Cody Skinner, Contributing Photographer

New Haven recently played host to a showcase of vibrant knits and hand-crafted cut-and-sew garments by local independent artist and designer MINIPNG.

Held on Feb. 24 at MINIPNG’s store on Audubon Street, the fashion show was the first from Eiress Hammond, known by the nickname MINI, and brought together a selection of her fans and members of New Haven’s local art community.

Among the attendees was Zoe Jensen, who is the founder, publisher and co-editor of Connetic*nt Magazine — a quarterly zine featuring local Connecticut artists. Jensen, who initially met MINI during an interview for the magazine, contributed to the show’s lookbooks.

“I am a huge fan of Mini. I think she is such a visionary,” Jenson remarked. “She is kind of like the Vivienne Westwood of New Haven … She leans into this punk fashion in a way that’s extremely feminine and coquette. It’s focused on sustainability and community-building in a similar way.”

The showcase spotlighted MINI’s hand-made knitwear, a craft she had spent the past three years teaching herself. MINI shared that each piece requires between a day to a week of effort to complete. The intricate pieces are comprised of a variety of different yarns — including mohair, alpaca, sheep and other Italian-sourced wools. She uses a technique of weaving scrap yarn into her projects as she works, creating a collage-like effect of different gauge, color and texture.

Models of all sizes donned the garments, demonstrating the fabrics’ elasticity and versatility. Because of the knitting techniques employed, the one-size-fits-all knit pieces accommodate a range of body types. 

Pieces had purposefully undone hems and loose threads dangling off them to further emphasize their properties as imperfect hand-crafted goods. Many models wore the colorful knits with angel wings and glittery make-up, underscoring the show’s fairy-like theme, as pop music scored the event from speakers at the front of the showroom.

“I would love to do more [runway shows],” MINI said. “I may do something in the summer, and maybe something in the fall, like a three-time-per-year thing,”

MINIPNG, founded in 2019, traces its roots back to MINI’s side-project while studying pre-law, where she began making and selling clothes on Depop. Gradually, her designs gained traction, allowing her to open her own brick-and-mortar storefront in 2022.

She is now involved in Connecticut’s art scene, showing her work and holding events in her New Haven store. She further spoke about her ambitions to open another location in New York within the next few years.

Attendee’s applauded as MINI rushed out after the models’ final lap. Following the showcase, the storeroom opened up for retail, where attendees were able to purchase pieces from the show. The venue featured local jewelry maker Skye and her brand Cielv, a shirley temple booth, and afterwards, a music set by Qween Kong.

Skye initially attended a trade school in New York with aspirations of becoming a jeweler. However, her interest in crafting non-traditional jewelry led her to establish her own handcrafted silver and solder jewelry business.

“I met MINI through another event I was vending at Plush,” Skye said. “She happened to be there that day and she saw me. She said ‘I would love you,’ and she had another event later that month, and said ‘would you like to vend?’ We’ve been tight ever since then. She’s a doll. I love what she does, and all of the work she did today was super amazing.”

MINI was a pre-law student at Wittenberg University in Ohio before turning to fashion.