Designer brings items 'back to life' by repairing

A fashion designer who mends clothes says he finds joy in bringing sentimental items "back to life".

Cosmin Diaconu, who lives in Cambridge, said his family always repaired and reused their clothes, which he has continued to do later in life.

Diaconu, who studied fashion at the city's Anglia Ruskin University, turned his hobby into a business by mending people's items which were now being sent to him by customers from across the UK.

"It's a sentimental value for them; they tend to repair it and not to throw those memories away, and it's fantastic," he said.

He said one of his recent repairs was a jacket which a woman had kept for about 80 years.

"She said to me that she used to travel around the world. I didn't ask many details, but she's taken the jacket everywhere," he said.

Diaconu said he felt pressure with some sentimental items, and with the jacket "it was nice to bring it back to life and keep that item going for a little bit longer".

Diaconu said his business had expanded with customers from as far afield as the West Country, northern England, Wales and Scotland.

"We have seen an increase in repairs and alterations rather than just going and buying something brand new again, which is great," he said.

"They want to know that there is a repair service that they can access easily without booking appointments and having to drive miles."

Customers can either send him photos so they can be offered a quote, or they can book at appointment and drop in to the unit on the Barnwell Business Park.

For repairs to jeans, Diaconu said he charged about £12 for a length alteration and £15 for a crotch repair, which he said was the most common thing.

According to The National Lottery Community Fund, research has shown that an estimated 1.4 billion items of clothing are thrown away by UK adults each year.

Research by Censuswide, commissioned by the fund, found that reasons for binning clothes included lack of skills to repair or alter them.

Diaconu said he has had a few customers who have sent their denim jeans with a sewn patch on them.

Original story: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8jkekpxxno