Denim industry experts came together at Kingpins Amsterdam last week to discuss the importance of repair, and the various ways to achieve the same goal: to extend the life of jeans for as long as possible. The talk was moderated by David Tring, the founder of The Magic of Denim consultancy.
LaundRe is navigating repair on a commercial scale, though not through sewing and patchwork. Rather, the one-year-old laundry in London’s Docklands is reimagining small units of product with new washes and finishes.
LaundRe founder Salli Deighton shared her perspective on establishing a laundry in London from the ground up. “We’re good at the moment,” she said. “It was hard at first—not going to lie. But the reason we built it is because people were asking us where they could do small volume, where they can prepare things, where they can make things happen.”
However, it wasn’t love at first sight for most potential clients. While brands sent their teams “for a look,” Deighton said no one knew how to utilize the laundry for their production. Then LaundRe began to host classes and started to see traction. Business began to pick up in March and now every week she said there’s a new brand and retailer with garments to clean and update. LaundRe is planning to add a second laser machine, and it could be at capacity by early next year.
And clients are seeing positive results. By refreshing unsold product, Deighton said markdowns are coming down. They’re also able to test smaller quantities of risky designs.
Repair has become a larger focus for Amsterdam-based Jean School. The school trains students to become denim specialists, but Mariette Hoitink, the founder of House of Denim and Denim City, said repair requires a different skill set from design. Jean School is training of a new generation of repair specialists, and they’re gaining real-life experience through partnerships with brands like Nudie Jeans and Kings of Indigo.
She added that repair carries a greater responsibility because garments are often high-quality pieces or hold sentimental value for their owners.
Pey van der Wel is up for the challenge. The founder of Amsterdam-based repair firm Sashikodenim said he sees each pair as a record of someone’s life. The repair expert added repairs can add new meaning, character and value rather than simply restore the garment to wearable condition.
Van der Wel recalled how one customer doesn’t trust the postal service with his jeans, so he drives four hours to his home to hand deliver them for repair and makes the same drive a few weeks later to pick them up.
U.K. denim repair company Repair My Denim launched one year ago, but founder Cosmin Diaconu is already planning to expand its services to Europe. “I grew up in a working-class family, and repair was the way for us. You wouldn’t throw anything away. You reused and repaired it,” he said.
Repair began as a side hustle for the former Levi’s tailor while he was in college. However, at Levi’s, he was limited to repairing the brand’s own garments, despite growing consumer demand for repairs to other products and interest from other brands in offering repair services. Through Repair My Denim, brands can select from several plans to suit their repairing needs. Additionally, Diaconu hosts workshops, supports consumer education on repair and develops repair-focused software for brands.
The company also serves as a database, revealing common issues with jeans, by brand. “We do reports. We work with quite a lot of data because we’ve repaired thousands of jeans. We know where it’s going to break next,” he said.
Though he’s news to the industry, Diaconu also recognizes how denim repair creates a personal connection with customers. When people send in jeans for repair, he asks them to include a note explaining the garment’s history or why it matters to them. The repairer reads these messages, communicates with customers directly, and sometimes learns the story behind a pair of jeans that has been treasured for decades. Customers can also message Diaconu through WhatsApp for a live chat.
Diaconu asserts that it’s not a marketing gimmick. Rather, he said this open line of communication is key to building trust and gaining repeat customers.
Scaling repair
Young consumers have a greater awareness of denim repair compared to previous generations, but is it s scalable business model?
Despite its roots in craftsmanship and its reliance on consumer awareness and willingness to repair, the speakers agreed that repair can be a viable business.
When Diaconu first entered a business fundraising competition, people questioned whether repair as a business was scalable and durable. He argued that with the right formula and standardized techniques, the work can be replicate anywhere. Diaconu also pointed out that repair doesn’t have to follow the same model as traditional apparel manufacturing. “It just [requires] thinking out of the box,” he said.
Technology can also help address the barriers to scale. By incorporating machinery, robotics and AI, Deighton said repair businesses can improve efficiency and potentially replicate their operations across multiple locations. However, she added that investment in technology must be balanced with the personal touch that makes repair meaningful to consumers.