Upcycled to Upscale: How Minnessak is Redefining Sustainable Luxury

In a world saturated with fleeting trends, Minnessak stands out by redefining luxury through sustainability and ingenuity. Imagine upcycled military flight jackets into high-end, functional bags. That's exactly what Jas Sehmbi, a seasoned bag designer with 40 years of experience, is doing. Minnessak isn't just about crafting stylish accessories; it's about pioneering a new era of circular fashion. This interview dives into the brand's unique design philosophy, its commitment to repurposing materials, and the creative marketing strategies that are turning heads – offering valuable insights for any business owner looking to innovate with purpose.

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Could you tell us about Minnessak? What's the story behind the brand, and what are the core values you stand for?

Minnessak is a hand made, sustainable, fashion bag brand. We take deadstock MA- 1 flight jackets, cut them up and repurpose them into a range of practical and stylish bags.

The idea for Minnessak was conceived by co-founder Jas Sehmbi in March 2023. Jas has been a bag designer for almost 40 years. His previous brand, JasMB was sold in over 500 stores worldwide as well as having 3 stores of its own. Over the years Jas has frequently used repurposed or deadstock materials in his designs but with Minnessak, which was launched at the end of 2023, he wanted to go one step further – design a range of bags that only used materials that already exist or made from materials that already exist. So as well as deadstock MA-1 jackets our bags also incorporate vintage Italian leather, deadstock Riri zips, vintage Japanese Obi and deadstock hardware. He even used a repurposed bicycle inner tube and valve on one of our bags in our initial range.

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Minnessak clearly has a unique approach to upcycled design. Could you walk us through your process of creating bags that are both functional and stylish?

When designing bags Jas first thinks people, how they move, how they carry themselves and how they stand. From there he thinks about how they will carry the bag and how they will use it. Bags should be practical and functional but also tactile, stylish and ‘on trend’. Minnessak is the Swedish word for keepsake and our aim is to make bags that people will love and cherish and want to keep it forever.

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For someone looking to balance functionality and style in their own designs, what practical advice would you offer?

I think people should find their own way. Inspiration can be found from all around but ultimately it is the vision of the individual that is important. Understand your own product and how you can use the materials that you find to enhance to make something attractive that consumers will want to buy.

You have created some amazing styled shoots which you can see are clearly designed with movement in mind, how did you come up with this idea of a modern fun way to market and showcase your bags?

We love what we do and feel it’s important to have fun while we’re doing it. We hope that our customers will have fun owning and wearing our bags. This is a key part of our brand and we want to convey that in all we do. As the core element in our designs is the iconic MA-1 flight jacket we wanted to use the ‘flight’ theme. We found a couple of great, ballet trained models and encouraged them to literally be ‘in flight’ whilst they modelled our bags. It was hard work but the whole shoot team were great and we think the final shots really show what the Minnessak brand is about.

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Sustainability is clearly a core value for Minnessak. Could you explain why remade elements are so important to your brand's process, and what practical tips would you give to other brands aiming to be more eco-friendly?

Sustainability is at the core of our brand and we’re proud to have been shortlisted by The Industry Fashion (@theindustryfashion) as a finalist in their sustainability awards this year. Our aim is to only use materials that already exist or made from materials that already exist when making our bags.

For anyone who is looking to be more eco friendly in their brand I’d suggest they look at how other brands are incorporating existing materials in their manufacture. The commitment must be consistent and genuine. Consumers will be quick to spot any brand that is only using sustainability as a marketing tool.

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Minnessak's journey is a powerful reminder that innovation and sustainability can be the driving forces behind a successful brand. Their commitment to repurposing materials, combined with a keen understanding of user needs, has created a unique and compelling product. As businesses navigate an increasingly conscious market, Minnessak's story offers valuable insights and inspiration. So, how will you incorporate sustainable practices and innovative design into your brand's future?