My name is Billy Mabrey and I am an Artist and Photographer located in Grapevine, Texas. I am also a drawing and digital arts instructor. I have worked with gum bichromate photography since 2003 while studying at Southern Methodist University.
Minku, founded in 2011, specializes in clothing and leather goods for men and women. Each Minku item carries subtle cultural codes of Nigerian life.
Aso-oke, a fabric woven on hand looms in the founder's home region of South-Western Nigeria, plays protagonist in several of the items: whether re-imagined as a men's hoodie, or lining the interior of the brand's notebooks and leather accessories.
Minku founder Kunmi was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied computer science at Virginia Tech (Master of Science) and at Howard Univeristy (Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude).
As a high school student in Lagos, she won the fine art prize every year.
The Minku philosophy:
- beauty in the handmade.
- love of materials: aso-oke, leather, paper pulp.
- building delight through design.
If any of these resonates with you, man or woman, welcome home.