This collaboration is more than just a bracelet. Heart of Dinner’s mission hits close to home. It’s a connection to who I am and where I come from. A symbol of belonging.

HEART OF DINNER

In 2020, as COVID spread across the US, Heart of Dinner founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai couldn’t help but notice a rising wave of hate crimes targeting Asian communities. Almost 25% of Asian New Yorkers live in poverty, more than any other racial or ethnic grouping. With the pandemic, many faced heightened isolation, hunger, and threat of physical harm. Yin and Moonlynn started Heart of Dinner to provide relief in their community.

Each week, they curate and hand deliver culturally familiar meals to elderly Asian Americans throughout the city. Care packages are designed to nourish physically, mentally, and emotionally - from the food itself to the hand-decorated bags and handwritten letters of support.

A PERSONAL TOUCH

The elders served by Heart of Dinner - they could’ve been my grandparents. Po Po was a seamstress in a garment factory. To make ends meet, she made bootleg whiskey in the apartment. Gung Gung played mah jong for a living, with jewelry as his good luck charm. When he had unlucky streaks, he would hit the road as a chef to send money back to the family. They taught me that food is love, and that sometimes you have to get a little creative to make your way in the world.

We wanted to take this shared idea of love and connection through food and make it into something real. Into tangible support for a meaningful mission. So we designed a limited edition bracelet with Heart of Dinner.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

We wanted our collaboration to be as thoughtful and personal as Heart of Dinner’s care packages. Every bracelet was beaded by hand in our studio. We started with two custom hand-carved charms: a heart and a rabbit, to commemorate the year of the rabbit and bring good luck.

For the beads, we found inspiration in Heart of Dinner’s brand colors and the Memphis art movement from the 1980s. It was a rebellion against modernism - the perfect fit with Yin and Moonlynn building a new kind of nonprofit.

These Heart of Dinner X Maison Miru Memory Palace Bracelets are the first of many collabs. They’re meant to be time capsules, carrying powerful memories and special moments, like my grandmother’s home cooking. The way food was her love language. From a simple bracelet, this collaboration grew into something so much bigger. A connection between generations and cultures. A wish for the world we want to live in, and an ode to those determined to get us there.

UPDATE

Thanks to your support, our Heart of Dinner X Maison Miru Memory Palace Bracelet sold out in under 2 weeks! This was truly such a rewarding experience. We’re looking forward to future collaborations with Heart of Dinner (and other causes near and dear to our hearts). Make sure you’re on our mailing list to be the first to know!