The Interview: Minka Dink's founder on turning her side hustle into a Gen Z cult-label

Born in the early days of lockdown with nothing more than a sewing machine, a few zips and two metres of fabric, Minka Dink began life as a passion project for then-university student Minnie Royden. Originally named ‘Made by Minnie’, the brand started with handmade bags and tops sold online, gaining early traction thanks to a crafty mix of TikTok virality and word-of-mouth buzz.

Fast forward to 2025, and Minka Dink has become one of the UK’s most exciting fashion start-ups, known not just for its versatile, well-fitting staples but for the way it has blended digital-native beginnings with experiential retail. Royden, now 25, has grown the brand entirely independently, without formal fashion training or external investment, building a cult following through community-focused pop-ups across London. Her most recent event saw 1,500 people walk through the door in a single day, with queues around the block.

With a three-month pop-up at 81 King’s Road launching today and plans for a permanent retail space on the horizon, Minka Dink is proving that physical retail isn’t just alive - it’s thriving when done differently. From 'sip and shop' events to customer supper clubs, Royden is redefining what it means to connect with a fashion audience IRL, and the brand’s rapid growth (revenues were up by 436% last year) is making the industry take notice.

In this exclusive interview with TheIndustry.fashion, Royden reflects on the brand’s journey so far - from sewing orders between university lectures to opening one of Gen Z’s most talked-about retail destinations - and reveals what’s next for Minka Dink as it prepares to scale both in-store and online.

Can you take us back to the very beginning when you originally launched ‘Made by Minnie’ in lockdown, which later became Minka Dink in 2021? 

The entrepreneurial side has always been in me. I began selling online when I was 15 and still at school. I used to buy tube tops in bulk and sell them on, as well as lots of second-hand clothes. Starting a business was never the plan, but I’ve always loved being financially independent and finding ways to make things happen for myself. So, when I was in my second year of University studying Politics at Exeter and the first COVID lockdown hit, I took this spare time as my opportunity to start selling more online.

I already had a sewing machine, so I bought 2 metres of fabric, a few zips, some packing envelopes, and started sewing bags and tops. I did Textiles GCSE, so I knew the basics of sewing and taught myself the rest on YouTube.

Made by Minnie started as a total side hustle. I never had any intention of turning it into something more. The only reason I moved into manufacturing was because I did a charity sale in January 2021 and sold so many bags and tops that I was completely overwhelmed and faced many hours behind my sewing machine, while also trying to complete my third year of university. I then promised myself I would finish that batch and then start getting things manufactured properly. I placed an order for 50 tops with a manufacturer, thinking it was a one-off. But they kept selling, so I kept ordering more.

By September 2021, I had started a corporate job in London. I was packing orders in the evenings and going to the post office on my lunch breaks. I remember so clearly in the interview for that job, they said they were hesitant to hire me because they thought I would end up doing Minka Dink full-time. I told them there was absolutely no chance, I genuinely had no idea it would ever become a full-time thing for me. How wrong I was, and how right they were!

What was the "aha" moment when you knew you had something worth building into a brand?

I had my first small ‘aha’ moment in November 2021 when an influencer wore one of our tops in a TikTok and I had over 40 sales in an hour, which at that point was massive for me. Everything on the website sold out by 11 pm that night. That was the first time I thought that maybe I was onto something, but I tried not to get overexcited over one viral moment.

I would say my true ‘aha’ moment was last year on the first day of our very first pop-up. It was 9:45 am, I was downstairs running the girls through the different stock locations, and the shop was due to open in 15 minutes. I then got a call from my mum who told me to go outside.  There was a queue of hundreds of people going the whole way around the block, as well as the police, who had turned up to ask what on earth was going on! On that first day alone, we had around 1,500 people come through the door. I genuinely didn’t expect that number of people even across the entire two weeks. We turned over nearly double the amount of revenue I had forecasted for the whole pop-up in just one day. That was the moment I realised we had a real community and genuine demand for the brand and our products.

Who is your target audience and how do you engage them?

Our core customer is a fashion-conscious woman aged 16 to 30, who wants to wear something that feels stylish but isn’t just for one occasion. She's not chasing micro-trends, but wants timeless, versatile pieces that she can wear in so many ways and that actually last.

We engage with our customer base mainly through social media, especially TikTok and Instagram as well as our pop-ups. We have recently started hosting customer events, which we are absolutely loving, from VIP shopping to supper clubs. We also have a ‘Close Friends’ on Instagram where we chat to our very engaged customer base.

Our pop-ups are definitely the best way to engage with such a wide range of customers. I genuinely value all the feedback we get in store, whether it’s about fit, sizing, product offering, or even the vibe of the shop, and being able to hear it in person is so helpful. I take all of it on board as an opportunity to constantly look at ways of improving the business.

How would you describe the mission or ethos behind Minka Dink today? Has that evolved since you started?

Our mission is to create clothes that people actually wear, pieces that feel special but are versatile enough for lots of different occasions. The three pillars at the core of our brand are versatility, value for money and timeless design.

The heart of Minka Dink has always stayed the same, and we’re constantly striving to stay true to it.

What does the name ‘Minka Dink’ mean?

It is a very random name! When I started manufacturing the clothes instead of making them myself, I could no longer use the name Made by Minnie. I wrote down several words that either included part of my name or just had a vibe I liked - Mink, Dink, Min etc, and came up with Minka Dink.

What have been some of the biggest lessons you've learned navigating the retail landscape?

Being a young founder has its challenges. I’ve been learning on the job since day one. For me, one of the biggest problems I have found in the retail industry is having no experience whatsoever with garment construction.  The fit and cut, size grading, as well as the fabric and all washing details, are all so specific, and if you get it wrong, you’re dealing with high returns and disappointed customers. Ill-fitting products are never going to be a good promotion for your brand, so now I’m obsessive about getting every detail perfect before we go into production.

Another huge learning curve has been around stock. In our first year or two, we were constantly selling out, which sounds great, but it really held back our growth. I had to learn to really be brave enough to invest properly in stock, which felt scary at first, especially being completely self-funded with no outside investment. But as soon as I started making bigger commitments, it made such a difference to the business, both in terms of sales and customer satisfaction.

And finally, retail has taught me how important the brand experience is. You can have the best product, but if someone walks into your store and doesn’t enjoy the moment, they won’t come back. That’s why we put so much work into making our pop-ups feel fun, welcoming, and personal, because that’s what really sticks with people and keeps them coming back.

What sets Minka Dink apart from other brands in the space, especially in such a saturated market?

I think we offer great quality at an accessible price point, which makes the brand feel inclusive and appealing to a wide customer base. Plus, we’re completely obsessive about fit; it’s the thing our customers mention the most. Our jeans, for example, took nine months of sampling, but the number one comment we hear in our pop-ups is, "I can’t believe the fit of these jeans".

Beyond the product itself, there’s a strong sense of community around the brand. I like to think some people also buy into the lifestyle and the energy behind Minka Dink. In such a saturated industry, what cuts through is authenticity, and we have grown this business very organically with a really clear vision of what we are aiming to do.

What’s your creative process like?

I always start with a mood board, a mix of patterns, textures, colours, and a general vibe for the season. From there, I form a collection idea, which is basically a huge list of pieces I want in my own wardrobe but can’t find anywhere that also fit the mood board vibe. For example, a pair of jeans with a unique detail, or a floaty top that’s still flattering. Most of our designs are quite simple, I’m a big believer that often less is more.

Once the collection idea is formed, I’ll start working with our suppliers to find the best fabrics.When the samples are finally approved, I’ll usually post a sneak peek on Instagram or TikTok. The reaction to that is a good early indicator of demand and helps me and our merchandiser figure out how many units to order.

I also love planning the marketing side of new products, so once we sign off on bulk production, we start working on how we’re going to launch it. We think about what kind of content we’ll shoot, what it’ll be paired with, and how it fits into the wider collection.

You’ve recently been trialling retail with pop-ups across London. What made you decide to move into retail, and how did you choose your first locations?

A pop-up felt like a natural next step for the brand. We have built a really engaged online community, but I wanted somewhere where customers could come in not just to shop, but experience the clothes in person, try everything on, feel the fabrics and get a proper sense of the fit.

For our first pop-up, the King’s Road felt like the perfect location. Our customer loves shopping there, and we absolutely love the area and the surrounding brands. It felt like such a good fit for us, and Sloane Stanley was the perfect partner in helping our vision come to life. They are such strong advocates for independent, digitally native brands testing out physical retail for the first time, which is so telling of the types of brands already on the Estate. We returned for our second pop-up with them in April, achieving even more success. We’ve also had a pop-up in Soho, which has a different energy, but the atmosphere was equally as good, and the area is brilliant for brand awareness and acquiring new customers.

After the success of the shorter pop-ups, we are opening a three-month summer pop-up at 81 King’s Road from the 17 June till mid-September, which is an exciting moment for us to trial longer-term retail.

How have the pop-ups affected the business?

The impact of pop-ups on the business has been huge, and honestly, beyond anything we could have imagined. Our in-store conversion rate is extremely high, which has had a massive knock-on effect across the business. We’ve seen a huge spike in new customer acquisition and it’s strengthened our brand awareness in London and online. People remember the experience, follow us online and often come back later to shop, whether in person or on the website.

What are the future plans for Minka Dink? How do you see the brand evolving over the next few years?

We are hoping to continue growing at a similar pace. We saw 436% growth in revenue last year, and we’re currently on track for another 167% this year. It's been amazing and so motivating for me to see how far we’ve come already, but I still feel like we’re only just getting started.

A big goal is to definitely open a permanent store in London, somewhere that really brings the brand to life, with space to host events for our whole community and not just a retail space. We’re also looking to expand our product offering, bringing in new categories and newness but always staying true to our pillars of versatility, value and timeless design.

I would love to start taking Minka Dink abroad too, we’ve had a lot of interest from international customers, so pop-ups in places like Paris, Sydney or Copenhagen are definitely on the bucket list!

Alongside all of that, we’re focused on building our amazing team in London and continuing to grow the Minka Dink community, both online and offline. We absolutely love our office life here in London/ The team dynamic and shared excitement we have right now is something I value and I’m determined to keep that as we scale.