Hi there! Our names are Nina and Judith, and we're a pair of Latina immigrant women who found a passion in hat-making.

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When traveling during a windy and rainy spring season, we couldn’t find anything to keep our heads warm and dry as our umbrellas and bucket hats kept blowing away. When we returned home to Minneapolis, we picked up spare fabric and experimented. We sewed a creative solution for ourselves: a crossover between a snug beanie and a waterproof bucket hat. When we wore our hand-crafted hats out and about, people stopped us on the street to ask where we'd bought our hats. We realized that these hats had real potential -- and so BeanieBucket was born. 

 

Judith, the fashion designer, does all the sewing by hand at home. Nina, the graphic designer, chooses the bold, colorful patterns crafted out of recycled vegan scrap fabric from a local store. We started selling BeanieBuckets at the Minneapolis Craft Market, and the hats took off, appealing to all kinds of people -- middle-aged mothers, chic young professionals, outdoorsy hunters. Then one day, we discovered how BeanieBuckets could have a positive impact that we'd never envisioned, when a woman undergoing chemotherapy loved our hats so much that she bought six. We were thrilled to create warm, chic, versatile hats that people loved. 

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BeanieBucket has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the (necessary) government stay-at-home orders that have led to the closure of the Minneapolis Craft Fair, where we sell our hats. We will continue to do our part to stay safe and protect others, following CDC guidelines and Minnesota's government mandates.

 

During Minneapolis’ May 2020 racial justice protests after the brutal murder of George Floyd, fires destroyed our East Lake Street storage facility. We lost nearly all of our inventory of hand-made hats. While we lost much of our business, first and foremost we stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. As we rebuild from scratch, we hope to use this fresh start to double down on social impact. We will now be creating new hats to raise awareness around social justice and will donate a portion of our sales to organizations that support LGBTQ inclusion, racial and environmental justice, and global health efforts including COVID-19 and cancer research. 

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To help us stay afloat and support us as we rebuild, check out our GoFundMe.

 

Thanks for your support. We can’t wait to see you wearing your BeanieBucket!

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Love from Minneapolis,

Nina Borja & Judith Diaz

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