The studio Studio uses recycled clothing to hand-make environmentally friendly, customized children’s clothing. It tested out different models before hitting its stride with the heirloom collection, Torres said.
Families can bring in a clothing item, such as a sentimental shirt, or choose fabric from the shop. Torres and her team will turn it into children’s items such as a romper, pillow, skirt or shorts.
Torres said each item made of recycled material saves the water and electricity that would be needed to make new cloth.
Many families use this as an opportunity to memorialize a lost loved one or get matching outfits for family photos, Torres said.
Torres started the business after creating clothes for her son from her husband’s old shirts. She said she realized she had a knack for it and that it offered a green way to create quality products. Now she has a staff of four, including two part-time, local seamstresses.
Though Torres does not sew clothes as often, her son, now 5, still appreciates the items she made.
“Everything that he wears, he’s like, ‘Did you make these for me?’” Torres said.
Torres learned sewing in middle school in Mexico, where she is originally from. She said it is common for students at that age to learn a skilled trade. She enjoyed sewing, but her family encouraged her to go to college.
“I liked [sewing] so much, but that was not a thing in my family,” Torres said. “They said, ‘You aren’t going to be a seamstress. You are going to go to college and do something else.’ And I ended up studying finance.”
Torres earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and still works as a financial consultant while running her business.
Besides custom orders, the studio sells a number of already crafted items, such as shirts, so families can create complete outfits.
