Meet Angela / Teddy Ma / Xiong | Co-founders of Fluffe Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angela / Teddy Ma / Xiong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela / Teddy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As two best friends since high school, we’ve always dreamed of creating something together, driven by our passion for creativity. This led to the birth of Fluffe Studio. Growing up in Asia, we cherished the tradition of capturing memories in photo booths with friends after school. While we’ve noticed a few photo booths popping up in LA, that same cultural vibe hasn’t fully developed in the States.

Our goal is to bring that nostalgic experience to life with a modern twist, focusing on the DIY aspect because we want to create something uniquely ours. We realized that existing photo booths often offer basic accessories, which inspired us to develop a space where customers can design their own. At Fluffe Studio, guests can personalize accessories—like headbands, photo albums, and hair clips—and wear them while taking pictures. We also take pride in featuring photo booth frames designed by local artists, allowing us to contribute to the community while sharing our heritage.

We envision Fluffe Studio not just as an activity, but as an interactive experience where creativity thrives. Our aim is for guests to leave with personalized creations that hold special memories, making their time with loved ones truly unforgettable.

What should our readers know about your business?
Fluffe Studio is a unique DIY and photo booth studio founded by two best friends with a shared passion for creativity. What sets us apart is our focus on making the creative process enjoyable for everyone, coupled with the immersive experience we offer. We designed our studio ourselves, ensuring that creativity is woven into every aspect of the space. From the vibrant décor to the diverse materials—like charms, ribbons, and plushies—every corner invites our customers to express their individuality while crafting personalized accessories.

We find immense joy in witnessing our customers discover their creativity and express it in unique ways. It’s rewarding to see individuals who may initially feel unsure of their artistic skills find their spark. When they light up during the process, it inspires us and reaffirms our vision: creativity is for everyone. We also love seeing our customers capture unforgettable moments in our photo booth, creating lasting memories with friends and family.

Our journey to this point has been filled with excitement and challenges. We personally painted the walls, decorated the space, constructed furniture, and designed our logo and website. Keeping our offerings fresh by introducing new items weekly and updating our social media has been time-consuming and demanding as well.

Balancing these demands alongside our full-time jobs has been challenging, but our passion motivates us. To overcome obstacles, we prioritize effective time management and lean on each other for support. Actively seeking feedback from our customers helps us adapt and strengthens our community connection.

One key lesson we’ve learned is the value of community. By engaging with our customers and understanding their needs, we’ve refined our approach to create a welcoming and inclusive space. We believe that by contributing to our community and providing a platform for creative expression, we not only fulfill our vision but also foster meaningful connections.

Ultimately, we want the world to know that Fluffe Studio is more than just a creative space; it’s an immersive experience where creativity, connection, and community thrive. We’re committed to helping everyone discover the joy of creativity and look forward to expanding our offerings as we grow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If our best friend were visiting LA, we’d take them to some fantastic spots for food, including Parks BBQ in Koreatown for Korean BBQ, Chong Qing Yao Mei in Pasadena for hot pot, Manuela in DTLA for brunch, Hama Sushi in Little Tokyo for good sushi, Republik Coffee in Pasadena for great coffee, L’moon Creamery in Pasadena for boba and ice cream, and Jin Tea Shop for more boba. For fun, we would go to Round One for claw machines and arcade games after food, and of course, we’d visit Fluffe Studio for some fun DIY activities and take pictures there in the afternoon. We’d also check out Griffith Observatory for a great tourist attraction, spend some time shopping in Melrose and the Arts District, and end the day at Manhattan Beach to watch the sunset.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We’d like to give a shoutout to the talented artists from Bearwithme LA tattoo shop—Reina, Neo, Kait, Erin, Xinamon, and Teddy —as well as Misha, aka Melonbun, for their incredible work designing the photo frames for our photo booth.

Website: https://fluffestudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluffestudio/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fluffe-studio-pasadena-2

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fluffestudio

Image Credits
Fluffe Studio