Textiles to Save the Earth with Studio 93, founded by Mariel Choo.

“When I learned about fashions impact on our landfills, I decided to tap into not just regular fabrics, but to also focus on dead stock, left-over fabrics.
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Price points are more affordable with 10-15% cheaper than your average fabric, fabric is high quality, and gives a repurposed value for these fabrics, a second life rather than being destined for the landfills.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We caught up with Mariel Choo, founder of Studio 93 in Los Angeles, to talk about her textile business, a mix of new fabrications and the impact of salvaging dead-stock for the environment.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

We caught up with Mariel Choo, founder of Studio 93 in Los Angeles, to talk about her textile business, a mix of new fabrications and the impact of salvaging dead-stock for the environment.

Choo is the 3rd generation of her family in the fashion industry. She attended FIDM and worked as a buyer, yet she felt her choices for high-quality fabrics were limited. This gap in the market inspired her to open Studio 93 textiles and co-relates to her father’s manufacturing facility in China for extended full-service production overseas.

“When I learned about fashions impact on our landfills, I decided to tap into not just regular fabrics, but to also focus on dead stock, left-over fabrics. Price points are more affordable with 10-15% cheaper than your average fabric, fabric is high quality, and gives a repurposed value for these fabrics, a second life rather than being destined for the landfills.”

Dead stock gives designers the ability to manufacturer environmentally responsible clothing rather than having to produce.

What’s the best way for designers to use dead stock? Choo suggests to buy the entire lot upfront at a discount, and use for exclusive pieces you know you won’t need to repeat.

When a designer approaches Studio 93, Choo services provide sourcing for all fabrics for new and deadstock, swatches, samples from 2 to 6 yards, before a production run.

What advice to you share with new and veteran designers?

Choo advises young labels to produce locally, to allow “you to step into the production, approve samples, save costs of shipping, be more attentive to the entire process and figure out what to adjust.”

​A 500 piece minimum per style/unit with varying color waves is needed before producing overseas.