Meet the Maker: Selvedge Dry Goods
Posted on April 24 2019
Meet the Maker: Selvedge Dry Goods
At Bambinos, we have the opportunity to showcase many talented individuals with amazing stories, and we want to share them with you! Our Meet the Maker series shines the spotlight on some of the inspiring partners we work with. Next up is a designer with a love of color, an eye for design and a heart for sustainability. Meet Monique Cruz and Selvedge Dry Goods!
The Selvedge Dry Goods:
Los Angeles native, Monique Cruz, has always had an eye for style. With a degree from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, Monique left behind a career in merchandising, design, and buying to pursue her entrepreneurial dream.
Monique returned to her roots to share her love for design and her culture. With her love for fashion, a growing concern for the environment and a desire to keep jobs in LA, Monique founded Selvedge Dry Goods in 2011. This small company embodied her passion for the young field of sustainable fashion.
Beginning her process in her Los Angeles studio, Monique searches far and wide for one-of-a-kind vintage garments and home furnishings, for her focus is on sustainable design with a minimal effect on the environment. Every product her company carries must have an element of sustainability, whether it is fair trade, or it is locally made, vintage, reclaimed or reconstructed clothing.
Why do you do what you do?
I love the development-process of fashion. It’s more than the pretty sketches of garments. It’s also the science behind choosing a fabric for your garment and understanding how your designs will be interpreted in that fabric is fascinating.
What's the story behind your brand name?
After the recession hit, I started thinking of ways we can better service our planet with the existing fashions sitting in thrift shops. That’s when the idea of reconstructing these items came to mind, so I began reconstructing my vintage finds and the name Selvedge was born.
The selvedge edge is the edge of a fabric that prevents it from unraveling.
I ran with the name and started my Etsy shop online. At the same time, I found a boxed delivery truck off of Craigslist and took 3 months to convert it into a mobile boutique. Selvedge Dry Goods mobile boutique was open for business in February 2013. Traveling to universities and music festivals between Southern California and the San Francisco Bay was a very exciting time. After 2 years in business, I had the surprise of my life, I was pregnant with our first daughter! Naturally, I wanted to spend more time at home and embrace this special time in life, that’s when Selvedge Baby was born.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Along with my Mexican-American heritage, my two daughters Tatiana and Pilar have been my biggest inspiration for the Selvedge children’s line
What are your "must follow" Instagram accounts?
@lovebambinos of course! I also love @jennakutcher for boss babe advice and @dulcecandy for outfit inspiration. For designing inspiration, I turn to @pantone, @vougerunway and @wgsn.
If you could "make" anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Puerto Escondido, which is a surfer beachside town in Oaxaca, Mexico (it translates to “hidden port”).
What's your favorite trend right now?
My current obsession is the color coral! It’s also Pantone’s color of the year for 2019.
What's your #1 piece of advice for someone just starting out?
Always trust your gut instinct and run with it! Living your best life is being true to yourself.
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