Sewing cafes are on the rise, and some players in the fashion industry are showing signs of a shifting business model
• Rescuing fashion: before and after pictures
Christina Dean, founder and CEO of Redress
Over the past 20 years or so, we have witnessed a decline in the repair of garments as it has often become easier to cough up and buy new than to needle-up and repair old.
Pre 1970s, prices of ready-to-wear garments generally reflected the work that had gone into producing them. As a result of cheap-chic, many high-street-clad fashionistas do not have the repair skills, let alone the mentality that previous generations would have cherished and passed down to family members, along with well-loved and well-darned socks and frocks.
But there's a potential fashion and environmental storm brewing – the revival of needle power. People across England are putting their money and morals where their hands are; repairing, re-working, reconstructing and remembering the true values embedded in their textiles. The catalyst for this is the recession, as well as rising concern about the environment and the rekindling of our appreciation for cultural resourcefulness and sustainable living.
I am currently halfway through The 365-day challenge, an educational consumer campaign organized by Redress, where for one year, I only wear clothes others have dumped. To raise awareness of the missed potential in these items, each month the challenge focuses on a new theme. This month, we explore the true value of clothes thrown out because of a hanging hem, saggy stitch or boring button. We dug through TRAID's used clothes recycling bins with the help of the Good Wardrobe's Zoe Robinson, to guide us through basic repair tips. The ultimate aim is to show examples of items that have been discarded uneccessarily for lack of needle-knowledge.
Around 80bn garments are produced every year from virgin resources and while polluting garment factories churn out cheap-chic, consumers choke landfills with their dumped but often delightful clothes. It is estimated that EU consumers discard approximately 5.8m tonnes of textiles into their landfills every year.
Needles won't save this situation alone – but they are small, skinny soldiers in a war that seems to be turning. In the UK, 30% of us own at least one item of clothing we haven't worn because it is in need of repair, and nearly a third of us would bring more unused clothing back into use if we had the necessary skills or time. According to a 2010 Mintel report, 82% of Brits claim they want to make clothes last.
My repair pin-up girl, Zoe Robinson, (below) founded the Good Wardrobe, an online community hub for sharing information about conscious fashion and services that prolong the lives of our clothes. Music to my ears in this consumerism-chocked era, is her Sew it Forward campaign which encourages people to share skills as gifts with family and friends.
Zoe Robinson, The Good Wardrobe
In recent years, we have seen a resurgence of crafts and DIY fashion, particularly among younger audiences. Fashion bloggers provide inspiration and new print titles aimed at this demographic, including Crafty Magazine and Reloved Magazine have recently launched in response to commercial potential. This market growth is supported by a 2011 poll for Global Action Plan by YouGov Plc in which 89% of 16-24-year-olds said they wanted to see people living more sustainably.
People are reaching out to gain new skills or practice lost ones while searching for a place to socialise, so it is no surprise that sewing cafes are on the rise.
At our last three events, we have helped attendees save around 100 garments through sharing mending skills. We have also just launched the first in a series of "how to" guides, illustrating step-by-step how to patch a pair of trousers.
This cultural shift is connected to a move towards a sharing, service-based economy. Rachel Botsman, social innovator and co-author of What's Mine is Yours: How Collaborative Consumption Is Changing The Way We Live believes collaborative consumption is "the next major shift in economics after the Industrial revolution".
A number of brands are already tapping into these markets by offering repair services to customers. Patagonia was one of the first mainstream clothing companies to offer repairs and sell garments second-hand and according to their website, they have repaired 26,078 pieces since January 2012. Nudie Jeans also sees value in a free repair service and their customers obviously agree. In their new purpose built Global Repair Station in Soho, they are repairing some 100 pairs of Nudie Jeans every week. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, the consumer saves money and gets to keep their favourite garment for longer, while the retailer experiences the brand loyalty that comes with understanding their customer's needs.
With growing pressures on natural resources, and undeniable environmental impacts of the fashion industry, businesses will need to respond – whether through loaning, servicing, repairing or sharing models. The rise in living costs allied with consumer demand for products which last, will see the culture for repair and maintenance continue to rise, forcing the industry to again value quality and craftsmanship over immediate financial gain.
In future, more brands will recognise the long-term commercial opportunities to be had – they will take the lead from the likes of Patagonia and Nudie Jeans, and produce garments that are made to be mended, not made for obsolescence.
Zoe Robinson is founder of The Good Wardrobe and Christina Dean is founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based NGO, Redress
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