Sojo: The New Deliveroo-style App For Clothing Alterations And Repairs
A trip to the tailors is a simple errand that many of us just cannot, and won’t, get round to completing. As hard as we try, it perpetually languishes on the to-do list. An unchecked box right beside car MOT and annual vet appointments for the family pooch. But for our fashion consumption to become more sustainable, we need to start extending the life-cycle of our wardrobe and embracing vintage clothes — often the expertise and patience of a trusted tailor is the only way to make this a reality. A dilemma for the ages.
Now Sojo is joining the dots. The new start-up is on a mission to help make our relationship with fashion more sustainable by ensuring that getting our clothes altered or repaired is a hassle-free process. Ideal! With a pilot version of the app launching in London (18th of January), Sojo will begin connecting customers to local Seamster businesses through their app and bicycle delivery service. Deliveroo but make it fashion. Whether it be shortening your trousers or fixing a zip, you can place your order on your phone with a few simple clicks and then Sojo handles the rest - collecting, fulfilling and delivering your order back to you.
With the recent news that fast fashion is thriving in lockdown— Boohoo in particular has reported that UK sales jumped 40% to £357.2 million in the four months to December 31— the Sojo app arrives just in time.
Its founder, Josephine Philips, continuously fell in love with second-hand clothes that weren’t her size, but without having a convenient way to get them altered, she created Sojo to simplify the process. By promoting a circular model, she hopes that it will help people in their quest for a sustainable wardrobe. Due to the lockdown, many of the Seamster businesses have had to close their shop doors but despite the circumstance, Sojo is getting started. In doing so, the app will give these businesses a vital way to continue providing their service with orders facilitated in a contact-free way.
Download Sojo here. You can also check out their community on Instagram (@sojo_app). If you would like further information, please contact Sojo founder by email at: josephine@sojo.uk
Photographer: Daphne Milner