SUAY is unwaveringly committed to creating a culture of community and reuse by investing in skilled laborers and creating a truly transparent textile recycling, reuse, and repair model that serves everyone.
As our global community demands change from corporations, our dedication to design, coupled with a drive for activism, is putting reclaimed product at the center of a social, economic and environmental revolution. Cultivating upcycling as the priority (over new) will not only massively impact our planet, but our daily quality of life.
SUAY is a Los Angeles based, 100% vertical sewing and production shop founded in 2017. Pioneering the clean up economy, SUAY products are created from a combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers. To-date, SUAY has diverted over 3.5 Million pounds of textiles from landfills.
Founded on the vanguard ethos of true progressive circularity, 'Know your grower, know your sew-er', Suay has continued to support garment workers' rights and policy reform for fair wages, highlighting the numerous systemic injustices within the fashion industry.
From our Founder, Lindsay Rose Medoff
“If you know my journey towards recycling textiles and remaking garments, you know how much Tina is a part of that. Since the day we met it was a love match of total cosmic creativity and craftsmanship. Our joint passion for turning old clothes into new clothes grew between us over the years, and in many forms, until SUAY Sew Shop was born. “SUAY” means “beautiful” in Thai and was chosen by Tina, but also reflects how I feel about her as a human and mother. Tina and I have spent more than 18 years learning and growing together with her as my teacher and guide. Her fingerprint is on everything SUAY creates. As a duo of mother and daughter, partners, and souls meant to find each other, we make amazing things and show the world what is possible with teamwork and drive.
Tina will often say “SUAY” when we are looking at a remade garment we sewed together. It is her call out when we get it where we want it to be. She taught me what a truly beautiful fit really is, how to control fabrics on the machine that would naturally fight one another, and how an idea can be something you create and touch only days later. We have laughed and cried and disagreed plenty, but underneath it all is a deep love and respect for each other and our work. As my elder, I model myself after her as she pushes me to make her proud and inspires me to grow older with more knowledge and wisdom. So if you ever wondered how we were named, just look at these photos of our mother, mentor, and most beloved collaborator. She knew what was cool before anyone did.”