Nyangi Studio USA
Winnie
The heart of Nyangi. Winnie draws most of our designs, handpicks the rest, decides what gets made, and runs our market booths — from everyday totes to seasonal drops.
Hello from the studio
Nyangi Studio USA is a two-person studio in California's East Bay. Nyangi — 냥이 — is Korean for kitty; the bags are for their people. Totes, wallets, and pouches for anyone a little obsessed with their cat.
Our story
In 2020 a Facebook post stopped us mid-scroll, and we drove to a shelter in Southern California without much of a plan. Vina was about two. She'd been a stray, and she didn't get along with the other cats — part of why she was still sitting there. We drove her home up I-5 that afternoon.
Black cats wait longest in shelters: passed over for being "too plain," tangled up in old superstitions, and notoriously hard to photograph. We think that's exactly backwards. Vina is six now, and Ricky followed her home a while later.
Winnie started drawing them, and the drawings turned into bags. One is still on the shelf — the Vina & Ricky Originals canvas tote, named after the two cats who caused all of this. We've carried them to 13 Bay Area markets since July, from Castro Valley Marketplace to San Leandro's 250th.
These days we make things for cats of every color. But black cats are still the heart of it, and our designs will always lean a little inky.
The people
The heart of Nyangi. Winnie draws most of our designs, handpicks the rest, decides what gets made, and runs our market booths — from everyday totes to seasonal drops.
The behind-the-scenes half. Jack keeps the shop running — the website, the online store, the photos, and getting your order safely out the door. Connect on LinkedIn →
We work out of our home in the East Bay, California. Winnie draws most of our designs at the kitchen table and handpicks the rest; our own designs are produced in runs of about 20 by our manufacturing partners, and everything is packed and shipped by the two of us — with plenty of supervision from Vina and Ricky. When a run sells out, that's usually it. Everything we design or pick starts from the same place — we love cats, and black cats most of all — and we're designing more of the line ourselves every season, working toward all of it. Nyangi Studio USA is a DBA of J&W Neko Ventures LLC.
In person
We're at Bay Area makers' markets most months — bring your cat photos, we'll bring the tote bags. It's the best way to see the fabric and hardware up close before you buy.
1pm–5pm · Fourth Street Makers Row · 1919 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA
4pm–10pm · Grand Century Shopping Mall · 1111 Story Rd, San Jose, CA
1pm–5pm · Fourth Street Makers Row · 1919 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA
