Mennlay and I met 3-4 years ago at our old studio in Juárez. I immediately liked her Ielt so comfortable, like I could (and WANTED to) share all my darkest raw and honest secrets. A woman who can hold space and who knows how to walk within that space is nourishing in itself. It was a pleasure to be reunited at our new store after all this time, she intuitively brought 3 giant croissants from which I didn´t know I needed!
What is your love language?
It might look like acts of service—feeding people, making sure they’ve had water, rolling up something nice. But at its core, my love language is nurture. Tending. I care for people (and plants) in ways that feel needed, sometimes quietly. I notice the small things: have you eaten? do you feel seen? That’s how I love.
How does creativity access you? I'm curious how you perceive and relate to your own creative language!
Through the curious nature of plantways, foodways, history, music, human suffering, and weed. A creative thought will usually sneak in when I’m doing a mundane or meditative task; taking a shower, washing greens, mopping my floors. I don’t chase it—I just try to stay open enough for it to arrive and make sense. I don’t truly know how I relate to my creative language. That’s hard for me to explain. It’s like trying to bring words to why you have an arm and how it relates to you. It’s my arm, it’s a part of me.
What do you like to do while you are cooking?
I try to just cook and use it as a time to catch up with my thoughts and process feelings. I have five gemini placements and one virgo placement so feelings are hard to sometimes process physically. But as a mercurial being I process feelings like data. So when I cook, I prefer complete silence so I can think and process. On an odd day when I am feeling sensuous and special I’ll throw on a vibey record. A cultural podcast episode. I like the ritual of cooking to feel meditative and calming.
What do you love to do while you are eating?
Talk shit! With people I love. I love eating with clean hands—somehow it brings me back into my body and my lineage. Sometimes I love to watch a good documentary (I know you’re not supposed to watch TV and eat but it’s my toxic trait!!!). When my nervous system is regulated, I love to take my time while eating. Slow bites, long pauses. I sometimes write in my journal when I’m eating. Good things come up then too!
What does style mean to you?
Style is innate storytelling. It’s a personal visual language. A reflection of your interior world without having to explain it. Style is political at times, as in I don’t find myself drawn to style that’s based on pure luxury just for the sake of it. I don’t buy that and I don’t buy into clothes and capital. Style is inherited, it’s fluid. And I think the most stylish people are the ones who know how to wear history, texture, and wear their style all at once.
What are your favorite platforms to use to communicate?
These days through my Substack newsletter. I thoroughly enjoy reading and writing on Substack. I love long-form writing platforms and witty comment sections. Anywhere I can be a little long-winded and poetic. But I try to be selective about when to communicate something, It has to feel necessary or therapeutic for me to get it out. I delete a lot.
If you could invent a new platform for people what would it be?
A hybrid between an IRL and virtual library, a kitchen, a sauna and garden. A place where you could read, feed, sweat, rest, and maybe create with community, but it’s not necessary. Sometimes just being with other people in silence is the best kind of community building and healing. Less noise and more depth. Less doomscrolling and more daydreaming.
We have talked about creating this third space, what do you envision the third space being?
Similar to what I explained in the last question. A soft space. A garden of some sort. No branding. No urgency. Just a place where we can nourish each other—through food, textiles, music, and storytelling. A sanctuary that smells like fragrant herbs, leather and jasmine rice.
What stage in your own seasons are you coming from (winter, summer, spring, autumn)?
Autumn. A 42-year-old woman who has the experience of living many lives. I’m in a phase of outgrowing and falling leaves. A little grief, a lot of wisdom and with more growth on the horizon.
What stage in your own seasons are you moving towards (winter, summer, spring, autumn)?
Spring, baby. There’s something budding. I feel it. Not quite fully bloomed, sort of unknown but fertile. I feel curious, playful, prepared and ready for what is next.
What spaces are you excited about creating and/or being a part of?
Spaces that center care, not capitalism. Spaces for retreat. I’m interested in spaces that honor slowness, culture, and memory. Where we can talk about grief and pleasure in the same breath. Where nothing is for content, but everything is for communion.
What are some habits that have made you who you are?
Asking questions. Trusting my gut. Writing things down with a pen on a piece of paper. Staying hydrated, Smoking herb with intention and not reactively. Minding my business and never rushing for anyone’s false urgency.
How do you make a good mocktail?
Fresh herbs, a touch of heat, and something bitter usually. I think these elements are also functional to the body. It’s good to have complexity but nothing too sweet. Something like grilled peaches, basil, pink peppercorn syrup, and agua mineral. Bonus if there’s a cannabis tincture or indigenous fermentation in the mix too.
If Nin and Mennlay were to collaborate on an event what would that look like to you?
A grown and grounded edible salon. A visually striking raw grazing table with seasonal fruits, herbs, fresh hummus, and preserved bites—arranged to invite curiosity and creative assembly. Guests optionally arrive with Nin drip. The event can unfold slowly, with people reading aloud—poetry, personal writing, small provocations. Ambient sounds or a soulful DJ set. It’s intimate, warm, and feels intentional. There’s soft seating, grounding scents. Every guest leaves with a small offering: a zine, a tincture, a seed, a hand-dyed napkin, or a recipe card. It’s an event that invites us to gather around beauty, story, pleasure and care.
Thank you Mennlay for hanging out with us and being SO incredibly humble and inspiring, super excited for this moment and the future!
