Lulu O’Connor talks to Rosanna Falconer at Eco-Age about her journey that lead her to start Clothes Doctor.
Inspired by Lulu's own moment of epiphany over her overflowing wardrobe and its contrast with her mother’s make-do-and-mend attitude to clothing, she sought a solution. Not finding it in the dry cleaners of the capital, she took the ease of the online boutiques from which she once indulged in regular sprees and combined them with a studio of seamstresses in Cornwall, where she was born.
ROSANNA FALCONER DIGS DEEP AND FINDS OUT WHAT MADE CLOTHES DOCTOR FOUNDER LULU O’CONNOR THE SUSTAINABLE, FASHION WASTE FIGHTER SHE IS TODAY.
HAND-ME-DOWNS
“As a child, I wore a lot of hand-me-downs from my brothers. My parents were the post-war generation. That generation have a very different attitude to the current generation. They don’t see clothes as a consumer good. Clothes are something that you buy, you look after, and you keep for years and years. You made do with what you had, you repaired what you had, and yes, for special occasions you might buy a new dress but it wasn’t a regular occurrence. If you didn’t need to spend money on it, why would you?” says Lulu O'Connor.
SEWN BY HAND
“My first special piece won’t be forgotten. My favourite colour was green, it still is. My mother made me a dress that was corduroy with a bird print all over it… Pheasants… Parrots… I just loved it so much. I used to just get such a kick out of wearing it. I certainly wasn’t a tomboy. I loved dresses and loved dressing up, I felt like a princess. But yes, day-to-day, I lived in my brothers’ hand-me-downs. They were perfect for climbing trees!” says Lulu O'Connor
Want to get into repairing and re-wearing your clothes? Try the Clothes Doctor repairs and alterations services. Get a quote today.
Read the full Eco-Age article here.
