Fernanda Castillo Karpienski was born in Urubamba, Peru. After earning her law degree in Cusco, Perú – a small mountain village two miles above sea level – she met her pattern maker Juan and in 2012 began creating her first 13 piece collection made of Alpaca fibers, collected from deadstock found in Arequipa. 

In August 2016, she enrolled at Parsons The New School for Design. From there, her pursuit of excellence in tailoring and textiles led her through more than five years of research and study across Italy, where she immersed herself in the discipline and refinement of small artisan ateliers. These formative years shaped her design philosophy: meticulous construction, elevated natural fibers, and a concentration on handmade work.

Fernanda founded Minka Center in 2023, with the collaboration of Senati; an institution in Cusco that educates young people in pattern-making and sewing techniques; she trains young women newly graduated from these programs, guiding them through a rigorous atelier methodology inspired by Italy’s most prestigious workshops. Minka is both a production center and research program—an environment dedicated to elevating skill, precision, and self-sufficiency. It is also an educational center committed to recovering old techniques of crochet, 2 needle work, and handmade techniques used in the past by precolonial cultures.

While Minka was founded in Cusco, it was through two years of experimentation that CHACCU emerged — a brand born in New York City and shaped in Fernanda’s atelier in Williamsburg. There, she translates the magic of Peru into exquisite, enduring pieces crafted to last for generations.

Together, Minka and CHACCU form a fully vertical entity: creation, research, craftsmanship, and design exist in direct dialogue, allowing the brand complete control over its process—from fiber to finished garment.