Hong Kong’s Fashion Clinic redesigning old clothings into new one

A new repair and restore service has opened in Hong Kong to help breathe new life into your old clothing, with the aim of diverting piles of fashion waste from landfills. Customers should carry their preloved items to the recently opened Fashion Clinic, where “fashion doctors” can reinvent everything from dresses to handbags to extend their lifetime.

Kay Wong, the founder of Fashion Clinic Collective said the most sustainable piece of apparel is one that you already own. Fashion Clinic has recently expanded its services to all three branches of Hong Kong’s Jeeves garment care store. Fashion Clinic was started by Tomorrow,  a Hong Kong-based eco-design think tank.

According to a new survey conducted by the NGO Redress in Hong Kong, a third of the clothing in Hongkongers’ wardrobes is never worn, and 40% of customers in the region wear their garments for one year or less.

Another study showed that Chinese shoppers throw luxury goods away much quicker than previously believed, with these items surviving only one to three years on average. Just 6% of shoppers in the world hold them for more than 10 years.

Fashion Clinic has set out to solve this issue of fashion waste being sent to landfills or incinerators. It aspires to break the cycle of our unhealthy consumption by ensuring that our clothes can be worn, fixed, or even fully revamped so that they can be worn again and again.

Wong said they think the fashion industry is sick, and that we as humans are harvesting, leveraging, overconsumption, and discarding too easily and irresponsibly. At Fashion Clinic, they assume the role of fashion surgeons, developing a modern method of overhaul based on service rather than merchandise. Fashion should not be thrown away.

Customers simply bring in their preloved products, and Fashion Clinic deconstructs and reconstructs them using recycled cloth from upcycled deadstock fabrics to make brand new clothes, bags, and accessories.

Redesign costs vary from HK$500 to HK$3,800, depending on the piece and level of reconstruction, but the whole procedure is completed in-house, from embroidery to needle punching to dyeing and stitching.

Wong remarked they call this the Wardrobe Awakening Service where they can repair, restore, redye, and redesign your favorite piece for you.”

Denim jackets and pillow covers made from old worn jeans, as well as chic skirts made from men’s suits, are only a few samples of the Fashion Clinic’s revamped works. Sleeveless vests can be made from old suit jackets.

The aim of Fashion Clinic, according to Wong, is to change our throwaway culture and show that being trendy doesn’t have to be frivolous. She adds in fashion, they believe in the importance of circularity and responsibility. Together, they intend to design a waste-free world. This is their fashion revolution.