To truly understand JOY Studio, you need to feel the fabric and see the beautiful, loose, textured garments from handwoven fabric that dates back to the 1960s.
“That’s when people understand,” Owner Aying Zhang said. “You just touch—you will know.”
That is the foundation of JOY Studio. It’s also the reason the shop has quietly outperformed expectations in its first year.
But to understand why this small Broadway storefront matters, you have to start much earlier. Long before Fargo. Long before the store.
Back to fabric that almost doesn’t exist anymore
A Collection 15 Years in the Making
For 15 years, Aying collected fabric simply because it mattered to her.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do in the beginning,” she said. “I was just going to make little things.”
But these weren’t ordinary textiles. Every piece in JOY Studio comes from handwoven cotton made in the 1960s— fabric created before modern industrial farming, before chemical-heavy production, before speed replaced craft.
Back then, cotton was grown in healthier soil, without synthetic fertilizers or heavy chemical sprays. The fibers were stronger.
The texture was richer. The durability was unmatched.
“It’s like free-range chicken versus farm eggs. They look similar—but you taste the difference.”
With fabric, you may not “taste” it— but you feel it.
And more importantly, you feel the absence of what modern materials bring like static, stiffness, and discomfort
That early traction led to the move to her current Broadway location—a more visible space.
Starting the Business
Aying moved to the U.S. from China six years ago. Eventually, she landed in the Midwest—first Montana, then Fargo two years ago.
Her reasons for starting JOY Studio weren’t purely business-driven. They were personal.
“I want to connect with local people, make friends, and grow here,” she said.
She also wanted to contribute to sustainabilit.
When she arrived in the U.S., she was struck byhe sheer volume of plastic use
“In my country, we already started to limit it,” she said.
And over time, it became something she wanted to address with something tangible and personal to her, clothing. Clothing with natural materials. No polyester. No plastic buttons. Even the closures—like traditional frog buttons—are made from fabric instead of synthetic materials.
JOY Studio didn’t launch in a prime storefront. It started tucked away in the alley by Cat’s Cradle.
It was hard to find and easy to miss.
“Once people come in and touch the clothing, most like it,” she said.
She estimates around 70% of customers connect with the pieces. Some don’t buy—price can be a factor—but the reaction is consistent.
That early traction led to the move to her current Broadway location—a more visible space.
Not Fashion
If you try to categorize JOY Studio as a clothing boutique, you’ll miss the point.
Aying isn’t designing for trends. Or even for aesthetics first.
“The first is healthy and practical,” she said.
That word—practical—means something different to her. It means these clothes can be worn anywhere. They can be worn when you at work, traveling, in coffee shops, in offices, and even at the farm.
“Pretty or fancy is second,” she said.
Make no mistake, the clothing is beautiful.
More Than a Store
Ask Aying if she considers herself a businessperson, and she hesitates.
“I’m not quite a business person,” she said.
What she is, instead, is someone chasing a very specific kind of satisfaction.
Joy—not the loud, short-lived kind, but something steadier.
“Not up and down… more stable… a long-lasting happy,” she said.
That idea is baked into everything at JOY Studio.
“You are not just wearing clothing,” she said. “You are wearing your attitude.”
More Impact
What’s happening inside JOY Studio isn’t limited to retail.
One of the most compelling parts of Aying’s work is through her collaboration with North Dakota State University. As part of the ARMD355 Apparel Design Studio (Spring 2026) course, eight student designers are worked directly with JOY Studio as their client—an opportunity that gives them access to Aying’s rare, handwoven 1960s fabrics.
I would also love to express my appreciation to the Downtown Community and the Kilbourne Group. As a newcomer from China, I’ve received tremendous support from them, which has made it possible for me to establish my business here on Broadway. I’m truly grateful and hold them in the highest regard."
The project came to life on April 29 at noon during NDSU’s annual fashion show, “Community Garden: A Fashion Show in Bloom,” held in the Memorial Union’s Oceti Sakowin Ballroom. The show celebrated connection and creativity through fashion, featuring work from students, seniors, alumni, and collaborations with local businesses.
But Aying’s involvement came with one nonnegotiable condition: “No waste,” she told them
If a student uses part of the fabric, they must use all of it. Leftover material can’t be discarded—it must be repurposed, whether through trims, accessories, or even shared among classmates. Nothing is wasted. Everything is considered.
Because these materials aren’t replaceable.
“They are limited,” she said
Learning a New Culture While Building Something Inside It
Opening a business in a new country comes with a learning curve.
Opening one that challenges how people think about clothing makes it even steeper. running a store. It’s been about understanding Fargo.
“I work to learn the culture here,” she said.
Because without that, the business doesn’t work
You have to understand how people live. What they value. What they’re used to. What they’re open to.
Aying Zhang’s Business Advice
If you ask Aying for business advice, she doesn’t talk about margins or marketing strategies.
“The first thing to think about is does your business bring benefit to the community, to people, to the earth.”
JOY Studio isn’t trying to chase trends or be something it’s not, and that’s the whole point. Aying Zhang is building something intentional that starts with fabric, but is really about how things are made, how they’re worn, and how they fit into your life over time.
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