transforming unwanted textiles into treasures

Suay Sew Shop, Los Angeles

The first time I saw the Suay Sew Shop was when I was bike riding in Los Angeles passing by some cafes. I came around a corner and spotted the colorful shop filled with beautiful clothing, pillows and so much more! The shop looked like an open garage that had been transformed into a shop with many varieties of remade, recycled and repaired clothing and fabrics.

I was fascinated by the design and the concept. I immediately researched what it was all about!

Suay Sew Shop was founded in 2017. In 2019, the shop used over 250,000 pounds of fabric and clothing from landfills to upcycle it to things you would never expect they could make from discarded garments. Suay makes their textiles out of post-consumer waste, organic fibers, and dead stock. They make organic linen towels, remade jackets made of towels, and so many other unexpected amazing ideas.

Suay Shop has made many other organizations in addition to their shop to support the community and their workers. One example is that they made a weekly food distribution to their workers.

When I was reading through their website, it reminded me of the previous article we wrote about Boro and Sashiko. Basically the Japanese version of using scraps to make clothing. Suay is using a similar idea to create upcycled clothing.

I think that using used garments to create new sustainable items is a great idea. I also appreciate the fact that Suay offers opportunities for others to learn and be part of the sustainable process. I hope more people will get to know about Suay and their goal.

As Suay expands their environmental business, they hope to impact the world and our daily lives. They make beautiful products, and you can feel good about wearing them. If the idea spreads, we will be able to turn towards a more sustainable world.