We recently connected with Mark Mintah II and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mark, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I want my legacy to inspire and open doors for young creatives of color to pursue their artistic passions and get more enjoyment out of creating and life. I hope it shows them that it pays to trust God, work hard, and walk by faith. My life is not a coincidence.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Mark Mintah II, I began my deep dive into fashion and art as a young kid and fell in love with it. My mother and grandmother were both fashion designers by trade which exposed me to the ins and outs of making a full garment piece from scratch. They always emphasized following my dreams and working hard. From a young age, my mother would help me construct the designs that I came up with because I didn’t know how to sew. She was always so patient with me because I would try my best to draw and describe what I wanted the garment to look like. During this time, my creative process looked more like a controlled chaos rather than the systematic approach I saw emulated through my mother. Since that time, I learned the basics of sewing, cutting patterns and creating the visions I had in my head myself. I started my namesake fashion label in 2021 because I knew in my spirit it was the right time. I truly knew, in my heart, what I wanted to do with my life and chose to take the risk and start, regardless of what was happening in the world. I draw my inspiration from vintage clothing and graphics because in fashion culture, we tend to make iterations of designs from the past. What sets Mark Mintah Inc. apart is the attention to detail in everything we produce and my African heritage that is showcased in my design language. There are no black owned luxury fashion houses and I am determined to change that. Coming from two Ghanaian parents I am most proud of how I keep the brand authentically me in every way possible.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In July 2022, I was in the midst of preparing for my introductory release to the public in September. I was actively designing and communicating my vision to my team and supporters. I was deep in my craft and my car got broken into. My macbook and iPad were stolen and so were my designs. Those 2 devices were my Kobe and Shaq for designing, using my macbook for photoshop and illustrator and my ipad for drawing flats and creating tech packs. It not only set me back creatively, it effected me academically because I was still in my college classes. I didn’t have the funds to replace them and my friends Dee and Nate let me use their laptops to do homework and design. I could have took the situation as a sign to stop and slow down, but I had no plan to stop because my brand is bigger than me. I went on to have a successful release in September in spite of that happening and stayed focused on the vision.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
I sell product on my website markmintahinc.com. Having a website powered by shopify was the best way to go starting off, because it is so simple and easy to use.
Contact Info:
- Website: markmintahinc.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/markmintah2
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@marksmasterpiece
Image Credits
Elianne Morales Tommy Flanagan