UKFT member Minnessak recently launched its Summer-Spring 2025 Collection of sustainable bags made from old stock of MA1 jackets, the brand’s signature design element. Deadstock materials such as vintage Italian leather and high-quality Riri zippers have been incorporated into these designs.

The ’In Flight’ SS25 collection introduced new bags with an extra touch of elegance and femininity, based on feedback from buyers. “They are based on our core concept of the MA1 jacket, but with smaller sizes that make them easier to wear,” commented Peter Keep, Minnessak’s Co-founder.

Minnessak’s bags are handmade in London. The brand takes old stocks of the MA1 jacket, an icon of 1990’s fashion, and transforms them into functional and modern bags. Peter said: “Our bags are handmade at our workshop in London. As a sustainable brand, we only produce to order and have six to eight weeks lead times so we have plenty of time to source extra materials should we need to. We’ve also had and continue to have conversations with brands who are interested in giving a second life to their deadstock and seconds and want to see if that can be as beautiful new bags.”

Peter met Jas Sehmbi, Minnessak’s Head of Design & Creative Director, in 2022. “Jas has been designing bags for about 40 years and his last brand, JasMB was very successful from about 2005 to 2019 when COVID intervened. At its height, JasMB sold in around 500 stores in 65 countries and had 4 stores of its own. It was the number 2 selling bag brand in Japan,” said Peter.

Minnessak was born a year only after their initial meeting, explained Peter. “With JasMB, Jas had used old leather coats and other materials on some of his bags and wanted to explore recycling and repurposing materials with a new brand.” Their partnership made sense instantly, as Peter had experience in factory management as well as in marketing and branding. “Our intention was to make beautiful and practical, well-made bags that would become people’s keepsakes. We came up with the name Minnessak, the Swedish word for keepsake,” he said.

Peter commented: “The ethos of Minnessak is sustainability as well as fair practice in how we interact with others, from employees to suppliers and clients. Jas had quite a lot of old stock of material from JasMB, including Riri zips, old leather and hardware (we have a large barn full of it) which we are incorporating into our designs. We’ve identified other sources of old stock that we can access as when we need to. He also has old contacts in Italy that have quite a lot of old stock. The core of our design is one of the icons of 1990’s fashion, the MA1 jacket, and there is lots of old stocks of these.”

Discover Minnessak’s SS25 Collection ‘In Flight’ online:

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Minnessak about becoming a member of UKFT: “As a new brand it’s very important that we keep up with the ever-changing fashion market. UKFT offer us access to a very wide range of resources and knowledge in a friendly and easy to use way.”

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