Mending Matters with Clothing Repairs Artist Gay from Lived In Clothes

In this vibrant episode of the Sewing Social podcast, Gemma Daly sits down with the brilliant Gay, founder of Lived In, to explore the creative world of clothing repair and the powerful movement behind it.

Gay takes us on a journey through her love for sewing, her deep-rooted passion for sustainability, and the transformative art of visible mending—especially using the striking Japanese technique of Sashiko. 

With stories from her own path and the students she mentors, she busts common myths about repairs, champions the beauty of vintage clothing, and reveals why repair artists are essential voices in the fashion industry.

From changing consumer habits to breathing new life into forgotten garments, this episode is packed with inspiration, insight, and heart. Stay tuned to hear about Gay’s upcoming projects and her unique approach to empowering the next generation of menders.

Key Take Aways: 

• Gay learned to sew at a young age from her mother.
• Her passion for clothing repair stems from her experience in the vintage fashion sector.
• Visible mending techniques like Sashiko add character to clothing.
• Repairing clothes is about preserving stories and memories.
• Gay's business model includes home visits and postal services for repairs.
• She enjoys working with vintage clothing due to its history and quality.
• Shifting consumer mindsets is crucial for sustainable fashion.
• Common repairs like zipper fixes are often easier than people think.
• Teaching repair skills to students is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
• Mentoring other repair artists helps build a supportive community. 

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Guest details: 

Instagram: @lived_in_clothes

Website: www.livedinclothes.co.uk

Email: gay@livedinrepairs.co.uk

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Gay and Her Journey in Sewing

01:44 The Passion for Clothing Repair and Sustainability

03:50 Techniques and Styles in Clothing Repair

06:46 How Gay's Business Operates

07:58 Types of Garments and Personal Connections

10:26 Shifting Mindsets on Fashion Consumption

11:28 Common Misconceptions in Clothing Repairs

12:26 Unique Projects and Personal Stories

15:23 Teaching and Mentoring the Next Generation

17:25 The Rewards of Advocacy and Skill Sharing

18:00 Essential Tools for a Repair Artist

18:58 Advice for Those Considering Repairs

20:39 The Art of Repairing Clothing

22:31 The Value of Quality in Fashion

24:29 Mentoring Other Repair Artists

27:12 Future Plans and Opportunities

28:37 Fun Rapid-Fire Questions

30:14 Where to Find Gay and Closing Thoughts

30:46 End of the show - share the show with a friend 

Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:00.152)
Dear lovely listener, this is just a small disclaimer about today's episode. Unfortunately the sound is a little bit up and down, but please bear with me and listen to my fantastic guest. Obviously some things are a little bit out of my control, but I do apologise. Anyway, on to the episode and please enjoy.

Speaker 2 (00:24.002)
Welcome Gay to the Sewing Social podcast. I'm so happy to have you on today.

for today.

I was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

So my name's Gay, I am the creator of Lived in Clothes and I basically am a clothing repairs artist and I also mentor other clothing repairs artists as well.

And I was wondering how did you first learn to sew?

Speaker 1 (00:49.602)
Right, okay. So this goes way back to when I was very, very young and I was very fortunate that my mum taught me how to sew from quite a age, from around 12, 13. And I studied GCSE textiles and just absolutely loved it. So that is basically how I got into sewing from a very young age. I then went off to college and university to study different parts of the fashion industry.

But I don't actually think that any of that plays a part in where I am today. I'm very self-taught and then, just touch lots of different corners of the fashion industry. And yeah, that's basically where I am now. And that was over. So if we put it all this really freaks me out when I talk about it. It was 20 years ago that I went to college. So 22 years ago that I went to college. So, yeah, there we are.

same feeling. So what inspired you to get into clothing repair?

Good question. Throughout my younger career, I never went into working for any big fashion brands. I was very fortunate that I landed jobs within the vintage fashion sector and learned firsthand basically the vast amount of clothing that we waste. And this isn't just in the UK, this is also within the world. And it just really, it just opened my eyes to how much.

clothing is already on the planet. And basically my career stemmed from there, just really leaning into the idea of using what we already have, reworking what we already have, reselling what we already have, and then repair as well. Something that I'm deeply passionate about. It sits within my values as a person and yeah, just repairing and also making clothes as well. You know, when you've got a skill like that to be able to make your own clothes, the satisfaction that you get from that.

Speaker 1 (02:49.1)
So yeah, so that's where that has led me.

You said obviously in the past you're very much self-taught. Is that the same with your repairs and your repair style? Has it come from yourself or did you learn that from anywhere?

There obviously are people that have been doing repair for many years and obviously, you know, to be able to learn techniques is, I do get influences and inspiration from other repairs artists, but the techniques that I use and the way that I do things, my brain naturally wants to problem solve. So, you know, every garment is very different. And yeah, I think that just over time, just practicing, honing in on my practice.

looking at how other people have repaired, other cultures have repaired as well and then really adapting that into my style of repair. Visible mending is my absolute favourite, it is what I'm established for and being creative contrasts pattern using different fabrics.

love that. That's so cool. And I saw on your website that you offer, it, how do you say it? It's a shiko. Yeah, that's the Japanese technique, isn't it? It is. Yeah. Is that one of your sort of things that you're quite well known for? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:07.502)
Is there any exploring the visible mending in other cultures? know, cancer stitch as well. Yeah, that visible mending of stitching to be able to reinforce fabrics is basically what I really, really am drawn to. Sashiko is a practice that I have developed over time. It's something that I was very interested in many years ago. And yeah, to be able to develop that further.

Again, looking at the really amazing Sachiko artists that we have and that have been here for hundreds of years and be able to develop that into my own practice and explore that even further. But yes, I do love Sachiko. I love working with denim. I think when we turn to denim, it is a beautiful way to be able to really highlight that character of the repair itself. My whole tagline is badge of honour men's because I believe that all clothes carry a story, whether they're ours or

previous owners or family members and just being able to keep that item of clothing in circulation for longer with those stories that they hold and being able to add more to it. feel like any visible men, especially Sacha Ko with denim, just gives the clothing so much more character and personality and your own individual style.

love that idea that clothing has a story. It's such a beautiful way to see things.

Definitely. In this line of work with what I do for a pair and when people are bringing me their cherished clothing, I've got a rail of clothing behind me at the moment and I'm just looking at some of the items and you know, when people bring the item to me, they tell me a little bit background to the garment as well. For example, I've got a leather jacket at the moment here, which was somebody's granddad and it's that, you know, passing it down and it's...

Speaker 1 (06:04.342)
it holding those memories of a certain person or for example I've got somebody's wedding gown on here at the moment that we're reworking and again that's got its own story of the memories and yeah to rewear it but not as a wedding gown so that's what we're currently doing but yeah the background of these things and people feel naturally about to tell me their stories as well and also stories of how they got paired in their phone as well.

I've heard some brilliant things over the years. My favourite one was a pet bunny rabbit gnawing through a jumper before.

That's so lovely. Can you explain how your business actually works?

So I have adapted my business over the past 18 months. I now work from home. I used to have a sewing studio once upon a time. I brought the business home and essentially there are two key ways to be able to get garment repaired to me, which is I do a drop and mend at my home so people can book a appointment on my website and then they can come and visit me at my home. Alternatively, I do a postal service.

as well. The postal service just comes directly to me. I also drop and mend at a location within the centre as well. So you can go and drop at shop zero and then I go and collect every week from there too. I also periodically throughout the year if I'm doing any pop-ups or anything anywhere else people can come and drop to me personally as well and I always announce them ahead of events and stuff that I go and do as well.

Speaker 2 (07:42.446)
Awesome. And you've mentioned like a couple of very varied items that you are in the process of repairing or altering, but is there a certain type of garment that you tend to repair the most and are there any that you enjoy doing more than others?

But, you know, as a service that I offer for repair, goes across the board and the fashion industry is, you know, one of the second largest producer on the planet. So being able to extend the life cycle of even fast fashion items, I feel is very, very important. where I lean into is working with vintage clothing, especially it's kind of where my expertise is with my previous working in the vintage clothing trade as well.

and I just get more joy out of clothing that has been here for... Yesterday I did a dress from the 1950s and we have to think that this dress is 75 years old.

That's incredible.

It's got its own life. It's up here at the moment, that's why I'm up to the left. Just to be able to extend that even further, it just brings me so much joy. I just get so much more out of clothing that has been here and been knocking around for such a long time. But also the ones that are carrying those stories, it's not just been purchased, you know, a couple of weeks ago and the sad reality is it's been made very, very poorly and that's why it's ended up in my hands.

Speaker 1 (09:10.914)
You also find that those kind of consumers won't be the price of repair as well. And so when it comes with a background, when items are more thoughtfully purchased or they are vintage, people don't mind paying for the service that I provide as well. So yeah, in a nutshell, anything that's vintage and anything that's denim, that's what I really love working on.

think as somebody that does make their own clothes, you feel way more connected, don't you? And I imagine that's the case of something like that dress that's been around for 75 years. There's more of a connection than there is with those things that are like, you you wear it once and throw it away. It's just such a different, such a different thing, isn't it?

Absolutely. And I think the mindset, the shifting of people's mindsets. I had a customer come to me last week actually and as she was leaving the house she just said, you know, I bought short social media and you've actually influenced me a lot on just thinking about when I'm making these purchases and if I'm buying with the idea of longevity now rather than it being something that's quite impulse. And I think that that's what...

My whole ethos of my brand isn't just about clothing repair. It is about looking at what we are buying, what we are consuming and being able to just challenge ourselves a little bit further rather than just buying something just to wear for that one event that you go into or because it's currently on trend. I definitely don't follow trends myself. think that personal style is something that comes with time and being able to, you know, really thought.

by Covid, not just that I'm going to purchase it and I'll forget about it in a few months time. So yeah, I don't know what the was then, but I've got my podisandrum.

Speaker 2 (11:02.936)
I love tangents, that's fine.

I'm very passionate about what I do.

And it's really important because like you say, it's not just this small little window. It's a much bigger issue and it's so cool that you can influence just even one person, you know, to change the way they think about clothes. What's a common repair that people think is difficult, but actually it's not.

There's definitely two. A lot of times people thinking that they're broken is jeans zips. So usually it's just come off the tracks and they do a lot of just zip fixes for those. So crotches. Yeah. Just terrible fabric. If you're watching this, just don't buy enough stained jeans, honestly, because they are, yeah, it's not like proper denim, cotton denim. They are the most common repair, definitely. Crotches especially in jeans, yeah, I'd say.

especially like say a last name Denim. I enjoy doing them. enjoy, I enjoy whenever somebody comes to me with a crotch, I call them bust out butts, crotch and they go, bet you can't replace these, repair these and I'm like, yes I can. I've got two on rail at the moment.

Speaker 2 (12:18.072)
Brilliant. Is there a particularly sort of tricky or unique project that you worked on that you could tell us?

I definitely think going back to the wedding gown that I've got at the moment, it was a modern wedding gown as it was. I've actually had it on my rail since late last year, but the client that I'm working with knows that this is a slow project. We want to get it right. And it's beautiful story that, you know, we got married and then Lisa, my client, she basically wants to be able to wear and continue to wear the items.

She initially bought it to me when I had my studio and I took the top part off, the laced top and dyed it for her. And then recently the skirt has made its way into my rail. But like I say, we've had it on the rail since last year just because we're exploring different ways of how I'm going to do this correctly. Because she's got an idea in mind. But you know, I'm trying to figure out how to do that the best.

And it's really exciting to do because it does mean that something that is essentially just going to be worn once for one day is going to have a life of its own that can get regularly worn in a way that feels really, really special and knowing that that item isn't just sat in the back of a wardrobe.

Yeah. Will you, do think you'd be able to share that when it's done or is it quite a personal thing that she'll just keep to herself? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:45.614)
definitely will, obviously I have a mission to be able to share the item. But again, I think with some things that I do, don't want my brand to become just about doing the rework stuff. I do do more repair. So it's a tricky one. This particular client has been coming to me for years. They've been part of workshops that I've held. So, you know, I do have some clients that I've been working with for nearly 18 years.

And yeah, I, know, when they come back to me each time, I feel this connection with them that they want to, we have a similar, similar values, but also that, you know, if they come to me with a special project, I'll always honor that for them. I explicitly don't do alterations. The only kind of loophole with that is if a client brings me something that maybe is something that's vintage or hand me down.

or they have posted secondhand, but I'm pretty much, don't really advertise that I do these kind of things.

Yeah, absolutely, because alterations is a whole nother kettle of fish, isn't it?

Absolutely. And we've got some incredible alterations places, especially in Nottingham. I'd rather give them that business than me going, this is slowly destroying my soul a little bit. And it doesn't really align with what I actually want to be doing and putting out in the world. So we don't say yes to every job here, put it that way. So I say we, I don't say yes to every job.

Speaker 2 (15:17.75)
Well, exactly how it should be. You've got to drive things the way that you want them to be driven, haven't you?

Absolutely, yeah.

I saw that you recently did some work with the students at Nottingham University. What did you do with them and how did it go?

was such a fun project. I've started to this year work with not only Uni of Nottingham, but Knox College and Trent University. And just going in as repairs expert, I suppose, because that's what I need to call myself. And going in and teaching basic repair skills to the students, but also touching on a little bit of sashiko, a little bit of embroidery, just mainly getting to home.

needle and thread and use the hands in a different way that they don't use them every day because now, you know, anything that's this kind of level of creativity, we are losing and we're constantly on digital, on computers and on our phones. So being able to just bring it back to creative output and be able to learn some techniques that could help you in the future, whether it's sewing on a button or using, doing it really simple.

Speaker 1 (16:33.194)
to be able to repair a seam. It's those things that are just really, really simple. And yeah, the students get so much out of it and it is such a joy to see them just do something that to me is really, really basic, but to them is being able to learn a new skill. And I think that that is something that is really important to me is to be able to share my skills with other people. I learned from my mum and my mum learned from her mum and it's been passed down.

I am child free and I'm not in that sense going to have anybody to be able to pass down my skills either. So it feels like it's yeah, fulfilling me in a way that I really didn't realise I needed and that I really wanted as well.

That's lovely. And do you think that's sort of one of the main, the most rewarding parts of your job is passing on those skills?

Definitely. think there's two things that's the most rewarding. The first one is being able to advocate for a better fashion future and really highlight the value in clothing that in itself and just being able to shift people's mindsets, especially people that do consume a lot in terms of material possession, and then also being able to pass down skills and teach other people. Yeah, never thought that that was going to be part of my job, but I absolutely love it.

Sometimes it's the unexpected parts of your job that are the best, isn't it?

Speaker 1 (18:00.494)
Definitely, definitely, yeah.

one tool in your workshop that you absolutely couldn't live without.

I used it yesterday. I actually used it yesterday. I've got to this right. Yeah. I am going to say this because I feel like the three...

Jesus! no, it's a bodkit. Is it a bodkit?

know the name of it, you tell me. It's for drawstrings and be able to pull elastic through the hole because for forever people just use a safety pin or something and that's absolutely fine but there is a tool out there that you can grasp these things with and I used it yesterday and it just makes life so much easier, definitely.

Speaker 2 (18:44.022)
Yeah, it's called a bodkin.

There we go, I've learnt something today. Great to know.

What do you think is one piece of advice that you would give someone who's on the fence about getting one of their beloved items repaired?

Firstly, there's many of us, many repairs artists out there with all different styles. Build that relationship with the person that you feel like is, you're leaning in towards with that style because repairing clothes isn't just a straightforward fix. We have to accept that that item is never going to be perfect again. And being able to, you know, if you are working with somebody who does visible mending,

but understanding the way that they work, looking at examples of the way they work and building that relationship with them will make you feel safer that you're handing over that beloved item and knowing that the result that you're going to get is you're going to be happy with the There would be nothing worse for something along the lines of just sending something off and then receiving it and not being happy with the repair, especially when...

Speaker 1 (19:56.462)
they hold those memories and stories for yourself as well. It has happened to me before and yeah, I think that being able to do your homework first and learn about those techniques that that person is being able to offer you before just sending something off will probably be my soundest piece of advice. Because the way that I do one thing may be different and very different to the way that somebody else does it.

Absolutely, and I imagine it's like other types of art, you know, you want something specific on your wall, for example, and you want the right artist to do that. So I imagine it's the same with repairing clothes.

I I coined the term repairs artist because I moved away from just being a seamstress or alterations and repairs or a sewist or whatever you want to put the name on. I'm a repairs artist feels so much more in alignment with who I am because every time I am creating, I'm creating something that is a badge of honor, like I say, and it's there to be worn and to be shown that I care and that.

you know, the person that is wearing that item has chosen to repair over replace it. And it is art. The way that we express ourselves through our style and what we are wearing, it is a way of drawing out creativity within us. yeah, repairs artists for me, it's so much more. And I love to see the repairs community and the vendors starting to coin it as well. And I just feel like it's just something that really just establishes us.

away from just being a so-historic seamstress. Not just because, you know, what you want to make any form of clothing is an art. And I think that is really important as well to be able to highlight all of it across the board, whether you are making clothing or repairing clothing, the value that is there. That is one thing that lot of people, consumers especially, have lost the idea that because they can get clothing so cheap.

Speaker 1 (22:10.1)
know, click of a button, the value is just completely being lost in the way that we are cross people. have a skill and we are skilled people.

That's really sad because the people, like you say, that do make and do repair hold so much more worth and value in those items because of the time and everything involved, isn't it?

The time that people don't see there is the development, the sourcing of haberdashery, like finding the perfect fabric, fitting, know, all of these things that go on behind the scenes. It's just completely lost in the void because we can buy something for crazy that we've got to this basically. And we really need to bring it back as a sewing community to be able to really highlight that. I love seeing

people that very openly and transparently about how much something costs because I think it's a very important way of being able to really say this is why this costs this much and breaking it down so that it really shows consumers the value of what that item is.

That's it, because people have such a warped idea from these fast fashion brands because, my goodness, things that you make, you can't make them for anywhere near what you would pay for that fast fashion item. It's ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (23:46.668)
Yeah. And also the quality as well, which, you know, I'm all for quality clothing and even that with fast fashion is just completely being lost. And I think that's another reason why I really lean into the vintage clothing is because the items were made with and thought and they weren't just made in a mass produced way that, you know, details and cutting corners had been lost. that for me, quantity over

anything that has been produced numerous times I would prefer.

just going back to something that you said earlier, you said that you mentor other repairs artists, is that right? Yeah. Is that a community in Nottingham or is it sort of further afield?

further afield. this is something that I've been wanting to help other business owners. I've gone through like a big roller coaster over my career. And one of the main importances again is of being able to price yourself confidently. I've developed a system and I'm currently in the process of making a workshop that I hosted earlier in the year into a downloadable. And being able to confidently price yourself is where I really need with, but also

Having the confidence as well to say yes to jobs that are new to you and being able to develop and hone in on your practice and also, you know, showing up aligned. We have this thing with people that just, you know, being authentic and being you really holds a lot of people back from creating a business that feels in alignment with their values. So that for me is what the importance is. It's about being yourself, being able to be confident in your pricing.

Speaker 1 (25:33.622)
and honing in on your practice that just makes you feel even more confident underneath all of those.

Yeah and I think that's one of the things that I love about watching your Instagram videos Gay because you I can tell you are just yourself and you make me smile and I love it.

Yeah, it's taken me long time to get to where I am. I get, I do receive beautiful messages from people and comments regularly about the way that I do show up. And I think that that is really important that, you know, we can put on this glamour onto social media on any social media platforms. And I think the connection gets lost because of this. And I just like to be completely honest with people, you know, and I think that that.

draws in my clients even further because they see the vulnerability that I can share that. I know that some people do struggle with being able to do that, but it starts from within you. And if you want to create a business for yourself that sits with all the rules and that feels good to you, then you've got to be vulnerable with it. You've got to show that with people. And that is essentially how I like to mentor people within my industry.

start of the question because I feel like I've flipped over that so quickly. I mentor all across, it's funny because a lot of American repairs artists joined me for my live that I hosted in January which was incredible so it's nationwide and international.

Speaker 2 (27:07.68)
Amazing, well done. Have you got any other exciting plans coming up imminently?

I have, this year I set my word as opportunity. I didn't set any goals, but I opened up the floor to the word opportunity and it has been such a big year and we're halfway through now. Ahead in the coming month, I am off to do a festival at the end of August where I will be hosting a workshop. So this is the first one, a 15,000 people festival.

Big one for me. Brilliant. And at Los Finis. So I will be supplying logo and people will be able to come and creatively stitch that logo either directly onto their clothes or they can just make a patch that then they can use at a later stage. So that is the next big thing that I've got on my agenda. The next one is launching the self-led workshop.

which feels really big to me because this really me stepping into my mentoring role. So what I hosted earlier in the year as a live is being made at the moment into a short course, self-paced. it is reclaim your worth pricing for a pair. That is a big thing for me as well.

Awesome. So just to finish off sort of today's interview, I like to do a little game of this or that if that's all right with you. wovens or knits? Tea or coffee?

Speaker 1 (28:37.4)
Wovins definitely. Coffee, decaf.

Spring, summer or autumn, winter?

This one's really hard because I'm such a coat and jumper person and I've got such a big collection of vintage ones. But also I'm loving this time of year because I feel more alive at this time of year. I can't choose, I'm afraid.

That's fine. A meal out or a takeaway.

because that's a treat for me.

Speaker 2 (29:06.67)
an organized stash or creative chaos.

Again, very difficult, very difficult. At the moment, I'm living in the chaos. But usually I am. There is organisation. There's organisation to my chaos. They are. I do. really do.

You know where everything is, that's fine. I probably know the answer to this one because of your work, but one project on the go or multiple.

Definitely multiple, yeah.

or solid.

Speaker 1 (29:33.934)
I do love a print, yeah.

Cats or dogs?

I love that one, dog. No cat, but dogs. Dogs, dogs.

YouTube or podcasts? You can be honest.

Honestly neither. In real life! Yeah, Honestly, yeah. I'm a music person. When I'm working the beat and tunes are always playing so... Nice.

Speaker 2 (29:51.467)
That's a good one.

Speaker 2 (30:00.27)
And the last one, following instructions or freestyling?

freestyle, work it out as you go and then go to instructions if you can't fathom it.

Good idea, makes your brain work. Brilliant. So where can people find you gay?

Okay, so I have a Instagram account which is at lived in clothes and then my website is www.livedinrepairs.co.uk

Amazing and I will link all of that below in the show notes as well. Thank you so much for joining me today on the Sewing Social Podcast, you've been awesome.

Speaker 1 (30:41.102)
Thank much Jemma, it's been great. Thank you. Take care, bye bye. Bye.

you take care!