Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Dimmick.
Hi Maggie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m originally from the East Coast and worked for several years in the New York fashion industry in textile design, color design and management, and sustainable textile sourcing. While working in New York, I became fed up with the amount of textile waste the industry produces every year and the fact that I was contributing to it. While on factory visits, I saw the immense amount of fabric cut away during the garment production process which was destined for landfill or incineration. Seeing this up-close lit a fire within me, and I knew I couldn’t keep adding to the problem. I chose to devote my life’s work to using only rescued fabrics and inspiring others to do the same. I also didn’t want to continue creating products without longevity or purpose, so I looked to my meditation practice for inspiration. It has been such an important tool for me in managing my mental health and navigating transitions. I was amazed by how sitting on a meditation cushion changed my personal practice – it gave me my own intentional place to sit each morning to look inside myself. My company Ethel Studio was born from a blending of all that I care about: my determination to reverse the negative impacts of the fashion and textile industry along with my belief in the power of meditation to connect to our whole authentic selves. We collect fabric scraps from local designers and cutting rooms around Minneapolis and St. Paul and slowly transform them into our zero-waste meditation cushions. Since launching Ethel Studio in 2018, I’m happy to report we’ve made hundreds of meditation cushions, and now offer two cushion shapes, along with weighted lavender eye pillows and relief pillows to help us get the restorative rest we very much need.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s certainly been a bumpy road! My first challenges in launching Ethel Studio were centered around the production of our original round meditation cushion design. Let’s just say there’s a reason there aren’t many brands making products at scale using fabric scraps out there! (Yet). All the fabric pieces we rescue and utilize are oddly shaped, so streamlining our production while also maintaining a unique geometry of scraps for each individual cushion was a challenge. Luckily I’m obsessed with eliminating textile waste, so this is always a challenge I’m always willing to dive right into!
Now that we have scaled up production, our current struggles involve navigating the e-commerce world. It’s an ever-evolving landscape that requires us to stay on top of the latest of everything digital, while also maintaining our authenticity and personal touch in everything that we do. The pandemic threw us a curveball for sure, but it became clear that people need meditation now more than ever, so our sales stayed pretty steady, and we grew throughout the pandemic alongside sewing a ton of fabric face masks!
As an entrepreneur, maintaining a good mindset is a huge ongoing challenge and takes a great deal of effort and intentionality. I’m thankful to have found meditation and other embodiment practices to help me through it. Finding a supportive community, taking breaks, trusting myself, and giving myself grace is essential too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Ethel Studio is a zero-waste textile studio working to reduce textile waste and improve well-being through intentional tools for meditation and rest. We believe that when we start caring for ourselves and caring for the earth, real transformation can occur. We are all connected: what we choose to purchase has a direct effect on ourselves, the health and safety of other beings, and so much more. We do our best to carry forth these sentiments into the products we make and in all that we do.
We’re one of the very few companies out there making new products from fabric scraps, and they really give our products a unique look. We’re able to create our cushions in a wide variety of colors that are often limited edition which is rare in today’s world of mass-production sameness.
We recently launched our new Luna Cushion, an innovative design that’s unique to the market in all the ways it can be used. Its half-moon shape makes it a cross between a meditation cushion, yoga bolster, and creative floor seating. Customers are loving it!
I’m so proud that we are where we are today, working to eliminate textile waste, producing locally, and reducing pollution in our region, while also helping people improve their own lives through meditation and other self-care practices. I’m proud of how our brand stands for intersectional environmental justice and supports the complex inner journeys of our audience. We aren’t a fluffy wellness brand – we are here to do the real work and help others do the same. Whenever I read a review from someone saying they’ve been transforming their practice and meditating consistently now with their new cushion, or how someone can sleep better at night with their eye pillow, it fills my heart and inspires me to keep expanding our vision and reach.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love how approachable Minneapolis and St. Paul are. It was an easy transition when I moved here from the East Coast 4 years ago. There’s a thriving local creative scene where collaboration is fostered over competition and where locals love supporting local businesses. I love how there’s lots of green space incorporated into the cities too. And the rent is so much cheaper here than New York!
The worst part of living here is the winter. It’s not just the extreme cold that’s hard, it’s the length of the winters that is the biggest challenge for me mentally. But it’s given me a whole new appreciation for all seasons, and I can take inspiration from the hearty Minnesotans around me to make it through!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@ethelstudio.com
- Website: ethelstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethelstudio
Image Credits
Charlotte Dupont
Rachel Lea Stocker
Hannah Ampe
