The Re-invention of Minawear Luxury Hemp Lounge Wear

Nov. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- THE RE-INVENTION OF MINAWEAR
Through Thick and Through Thin, Hemp Yoga Pants Again!

Minawear Luxury Hemp Yoga Lounge Wear is revving up for a Spring 2012 delivery after four years on hiatus.  Minawear began in Venice, CA in 1998 by designer Mina Hegaard.  Wanting to avoid conventional fabrics, Hegaard sought alternative materials to make her line stand out from the usual cotton workout gear.  Experimenting with hemp, organic cotton and bamboo, as well as eco-friendly methods of finishing, and recycling, the Minawear brand began to bloom.  Minawear’s success in the yoga world skyrocketed when John Friend’s, Anusara Yoga, latched onto the luxury line and began merchandising it all over the country.  

Setting up a showroom in Venice called Nirvana Ranch in 2003, the Minawear brand quickly became synonomous with artsy eco wear.  Costume designers for TV, movies, and boutique buyers soon sought out the comfy goods, establishing the Minawear brand further.  Celebrities like Woody Harrelson and Christian Slater were sporting the unique tie dyes and silkscreened designs on camera, and yogis around the world om-ed in their oneness on the mat.

Success did not arrive without its challenges though.  Realizing the need for a Trademark if she were ever to sell the company, Hegaard set out to register the name.  With the help an entrepreneur who had registered his own trademark, she was able to submit the initial paperwork on her own.  All seemed to be running smoothly,  until Toys-R-Us reared its giraffe head, to claim that it was too confusing with its children’s brand Mini-wear.  Having used the name now for several years, Hegaard was forced to charge into a battle she seemed sure to loose. But with some luck, and an agreement that the name “Minawear” would not be used on children’s clothing, she emerged victorious—her label intact.  

In 2005, the name Minawear caught the attention of another eco-apparel company in town, GeoMio, who was soon wooing Hegaard into the deal that so many entrepreneurs dream of – acquisition.  The sale was made January 1st 2007, and Hegaard was retained as the designer for her namesake during the initial phase. When her contract ended, Hegaard decided a change was needed, so she packed her bags, and moved her family to Victoria, Texas, in order to raise her daughter in a small town near family.

Two and a half years later, by the summer of 2010, GeoMio had been caught up in the same economic woes the rest of the apparel industry was feeling. The owner contacted Hegaard, saying she was closing up shop and wanting her to take the company over again. Hegaard regained the trademark and rights to the web site minawear.com, then hopped a plane to Los Angeles, packed two palates of inventory, and shipped it back to Texas.  Making quick work of her bonus acquisition, Hegaard liquidated most of the inventory and generated new interest in the line. The local paper featured an article on Hegaard and Minawear, which she lost no time in taking to the bank for a loan to restart Minawear.

Choosing the hottest selling items to begin with, the line consists mostly of hemp and organic cotton bottoms, designed for yoga (with no side seams), and power lounging.  Buyers find the line appealing because the basics are always available for re-orders, but the colors are changed up seasonally.

Today, Hegaard is on the phone to New York with veteran designer, Andre Cornelius, strategizing and sourcing. Cornelius encourages her: “I know you’re going to make it. You have the experience, the customers, and a great business plan.” For Hegaard, manufacturing in China is uncharted water, but her experience, excitement and the encouragement will keep her afloat.

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Since 1998, Minawear Luxury Hemp Yoga Lounge Wear has promoted the health of the planet and its inhabitants in style, with time tested designs, by employing fair business practices, and using environmentally sound materials and methods of production.