#SECONDHANDSEPTEMBER INTERVIEW - CARE AND REPAIR WITH WELCOME BACK SLOW FASHION
What started your passion for pre-loved and secondhand?
An obsession with fashion, a limited budget, and the allure of Cook Street Market's 1940s and 1950s vintage dresses (usually $10 a dress) got me started buying secondhand as a teenager. Now 40s years on I am still as passionate, and want to share with others the magic that is slow fashion.
When and why did you start working in textile care and repair?
I am from the generation who sewed and that was before fast fashion, so it's second nature to me to repair and care for clothes. For me there is a huge satisfaction that comes from fixing things so they can be worn again, so I am often drawn to pieces that need some TLC. Since started Welcome Back I have also learnt a lot about how to care for clothes, particularly in terms of washing and storage, and I love passing this knowledge and repair techniques on to others.
Please tell us a love story about favourite vintage or secondhand clothing item/s in your collection.
Most of the clothes I end up keeping have strong memories attached to them so my wardrobe is like my life story. One of my favourite pieces that reminds me of my early 20s is a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent navy wool suit with a cropped tuxedo style jacket. It was bought from a Knightsbridge preloved boutique one lunchtime, it was a tucked away little shop in a downstairs location. This was well before the internet and Google so you had to do some serious scouting to find these lesser known stores. The suit always reminds me of the thrill of being in London and spending every lunch time exploring fashion. I couldn't believe that I was actually buying YSL, as he was and still is one of my fashion heroes. I still wear it today.
An obsession with fashion, a limited budget, and the allure of Cook Street Market's 1940s and 1950s vintage dresses (usually $10 a dress) got me started buying secondhand as a teenager. Now 40s years on I am still as passionate, and want to share with others the magic that is slow fashion.
When and why did you start working in textile care and repair?
I am from the generation who sewed and that was before fast fashion, so it's second nature to me to repair and care for clothes. For me there is a huge satisfaction that comes from fixing things so they can be worn again, so I am often drawn to pieces that need some TLC. Since started Welcome Back I have also learnt a lot about how to care for clothes, particularly in terms of washing and storage, and I love passing this knowledge and repair techniques on to others.
Please tell us a love story about favourite vintage or secondhand clothing item/s in your collection.
Most of the clothes I end up keeping have strong memories attached to them so my wardrobe is like my life story. One of my favourite pieces that reminds me of my early 20s is a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent navy wool suit with a cropped tuxedo style jacket. It was bought from a Knightsbridge preloved boutique one lunchtime, it was a tucked away little shop in a downstairs location. This was well before the internet and Google so you had to do some serious scouting to find these lesser known stores. The suit always reminds me of the thrill of being in London and spending every lunch time exploring fashion. I couldn't believe that I was actually buying YSL, as he was and still is one of my fashion heroes. I still wear it today.
|
|
What drew you to start rescuing unloved items that other people would normally overlook and repair them?
I am a magpie for any vintage and sometimes these older pieces have with a few signs of wear, so they need fixing before I can sell them. Apart from the satisfaction of giving a piece a new life, I find hand sewing in particular incredibly relaxing.
In this age of fast cheap fashion, care and repair seems like a radical act as it takes so much more time and effort rather than chucking something out that's damaged and buying something new. What are your thoughts on care and repair and the time that these take?
I have never had a fast fashion mindset that sees clothes as disposable. To me clothes are precious, things you buy because you love them, so looking after them is a natural extension of that love. Ironically I am from a consulting background, where filling in time sheets and accounting and costing time was part of the gig, but I haven't bought that mindset over to my Welcome Back business. I can spend hours repairing, washing, fixing pieces up, but I don't factor that into their price. The time spent caring for garments is part of the reward for me.
Where do you go to source your secondhand goods and repair supplies?
I buy my vintage and designer clothes from private wardrobes, lots of my clients who buy from me, also sell on pieces they no longer wear. I also buy from op shops and recycle stores. My repair supplies are bought second hand from op shops, I try and work with the materials I have rather than buy new. This approach means I buy all sorts of interesting haberdashery and cottons, wool, embroidery threads etc whenever I can, so I have a good stash to choose from.
What are your thoughts about upcycling and repurposing old items? Why is it important that we start looking at how we, as a society, can reuse what already exists?
I would love Second hand September to morph into a secondhand decade or century. Governments and business are largely obsessed with growth, so not enough of them will change at the rate required to slow down climate change. The only way we can rebalance and save our precious earth is if enough consumers whole heartedly embrace a way of life which isn't based around consumption. Upcycling, repurposing and looking after what we have is key in this sort of transformation.
I am a magpie for any vintage and sometimes these older pieces have with a few signs of wear, so they need fixing before I can sell them. Apart from the satisfaction of giving a piece a new life, I find hand sewing in particular incredibly relaxing.
In this age of fast cheap fashion, care and repair seems like a radical act as it takes so much more time and effort rather than chucking something out that's damaged and buying something new. What are your thoughts on care and repair and the time that these take?
I have never had a fast fashion mindset that sees clothes as disposable. To me clothes are precious, things you buy because you love them, so looking after them is a natural extension of that love. Ironically I am from a consulting background, where filling in time sheets and accounting and costing time was part of the gig, but I haven't bought that mindset over to my Welcome Back business. I can spend hours repairing, washing, fixing pieces up, but I don't factor that into their price. The time spent caring for garments is part of the reward for me.
Where do you go to source your secondhand goods and repair supplies?
I buy my vintage and designer clothes from private wardrobes, lots of my clients who buy from me, also sell on pieces they no longer wear. I also buy from op shops and recycle stores. My repair supplies are bought second hand from op shops, I try and work with the materials I have rather than buy new. This approach means I buy all sorts of interesting haberdashery and cottons, wool, embroidery threads etc whenever I can, so I have a good stash to choose from.
What are your thoughts about upcycling and repurposing old items? Why is it important that we start looking at how we, as a society, can reuse what already exists?
I would love Second hand September to morph into a secondhand decade or century. Governments and business are largely obsessed with growth, so not enough of them will change at the rate required to slow down climate change. The only way we can rebalance and save our precious earth is if enough consumers whole heartedly embrace a way of life which isn't based around consumption. Upcycling, repurposing and looking after what we have is key in this sort of transformation.
When people are out secondhand clothes shopping, what advice can you give around items that are damaged but worth saving and items that should be avoided?
Probably the most important thing to consider is whether it's a project you have the skills, time and resources to do? It's easy to bring things home but not get around to fixing them. I also recommend avoiding pieces that have a lot of damage or wear, they may not be worth the effort of fixing. Also if you're new to repairing clothes start with pieces that are quick fixes, missing buttons or hems that have come down etc. Getting some quick wins will motivate you to want to do more. If it's things like stains, a quick rule of thumb is that you're more likely to get a stain out of a synthetic fabric and wool. Cottons and silks can be hard to get stains out of.
What are some of the challenges when caring for and repairing secondhand textiles?
Older vintage and fine fabrics can be quite delicate so they can be difficult to work with. As much as I like visible mending as a technique, some vintage looks better with an invisible mend, so you always hope the damage allows you to do this. Moth and insect damage can be difficult to work with when a garment is throughly peppered with holes!
And what are some of the joys?
One of the biggest joys for me is when people message me and say that they inspired by one of my repairs to start repairing their own clothes. And of course it is a great reward to be able to repair and sell a piece that was otherwise discarded.
Probably the most important thing to consider is whether it's a project you have the skills, time and resources to do? It's easy to bring things home but not get around to fixing them. I also recommend avoiding pieces that have a lot of damage or wear, they may not be worth the effort of fixing. Also if you're new to repairing clothes start with pieces that are quick fixes, missing buttons or hems that have come down etc. Getting some quick wins will motivate you to want to do more. If it's things like stains, a quick rule of thumb is that you're more likely to get a stain out of a synthetic fabric and wool. Cottons and silks can be hard to get stains out of.
What are some of the challenges when caring for and repairing secondhand textiles?
Older vintage and fine fabrics can be quite delicate so they can be difficult to work with. As much as I like visible mending as a technique, some vintage looks better with an invisible mend, so you always hope the damage allows you to do this. Moth and insect damage can be difficult to work with when a garment is throughly peppered with holes!
And what are some of the joys?
One of the biggest joys for me is when people message me and say that they inspired by one of my repairs to start repairing their own clothes. And of course it is a great reward to be able to repair and sell a piece that was otherwise discarded.
|
|
Can you share some of your top tips for caring for your clothing so that it lasts longer and has creates environmental damage?
Stop washing your clothes! On average 25% of the carbon foot print of clothing comes from washing and drying, and 9 out of 10 pieces end up in landfill before they should because of incorrect washing and drying causing shrinkage, fading and misshapen garments. Spot cleaning, airing garments, hanging them rather than dumping on a clothes pile are a few ways to wash less. The internet has lots of tips for how to wash certain fabrics, and even if you think you already know, you might be surprised at what you learn. New research has shown that the delicate cycle on washing machines is more likely to produce micro fibre pollution as more water bashes the clothes around more. So if you have synthetics don't wash them on a delicate cycle, hand wash if you must but with limited agitation. Also I constantly amazed at how I can remove stains with just water from wool!
Can you share some of your top tips for repairing clothing so that people can save it from landfill?
Start following some mending sites online on Instagram #mending #visiblemending will fill you with inspiration and techniques. And remember like all things you will get better with more practice. Make mending a thing you do, so have a time set aside for it and a pile of things that need work. For me Saturday morning is mending time, I sit in the sun and sew. Bliss! If you can't find the creative inspiration you need to fix or repurpose something, set it aside, inspiration can take time! And a few basic tips:
And when clothing comes to the end of it's life, what can people do with the left over textiles?
This questions reveals the huge gap in our recycling systems. In NZ (and in fact most of the world) it is very difficult for consumers to engage with textile recycling. If you can't reuse the fabric in any of your own projects, consider is it likely to be useful for anyone else? Some Op shops create and sell patchworking squares, and supply rags to businesses. But check before you donate, and can you sort or cut to make it easier for the Op shop to recognise the value, so they don't also direct to landfill. Don't dump it in the Blue Child Cancer bins. These go to SaveMart and will likely to go to landfill.
Overconsumption and over production of new clothing is a huge global issue, particularly with landfills being drowned in textiles that are hardly used before they're discarded. Your creativity supports a welcome alternative to this throwaway culture, what are your thoughts on this issue?
Although it's unlikely to ever be legislated as a requirement, I would love to see mandated closed loop production where companies are responsible for safe practice and costs of recycling of their products at the end of their life. This would fix a lot of the problems and also spark a lot of creativity. Given that the above is unlikely, a practical alternative would be sewing, mending and material repurposing circles owned by local communities. These would help us redirect textile waste into productive use and focus attention on our need to consume less.
Any other wisdom or words of advice that you'd like to share with people during #secondhandseptember
#secondhandseptember is great but don't let second hand shopping become an excuse for a big haul of things of things you don't really need. Mindful consumption and consuming less is more important.
Stop washing your clothes! On average 25% of the carbon foot print of clothing comes from washing and drying, and 9 out of 10 pieces end up in landfill before they should because of incorrect washing and drying causing shrinkage, fading and misshapen garments. Spot cleaning, airing garments, hanging them rather than dumping on a clothes pile are a few ways to wash less. The internet has lots of tips for how to wash certain fabrics, and even if you think you already know, you might be surprised at what you learn. New research has shown that the delicate cycle on washing machines is more likely to produce micro fibre pollution as more water bashes the clothes around more. So if you have synthetics don't wash them on a delicate cycle, hand wash if you must but with limited agitation. Also I constantly amazed at how I can remove stains with just water from wool!
Can you share some of your top tips for repairing clothing so that people can save it from landfill?
Start following some mending sites online on Instagram #mending #visiblemending will fill you with inspiration and techniques. And remember like all things you will get better with more practice. Make mending a thing you do, so have a time set aside for it and a pile of things that need work. For me Saturday morning is mending time, I sit in the sun and sew. Bliss! If you can't find the creative inspiration you need to fix or repurpose something, set it aside, inspiration can take time! And a few basic tips:
- Check for loose buttons so you can re-sew these on before you end up losing them! And if you do a lose a button and can't find a matching replacement can you move some from lesser seen places like a cuff or lower edge?
- Stains are pretty common so if you can't remove them, can you cover with embroidery, a pocket, sequins or trim.
- Strike while a hole is small, much easier to mend than when its grown.
And when clothing comes to the end of it's life, what can people do with the left over textiles?
This questions reveals the huge gap in our recycling systems. In NZ (and in fact most of the world) it is very difficult for consumers to engage with textile recycling. If you can't reuse the fabric in any of your own projects, consider is it likely to be useful for anyone else? Some Op shops create and sell patchworking squares, and supply rags to businesses. But check before you donate, and can you sort or cut to make it easier for the Op shop to recognise the value, so they don't also direct to landfill. Don't dump it in the Blue Child Cancer bins. These go to SaveMart and will likely to go to landfill.
Overconsumption and over production of new clothing is a huge global issue, particularly with landfills being drowned in textiles that are hardly used before they're discarded. Your creativity supports a welcome alternative to this throwaway culture, what are your thoughts on this issue?
Although it's unlikely to ever be legislated as a requirement, I would love to see mandated closed loop production where companies are responsible for safe practice and costs of recycling of their products at the end of their life. This would fix a lot of the problems and also spark a lot of creativity. Given that the above is unlikely, a practical alternative would be sewing, mending and material repurposing circles owned by local communities. These would help us redirect textile waste into productive use and focus attention on our need to consume less.
Any other wisdom or words of advice that you'd like to share with people during #secondhandseptember
#secondhandseptember is great but don't let second hand shopping become an excuse for a big haul of things of things you don't really need. Mindful consumption and consuming less is more important.
Di Ludwig sells pre-loved clothing and accessories on Instagram at @welcomeback_slowfashion and is a wealth of knowledge about clothing care and repair.
Inspired to find pre-loved garments to practice your mending skills on? CLICK HERE to order a pre-sale copy of Collector's Anonymous, your handy glovebox sized guide that lists over 1500 antique, secondhand and charity stores around Aotearoa.
Inspired to find pre-loved garments to practice your mending skills on? CLICK HERE to order a pre-sale copy of Collector's Anonymous, your handy glovebox sized guide that lists over 1500 antique, secondhand and charity stores around Aotearoa.