MINKARA — Local Undercover

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:

My name is Teresa but my friends and family call me Techu.

I make handcrafted, one of a kind jewelry that focuses on minimalist designs and organic, subtle shapes to create unique outstanding pieces for those who seek effortless style.

I am conscious of how important sustainability is, so I use recycled metals, found objects, and resourced remnants to minimize the environmental impact of the jewelry making process and to enrich the work with the story of each element.

I have always been a creative soul and a metal smith at heart. I remember myself making Jewelry with seeds and silver wire between class at university and selling it on campus to cover my weekend expenses. It's fun every time I see (again) my very first designs when I meet my friends and they pull them out from their cabinets :-)

After graduating from my Masters and having worked for a while, I went on a round the world Journey where I was quickly inspired by all the places and people from different cultures that I met, as well as all the amazing materials that I came across with, to find my passion in designing and metal smithing.
This allowed me to use the chemistry involved in the Jewelry process to combine the beauty of different elements and natural materials in my designs.

The name MINKARA, which is the Australian Indigenous word for the "Silver Wattle Tree" (also called Mimosa or Acacia Dealbata), is a tribute to all the influence and evolution that my creative process went through while living in Australia, defining what the brand represents today.

What is your signature style / item? How did it become so?

My signature Items are the fine metal covered leaves and the organic themed crawler earrings.

I use a technique from the 70's to preserve leaves, seeds and other organic materials into fine Silver, 14K Gold or Copper, which transforms them into living, timeless wearable nature jewelry pieces.

It was while living in Sydney, that I learned this technique from my master Jeweler and mentor, John Hablitscheck.

I met John at the Paddington Markets and I was right away fascinated with his technique and his opal pieces. That is so that I went to see him at the markets mostly every weekend until he agreed to teach me his technique under the promise that I'd never reveal his secret, promise that I still honor.

My style has since then become highly inspired by Nature and organic , minimal shapes.

What makes your business unique to the industry?

By casting organic items and working with natural elements, many of my pieces are unique and one of a kind. They become modern, affordable heirlooms in an overpriced jewelry industry.

What's been your biggest roadblock when it comes to business and how have you been able to overcome?

First of all, It is very hard to be a one woman show. You need to know a little bit of everything to be able to understand the industry and also so you can request deliverables when you contract some services.

I sometimes found myself doing Marketing, Accounting, Graphic design...taking online courses so I could understand the basics and put them in practice...and that is simply too much.

I solved it by finding a website that allowed me to find other freelance professionals, and that has helped me a lot with social media, for example, and other computer tasks that were taking too much time from my creative process.

I also went through tough times when the time came where I had to decide my business model.

After doing international Trade Shows as a designer and having had my jewelry been placed in over 50 stores in three continents, I realized that the success of selling to shops comes also with a lot of stress , having to deal with timelines, big orders and bureaucracy. Stress does simply not go with me...

That's when I decided that I'd remain a small business, where I can be free and have my own schedule, where I can make a sustainable way of living, but most important, where I am able to personally attend every customer, so I can participate in their joy when they acquire a piece of mine.

How has your business had to adapt amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic? What are you doing to navigate the situation?

Honestly, when the Pandemic hit, I had just finished production of my new collection to bring to the markets, which is usually a very exciting time of the year, but I lost all desire to make and create as my priorities totally shifted.

I felt bad for advertising my pieces on social media, for example, when I knew people where going through financial struggle.
So instead of trying to sell more, I took a step back to leave the business in "dormant mode.” I am lucky because, since I am a pharmacist, I can always pick freelance or temporary work in that field in case of need.
So I assumed what was coming and followed my nature in regards to the Jewelry business.
I started sharing memes and funny things on my stories. I thought that people needed to laugh and get their minds away from the stress of the moment, and this had a huge welcoming amongst my followers! It even brought some unexpected sales, which was good.

I also sent out some newsletters with demo videos on how to make a simple wax piece. I though that, since people had time at home, they might like to try and make a little something for themselves.

I also put my mind to do some brainstorming so I could help out my favorite markets, since they have been hit really hard, and I would not like to see them go out of business. I came out with some good ideas for online events and things to do to team up with vendors and get some revenue. It resulted very helpful for some of the markets, including Jackalope, and I am very happy and fulfilled for that.

Another thing that I did, is make sure that my followers knew I was available for them if they needed to talk to someone or if they had some questions, since being in Madrid during the Pandemic, I've been ahead of the USA in terms of Pandemic timings. And, to tell you the truth, I did this because I know my customers, I've seen their families and their children market after market, so I was truly worried about them, I wanted to reach out and say " Hey, are you OK? "
As soon as I heard back from people, everything started to flow again and now I am back to thinking about new designs.

What is your favorite part of what you do?

My favorite part of my business is, with no doubt, the human touch.
I LOVE to interact with my customers; know their story and be a part of their story, connect with them over a piece, and ultimately, follow that piece up to its final destination and create a bond with the person who acquires it. That makes me extremely happy as it allows me to keep on seeing my piece over time, when those customers come to say hi at the markets year after year.

**What is your must do local activity?**

You're gonna laugh, but I love going to La Brea Tar Pits and sticking a piece of wood into one of the sidewalk tar leaks.
As a scientist I love to think that that place has been there for thousands of years. It makes me feel small, and it makes all my worries feel insignificant. :-)
I also love to go up on a hike to the Helipad in Griffith park at sunset and watch the DTLA view.

Where to find Minkara:

Online: WWW.MINKARA.LIFE
Instagram: @MINKARA.LIFE
Facebook: FACEBOOK.COM/MINKARA.LIFE