MINKY COUTURE

Luxury Blankets

By Morgan Olsen | Photography by Marrianne Schaelling

SANDI HENDRY, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF MINKY COUTURE, is known for her luxurious blankets which are a household staple for many Utahns. In just 17 years, Hendry has built Minky Couture from the ground up, and it all started with her daughter.

When Hendry’s daughter was suffering from liver and kidney failure in 2009 at age 26, all she wanted for comfort was a big, soft, luxurious blanket. 

“She said she wanted a really soft cozy blanket but wanted it to be cute,” Hendry said. “So I had a large blanket made out of minky fabric for her. When I would go visit her in the hospital, I noticed other patients would be wrapped up in her blanket. I asked her why and she said it was cozy and warm and it was so cold in the hospital. I made 50 blankets and took them to the other patients so they could have that comfort too.”

Word quickly spread that Hendry was “the blanket lady” as she continued to make minky blankets for people who needed extra comfort. 

“I started making blankets and giving them to people sick or in need and it just kept growing,” said Hendry. “I thought, ‘okay, could this even be a business?’”

Hendry was selling blankets out of the back of her car, in parking lots, and meeting people in places all over the state just so they could buy her blankets. Finally, her husband suggested she open a store.

“My husband said ‘you need to just open a store,’ and I didn’t think people would actually come to a store that just has blankets,” said Hendry. “But we opened a pilot store with 500 blankets and they were gone within three days. That was just from word of mouth.”

Minky Couture has grown into one of the largest and most successful premium luxury blanket companies with several stores throughout the state of Utah, and online sales from customers all over the world. 

“As we were starting out, my daughter and her husband would go to fabric shows all over the world,” said Hendry. “They were looking for fabric that was washable, luxurious, and comfortable. They found a fabric we called “hugs” and it seemed perfect. The man selling the fabric told them it was not for blankets, but they had him make one anyway, and it is one of our most popular blankets to this day. We were the original company to find and use that fabric for blankets.” 

Minky Couture has many aspects of their business that sets them apart from other local blanket companies.

“We’re the original minky blanket company,” said Hendry. “We also have local seamstresses and we have people that still sew the pattern blankets from their own homes. We do our own fulfillment, our own customer service, and everything is done in-house.”

One of the most impactful practices Minky Couture has adopted is called The Heart of Minky. In this initiative, Minky Couture plans to donate 100,000 of their mini-sized blankets to NICUs all over the country each year. Giving back to the community is an important part of what Minky Couture stands for.

“My mission statement, when I started Minky Couture, was to blanket the world in cozy comfort and love,” said Hendry. “My guiding light is giving back. Helping the community, whether it's a job, a team, or a homeless shelter, giving back can help so many people.” 

While Hendry’s goal is to spread comfort to people all over the country, she focuses a good portion of her efforts in areas where she has opened a Minky Couture store.

“I especially like supporting the local communities everywhere I have a store,” said Hendry. “When we have a local disaster like a car wreck, fire, etc., we try to be the first ones to give blankets to comfort them. I think people are surprised at how much of an impact a cozy blanket can make on a person in a hard situation.”

Despite the difficult circumstances many find themselves in, Hendry is changing the world one blanket at a time.

“There's always a real need for love and comfort,” said Hendry. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. You always need to be wrapped in something warm and comfortable.”

In looking toward the future of Minky Couture, Hendry says she’s just getting started.

“People ask me if I’m done growing, but I say ‘heavens no, I just started,’” she said. “There are so many people outside of Utah that we want to help, too. We want to maintain that connection with our Utah base, but also spread love to the rest of the world. We want to give back and provide a luxurious product that is going to last and bring people together. Whether it’s in celebrations, movie nights, or on family room couches, it’s all about bringing families together and spreading love.”