Photos by Bill Phelps
Ini Iyamba
Ini Iyamba
Ini Iyamba developed a knack for creative expression at a young age and has since worn many hats in the local design scene. He’s a retail veteran (he worked downtown at FAO Schwarz, later as district merchant of Macy’s, and eventually went on to open his own shops, Ivy and Ivy Men’s and Design, in the early 2000s). Iyamba is also founder of MN4MN, an organization he started to support local designers, businesses, and artists through a series of events and showcases. Most recently, Iyamba joined the Faribault Woolen Mill Co. team as vice president of merchandising for the Minnesota heritage brand.
When did you discover your visual eye?
I have to say it’s a cultural thing. Nigerians are brought up to be very curious and confident and proud of who they are. My senses have always been piqued, and living in such a rich culture at a young age, I soaked everything up.
Describe your personal style and approach to design.
I call my style classic with an edge. I tend to stay timeless (you always go back to the classics!) because trends come and go. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try new things! I live in a midcentury modern home in St. Louis Park, so I tend to gravitate towards clean lines, though I don’t like my interior to be too modern. My wife and I also incorporate vintage pieces for a nice mix, and we’re always looking for antiques with a story and history.
Connecting with local artists is in your DNA. Who are some of your favorites? How do you approach collecting art for your home?
Collecting is really about what type of emotion a piece evokes for me and how it speaks to me. Every year I go out with the hope to find works by local artists. A few of my favorites within my collection: a photograph of my daughter by Shelly Mosman (who I’ve known for 20-something years), a photograph by Wale Agboola, and a painting by Meg Lionel Murphy.
Where do you go to source vintage?
Hunt and Gather is my go-to—and possibly my favorite store. For midcentury pieces, I love FindFurnish and Covet Consign.
What can we expect to see from Faribault Woolen Mill Co. in 2021?
As a legacy brand, the excitement for us is that we continue building on the archive and heritage as a throw and blanket company while also trying to diversify the product mix (this season we introduced men’s and women’s apparel). As we look to the future, sustainability is a huge goal. Post-COVID, I think how we spend our money is going to shift to more of a “buy things that last” mindset, so we want to focus on delivering just that—upcycled, sustainable products created in collaboration with local makers and designers. We’re also excited to introduce bolder, brighter colors.
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Justice Blanket from Faribault Woolen Mills, designed by Ini Iyamba
Iyamba designed Faribault’s Justice Blanket, an exclusive that helps fund Greater Twin Cities United Way efforts to rebuild businesses.
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Daughter Photograph by Shelly Mosman
Among Iyamba’s favorite pieces is a photograph of his daughter by local photographer Shelly Mosman.
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Skull decoration from D.NOLO
He picked up this skull for his wife at D.NOLO in the North Loop.
Speaking of bold and bright, you designed the Justice Blanket that donates $100 to the Greater Twin Cities United Way to help rebuild businesses that were destroyed following George Floyd’s murder. What did that project mean to you?
It was an opportunity for us to play an active role in what’s going on in our society. I poured all of my own experiences and manifested my cultural upbringing to design something that would speak to the community and what our world is going through. The colors symbolize Black freedom and the people that died for us. If you look closely, the order of the stripes on one side is red, black, and green (representing the Pan-African flag), but the other side is flipped upside down to symbolize the injustices that have flipped everything upside down. It’s also important to note that activism isn’t something that happens once, and we as a brand want to make sure we are part of the movement going forward.
