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How did Masha Teas begin?
I drank tea every day with my Soviet-Jewish family growing up. Tea culture, brewing loose black tea in well-loved teaware, was foundational for me. When I was in graduate school for naturopathic medicine in Portland and really diving into the study of botanicals, doing farm visits to medicinal herb farms in Oregon and seeing teas in a new way, I started drawing and working on the design aspect of what Masha Tea could be. It took its current form in Brooklyn. I was actually inspired by the shopping bags from A Detacher and APC which just had simple text on a brown bag. I sourced compostable bags, found the same stencil that I had as a kid, dove into farm research, and started making it all by hand in my apartment.
What's your favorite part about the New York creative community?
I love the culture of trading - I've traded tea for soap, jewelry, Vietnamese food, mushrooms, facials, bread, and so on. That's a pretty beautiful thing! I'm finding myself continuously inspired by how supportive everyone is and that people are genuinely interested in one another's work.
What's inspiring you right now?
I'm feeling deeply inspired by my relationships right now. Also - Charlotte Perriand, chairs, the color blue, snow, the American West, Jim Jarmusch, lingerie, and jokes.
Follow along:
@mashateas on Instagram