Meet Maria Romero | Artist & Textile Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Romero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Fibers and where they come from, people don’t think of them–textiles are taken for granted even though they surround us 24/7 in both our bodies and spaces.

When I started my own textile studio I put a lot of focus on the fibers we were using and the processes we will follow to create them. There are so many handcrafted textiles in the world, but so little information on the processes behind is lacking, in addition to there being so much misinformation, and decided I needed to educate people through the work I was already doing designing and producing home textiles in Mexico, in the Oaxaca Valley, hand woven in pedal loom and naturally dyed.

So, I started Tintorería (dye house in Spanish – today a Tintorería is the dry cleaners, back then was a place to recolor faded garments ). Tintorería started as a very small donation-based dye house for the Brooklyn community, where people could drop off their garments to be recolored using natural dyes. I was running a shade of the month, starting with avocado pits (collected from local Mexican restaurants owned by friends who will clean and save all the pits they had from their avocado use in their menu ) , second shade derived from acorns, (collected from oak trees around Brooklyn ). Slowly the initiative gained interest, but there was a problem, natural dyes only bond to natural fibers (cotton, hemp, linen, silk… ) and most people were only interested in their own synthetic fiber garments (Polyester, nylon… ). This created another realization, not only about the lack of knowledge when it came to the process, but also that many had little knowledge of the very fibers on their backs.

Oddly enough, I have never known anyone to say, “I really want to own a polyester dress,” but somehow their closets were made of a majority polyester besides a couple of cotton t-shirts and socks.

This is where the idea of creating a “Closet” made of natural fibers and colored with natural dyes was born.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is deeply rooted in community and relationships. I have always been interested in the way we relate to each other, and to the objects we own, same as the way we discard each other and the objects that we own.

My project is not just about fibers, dyes or clothes, it is about us humans, living our best life, present and loving each other, caring for the people with whom we decide to walk this life, in addition to the “things” we gather along the way to make life more joyful and meaningful. A life of care. A project of love. That to me is like food, I can survive as long as that is present.

Life in general is not easy, but I wouldn’t say it was hard either to get here, but it took time for sure, loads of effort, much focus, and a very dedicated heart.

Challenges come everyday, especially living in a capitalist world. I put my heart into a project along with the risk of my financial stability, and that sometimes makes me doubt it all. Being alone in this work is beautiful because I have all the freedom to do and undo, but it gets lonely at times, and scary.

That as long as each step I take is aligned with me and what I believe, both myself, my project and my community are going to thrive.

I am designing clothing and behaviors for our present world, a world that requires a lot of presence, care and awareness. I am not interested in the trends fashion forecasters report, I don’t want to fill any emotional gap in people’s closets, I want to fill people’s closets with clothing that is timeless, utilitarian, easy to care for, elegant, effortless, that adapts to the body and evolves just like us humans,with fibers that get softer, colors that fade and transform, and if they break or discolor we mend and recolor. Same as we do in our relationships with others and ourselves.

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.
I have never sojourned in LA properly, just passing through during a road trip I did with my father 4 years ago. But I am coming back this November for a tour with Tintorería and I am very excited!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My community.

My work wouldn’t exist without them. Sometimes people see me up and down, from pop up to pop up, creating events, gathering clients and friends non-stop. And they ask me, how do you do all this alone?

I am alone in this pursuit, in some ways, yes, it is me and my heart. But the energy that drives me, is fueled by each person who comes across my work, and stays. They follow me around, offer help, support every step I take, and that form of success is pure love. To all of them , friends, family, customers who become friends, strangers who become models, encounters who become supporters, factory workers, dyers… I always reply, as it is because of this community that I can do this. Every time I see them at my events, or close to me, I can feel it. And I know, I am rich and both my work and I are successful.

Website: https://www.tintoreriacloset.com

Instagram: @tintoreriacloset @studiomariaromero

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tintoreriamariaromero/

Image Credits
Carla Baca Natasha Garoosi Caroline Hsu Daniela Spector