has helped me learn and grow so much,” Hammond shares.
Hammonds’ passion for fashion is palatable through her colorful curation of clothing and art. While her first brick and mortar store leaned on the Y2K aesthetic, Hammonds’ maturity and eclectic taste resonates throughout her new store. Rather than relying on trends, “as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned the importance of staying true to my taste and what I like and having faith that other people will like it too.” More than just a store, MINIPNG is a safe space that fosters connection and creativity. "I want people to come in and feel comfortable just reading a book or they can meet new people instead of feeling pressured to buy something — that’s not solely what MINIPNG is about. It’s almost an obligation for small businesses to create safe spaces where people can go and enjoy themselves.”
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What inspired you to open up MINIPNG?
EH: I’ve always been obsessed with fashion from a very young age. I was operating mostly online back in 2019, just making things and posting them on Depop when one of my designs went viral. From there, I started doing pop-ups in 2020 during the pandemic, but after witnessing so many of my friends open up shops in New York, I knew that I needed to actualize my love for fashion and create my own store. When I moved to New Haven, we passed by a vacancy and thought it would be perfect space to set up shop. Ultimately, what inspired me to open MINIPNG was my interest in fashion and being surrounded by very driven friends.
How would you describe the aesthetic of your store?
EH: The new location was inspired by a sailor vibe mixed with Harajuku, Japanese street fashion, 90s Ralph Lauren — it’s a hodge podge of a bunch of different aesthetics.
In an increasingly digital first economy, do you think there is special value in having a brick and mortar store?
EH: I definitely do especially since the malls are dying, there;s really nowhere for people to go shop. Although I haven’t shopped at Forever21 since my teens, the idea of it being gone is so sad because for a lot of teens, it was affordable and accessible. There aren’t any spaces specifically geared towards teens and young adults. Now they’re all integrated into adult stores. When I was younger, we had not only Forever21, but Justice, Claire’s, Libby Lu’s. Nowadays, teens will see stuff online and go to Fashion Nova or Victoria’s Secret, which are not really appropriate places for10 to 12 year olds. The lack of third spaces for younger people results in them just getting pushed straight into adulthood from adolescence. I do think there is importance in having physical locations for specific groups of people to find things that they like.
Do you think it’s important for small businesses to act as third spaces and be integrated into their community?
EH: I’ve always had the perspective that I don’t just want MINIPNG to be a clothing shop, I want it to be a place that fosters connection and community. I want people to come in and feel comfortable just reading a book or they can meet new people instead of feeling pressured to buy something — that’s not solely what MINIPNG is about. It’s almost an obligation for small businesses to create safe spaces where people can go and enjoy themselves. Businesses need to do more of that and be integrated into their community.
Do you think there are barriers to entry when it comes to being a small business owner? is the path to entrepreneurship equitable?
EH: The biggest obstacle that I came across was people not taking me seriously when we were looking for a space to open the store, especially being in my early 20s starting out. They didn’t really see me as a priority. When we were looking in New York, the security deposit was another big barrier. They usually want three to four months of rent in advance, which can amount to at least $10,000-$20,000. The average person doesn’t have that much money lying around, so that was a huge obstacle and made me feel as though I could never get to where I wanted to be. People assume that you just find a vacancy, but opening a store is more involved than that. You have to have stock ready, which means curating items over a long period of time. Some people wait years before they open up shop, building these collections. Thankfully, we had the store’s stock ready because we were doing pop-ups. We just happened to have the money at the right time, Yale gave us a good deal and we just went from there. The process for opening our store kind of happened all at once. It was a bit of pure luck and perseverance.
What resources do you wish were available when you first opened your store? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
EH: Living in New Haven and being able to access elected officials is important. The city of New Haven truly tries to help as much as possible and prioritizes their citizens, especially those who are trying to contribute to the city’s economy. When I was in the process of opening the second location, I got a lot of help from the city, which I am very grateful for because I didn’t realize that was even accessible to me the first time around. Tapping into the city’s resources helped me network, get to meet fair landlords and understand what’s available to me as a business owner.
What is your vision for this new era of Minipng?
EH: I’m kind of just riding the wave. My goal is to build up the community I’ve created, meet new people, do more outreach and bring something valuable to this area that it’s missing. i have a lot people who are excited for me to be on the East Rock side of State Street because it is a hidden gem. There are a lot of amazing small businesses in the East Rock area that deserve more love and attention. I’m excited to help enliven the area and bring people to the neighborhood that aren’t familiar with the area.
Since reopening, are there any future events or initiatives we should look out for?
EH: We’ll be doing a holiday market in December with 10 to 15 vendors and the Thrift to Death x MINIPNG event on March 28th is also one to look out.