Cool Hunting

A cross between gallery and gift shop, Design Collective fosters fresh style and original designs in the Twin Cities. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, the store gives local designers the opportunity for exposure by providing them with shelf space and marketing capabilities. Keeping things "designer-centric," Design Collective remains focused on nothing but local designers and facilitates relationships within the Twin Cities' artistic community.

Due to the presence of Target's headquarters as well as many ad agencies, Minneapolis has one of the fastest growing populations of designers and design enthusiasts in the Midwest. "The Twin Cities has an amazing community that both produces and supports so many independent endeavors," says Christina Nguyen, who founded Design Collective four years ago. "After designers gain exposure and experience here, we hope their brands grow to a national level so people will also look further in from the coasts for fresh design." Nguyen also owns the ridiculously popular Tea Garden right next door, which gives Uptown's youth its fix of bubble tea.

Some favorites at Design Collective include these gifts by MYSD, jewelry by K. Cayetano, and clothing by Katherine Gerdes.

Design Collective
1311 26th Street West
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405 map
tel. +1 612 377 1000