Penneys to offer free sewing classes in stores where shoppers can learn how to mend their own clothes

The Irish wing of fast-fashion brand Primark is rolling out workshops on the lost art of repair for customers across the country, starting in April.

The free workshops will start in the Penneys store in Liffey Valley, Dublin, in April followed by master classes in Galway, Waterford, Limerick, Cork and Tallaght in Dublin.

Customers can bring along their own clothes and learn basic hand-sewing mending techniques, including how to replace a button, sew up a hem, take things in or fix a zip. The one-hour classes will be hosted by Orla Kelly, an art-textile graduate from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).

For those who cannot attend the workshops, the company has online tutorials on its social media channels

Ms Kelly’s interest in sustainable fashion was triggered when she and her mother started a small online shop called OhNoo. She upcycled old pieces and made garments from reclaimed and vintage fabrics.

Penneys started out in Dublin in 1969 with a flagship store on Mary Street. While it has developed into the Primark brand of fast fashion with over 400 stores across 15 countries, the workshops are part of the “Primark Cares” strategy to build a more sustainable and circular business by 2030.

Customers in Ireland can keep an eye on the Primark Billetto page (https://billetto.co.uk/users/primark) as well as their social channels for details on the upcoming workshops once available to book.

People are advised to book about three weeks in advance and attendees will get a sewing pack as well as a booklet about repairs.

For those who cannot attend the workshops, the company has online tutorials on its social media channels.

Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, said: “We’re delighted to be rolling out our repair workshops in our stores in Penneys.

“Our goal is to strengthen the durability of our clothes and keep clothes in use for longer as part of our commitment to become a more circular business.

“Educating customers on repair is one small step forward in our journey.”

Speaking about conscious clothing at a sustainable fashion show hosted by the British Embassy in Dublin last week, Ms Walker conceded that the fashion industry has a lot to do.

She said Primark has committed to strengthening the durability of their “core basics”. This includes white T-shirts, jeans, socks, hoodies and joggers, and makes up almost 60pc of total sales.

High-street brands are now waking up to the green option and encouraging customers to mend damaged pieces

Apart from repairs, there will also be workshops on deconstruction and reconstruction. This is where attendees will learn how to change the structure of a garment, such as turning an old pair of denim jeans into a denim maxi.

There will also be embellishment workshops to personalise garments through techniques such as patchwork, beading and hand embroidery.

According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10pc of global emissions. The push is on to promote circular fashion, which aims to reduce consumption and give clothes a longer lifespan.

While luxury couture houses such as Chanel and Dior have offered repairs as a matter of course, high-street brands are now waking up to the green option and encouraging customers to mend damaged pieces.

The Brown Thomas Arnotts group has introduced The Restory repair service for bags and shoes, while in London, the Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo has opened repair studios in two of their stores.

The idea for the repair workshops came from Lorraine Mitchell, a lecturer in fashion in London. Ms Mitchell contacted the Dublin-based CEO of Primark, Paul Marchant, in 2021 about hosting repair workshops in stores.

A number were held in Europe last year, including a pilot on Dublin’s Mary Street last winter.