Practical, ethical, and on trend: repairs to luxury fashion and accessories are growing, with a nudge from Prince Charles
- Britain’s future king set an example by launching a fashion mending service at his home in Scotland, and by wearing repaired items bought 50 years ago
- Luxury brands have taken note. Brunello Cucinelli sells fashion with a lifetime guarantee, Hermès saw repair requests rise 23pc and Farfetch Fix has launched
If you’re worried repairing your clothes might make you seem stingy, old-fashioned or not on trend, then take a leaf out of Prince Charles’ book.
The future British monarch has set up a repair clinic at Dumfries House, his home in Scotland, to mend clothes for people in the surrounding area – and is seeking to rally the British public to support sustainable fashion.
The 72-year-old royal is an unlikely fashion guru, but by wading into a debate usually led by his daughters-in-law Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, he has played an important part in persuading British consumers to end “this extraordinary trend of throwaway clothing”.
Luxury brands in Paris and Milan are listening. Keen to show their sustainability credentials, many are now offering customers the opportunity to fix their past purchases, often free of charge or at a nominal cost.
Repairs have become far more interesting to young customers – even those who can afford something new
New always used to trump old. Shiny shoes fresh from the box were better than resoled ones, and the latest designer handbag usually outdid a restitched design from three seasons ago. Those who could afford them rarely stepped off fashion’s non-stop carousel of new pieces from ready-to-wear shows, and resort and pre-collections.