On the Mend

Whilst hungrily hurrying through the inner north suburbs of Melbourne yesterday afternoon I passed On the Mend and just had to go in. I needed a set of my keys cutting anyway but I was excited to see a repair store offering something different to the usual repair and alteration corner in the dry cleaners.

I popped in and met the friendly staff who fixed me up a set of keys straight away. The open workspace behind the counter is a hive of activity and colour with many bags and shoes in various states of repair filling the surfaces. Repaired items waiting for collection by caring owners hung in brown paper bags, and machines whirred and spun.

My joy at finding On the Mend inspired me to share this place through my blog. Having skilled repairers in our communities helps us to keep the items we love for longer. This is great news for us, keeps the repairers in business and keeps our broken accessories out of landfill and in our lives - win win win!

I'd love to see pictures of your local repair centre, please share with #RepairNotReplace

For tips about how to keep your garments and accessories for longer check out Love Your Clothes

The Bower Reuse & Repair Centre Co-op

Another brilliant thing about the Addison Road Centre, in addition to Reverse Garbage and the Sunday market is the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre Cooperative. Check out their website for more information and you can also follow them on social media.

Reverse Garbage

I've been working at this awesome place, Australia's largest creative re-use centre! Check out the Reverse Garbage website and social media for more info and the latest stock updates.

Dress Making Workshops

These are four of the most commonly referred to businesses that provide workshops for garment making and alterations. They range in prices and availability but guarantee a fun social event, and you can also book in for private parties!

The Make Lounge

The Papered Parlour

Sew Much Fun

Fabrications

Repair and Alteration centres

For my MA project I will look further into the successes and failures of local clothing repair and alteration shops. Primary research will help me gain an insight into these businesses, as they are often associated with dry cleaners or tailors and common on many high streets.

They are a common feature within many communities and I am intruiged to find out more about these places that play such a vital role in restoring the clothing we wear out.

How successful are such places? How creative are the alterations they perform? What prices do they charge for alterations? Have they seen a change in business since the recession?

Platform 21 Repair Manifesto

Platform 21 is a 'design platform aiming to positively influence the relationship between user and product' www.platform21.nl

Just in case the above isn't a clear image, their repair manifesto (downloaded from their website) is...

1) Make your products live longer
Repairing means taking the opportunity to give your product a second life. Don't ditch it, stitch it! Don't end it, mend it! Repairing is not anti-consumption, it is anti-needlessly throwing things away

2) Things should be designed so that they can be repaired
Product designers: make your products repairable. Share clear, understandable information about DIY repairs
Consumers: Buy things you know can be repaired, or else find out why they don't exist. Be critical and inquisitive

3) Repair is not replacement
Replacement is throwing away the broken bit. This is NOT the kind of repair that we're talking about.

4) What doesn't kill it makes it stronger.
Every time we repair something, we add to it's potential, its history, its soul and its inherent beauty

5) Repairing is a creative challenge
MAking repairs is good for the imagination. Using new techniques, tools and materials ushers in possibility rather than dead ends

6) Repair survives fashion
Repair is not about styling or trends. There are no due-dates for repairable items

7) To repair is to discover
As you fix objects, you'll learn amazing things about how they actually work. Or don't work.

8) Repair - even in good times!
If you think this manifesto has to do with the recession, forget it. This isn't about money, it's about a mentality.

9) Repaired things are unique
Even fakes become originals when you repair them

10) Repairing is about independence
Don't be a slave to technology - be it's maste. If it's broken, fix it and make it better. And if you're a master, empower others

11) You can repair anything, even a plastic bag.
Buy we'd recommend getting a bag that will last longer, and then repairing it if necessary.

STOP RECYCLING START REPAIRING