Emilie Hernandez

I am a French born doll and pattern maker based in Brooklyn, NY. My first career was as a professional ballet and flamenco dancer before shifting professionally to designing and selling baby clothes and children's soft toys in 2007. Translating my artistry, creativity and passion from dance, I began to create my unique handmade dolls in 2017. After a successful collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum making dolls for their major seasonal exhibitions (David Bowie, Frida Khalo and Pierre Cardin), I founded Mani Mina studio, with the intent not just creating beautiful dolls, but on impacting children lives and revolutionizing the way people see dolls. Now doll making has become not just my profession, but my life. My dolls have been sold in various stores in the United States and my Etsy shop has generated more than 19000 sales. In 2018 I began to offer doll making parties and doll making classes to hundreds of kids in New York. I am also a highly skilled teacher, who has taught Dance, art and doll making in person and online. Being a teacher has taught me that with faith, patience and a structured approach to doll making, it is possible for anyone to create beautiful and inspired dolls. After making thousands of dolls by hand, I have come up with tricks and techniques to create a personalized dolls and eye catching designs. In 2022, I opened my own doll making school in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where I teach doll making to children and adults. A large following on instagram inspires me to share my doll making creative process and doll making techniques through reels. I am currently releasing my second doll pattern in February 2023 and plan on releasing a full line of patterns by the end of the year.