MINIPNG Grows Up on Edwards St
Owner of MINIPNG, Eiress Hammond or “Mini,” at her new checkout counter.
The maturing of MINIPNG is clear, especially when comparing its new Edwards Street location to its former spot on Audubon Street. The baby-pink bows that once adorned the entrance have been replaced with a Matisse poster and a Tiffany lamp. The fuzzy neon tables have given way to a cherrywood dresser. And while owner Eiress Hammond, or “Mini,” will never lose her playfulness (peek in the window and you’ll still find a carousel horse), this new space marks a fresh chapter for both the store and Mini herself.
Outside MINIPNG’s new location at 9 Edwards St, New Haven, CT
Animal prints out the wazoo
And Hammond sees it first-hand: “I feel like this location is more grown-up.” When she opened her first physical store, Hammond was 22 years old. “The mind of a 22-year-old… things were chaotic.” That first store was a crash pad for figuring out how to run a business, and now it is building upon that foundation. “I’ve taken a lot of what I’ve learned, things I want to do, things I don’t want to do, and I’ve brought them to a fresh spot.”
The clothes reflect this maturity. While the last store featured more graphic baby tees, this shop carries a greater selection of leather jackets and corduroy pants. “I’m very like… ‘art teacher who just got divorced’ vibes.” She’s considering new designs to produce, too, like quilted bags and patchworked clothing, rooted in her classic MINI-whimsy. Here, though, you’ll see fewer Y2K-inspired MINIPNG-designed clothes. “I was creating things that I thought other people wanted to see.” Now, she’s refocusing her design work around making things she genuinely loves again instead of chasing trends.
A MINIPNG designed crop top
While high schoolers were her main clientele at the last location, particularly because it was adjacent to the ACES Educational Center for the Arts, her new neighbors are more in their 20s to 40s. Moving wasn’t a choice so much as a necessity. As she explained, “Yale was increasing the price of the location. They gave me some time, but it was really a little over a month to figure out a second option.” She added, “I was freaking out about that.”
Although being pushed out of her Audubon space was difficult, it has been a welcome forced reset. Her grandma described the last location as “looking like a mall,” but now Hammond is trying to add more warmth to this space. “I feel like the vibe here is very warm… where I’m at home and comfortable,” she said. That extends beyond shopping. At both locations, she wanted people to feel welcome to linger: “I want this to be more than just a clothing store… a place where people come to hang out and have fun… sit on the couch, read a book.”
As she continues to grow with the new location, she’s excited by the version of herself emerging alongside it. “I’m loving this version of myself right now,” she said. “I’m on a high.”
And, ultimately, she’s creating a space that her younger self would see as a great new chapter. “I’m just proud of myself… like little me would be screaming.”
Visit MINIPNG at 9 Edwards Street, New Haven, CT.
Inside MINIPNG
