Joy Mao

Joy Mao is a Chinese American fashion designer and textile artist based in Brooklyn, New York — using clothing as a medium for illuminating the bonds between self and society. How do our clothes shape the way we understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and the ways we move through our worlds? This year, Joy founded a slow fashion studio called Chores (@chores.world) that creates space for a uniquely collaborative way of making. Each season begins with a cohort of creators and an intimate personal story. The resulting objects (clothing, accessories, homewares, and other artwork) serve as talismans that ground us to this world, share evocative tales, and connect us to each other across space and time. Gowanus Open Studios visitors can view and shop the inaugural 2025 Chores collection (see photos below), and the collaborative process that created it. Website: chores.world Instagram: @chores.world