Zaneedle encourages consumers to mend, decorate, upcycle old clothes

Participants make pollock talismans during the RE: WEAR Mending Craft Playground event at Trevari Anguk in central Seoul, May 20. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

At some point, nearly everyone needs to deal with a small tear in cloth or fabric. However, there are some use this moment of necessity to create art and send a fashion message. While the world is increasingly dominated by fast fashion and mass production, a small Korean social venture called Zaneedle is pursuing sustainable clothing culture one stitch at a time, teaching consumers how to creatively mend, decorate and upcycle their old clothes.

Zaneedle offered several events as part of Korea Craft Week from May 16 to 25. One of these was a May 20 workshop at central Seoul's Trevari Anguk cafe, an English-language event run by Erin Hughes, a British "visible mending" designer at Zaneedle.

“Visible mending is about extending the life of clothing instead of throwing it away,” she explained. “You use bright threads or fabric patches to make the repair part of the design; it’s mending with style and intention.”

Erin Hughes shows off her handmade fabric for Korea Craft Week at Trevari Anguk in central Seoul, May 20. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

For the workshop, she helped both Koreans and foreign nationals to create talismans based on the pollack, which is in Korean tradition is believed to bring good luck to a new business or home by eating any bad energy when people enter the space it proects.

Originally from England, Hughes came to Korea in 2009, initially as an English teacher. However, her background in fashion and textile design and her passion for fashion and sustainability led her to explore other opportunities.

While teaching, she began running her own small business centered around sustainable fashion. “I was making bags and accessories from used clothing. It was all about upcycling, giving new life to old fabrics and clothes,” she told The Korea Times.

The turning point came when she discovered a job listing last year from Zaneedle, which was founded in October of 2024. “They were doing what I was already doing, but on a slightly bigger scale, with their own workshop," she said. "I applied, and I got the job.”

But her transition from English teacher to fashion professional wasn’t without its obstacles. She admitted that Korean language proficiency is one of her biggest challenges. Even after completing the KIIP language program up to level 5, she didn’t feel confident enough to apply for jobs in Korean or write a Korean resume. But leaving her teaching job turned out to be a blessing.

Now, she teaches sewing classes in Korean. “Sometimes I don’t know a word, but sewing is hands-on," she said. "I demonstrate, and people understand. It’s been fine.”

Her role involves developing ideas for products and classes centered on visible mending.

Looking to the future, she hopes to help the company grow and collaborate with like-minded creatives. Upcoming projects include workshops with women’s centers in Seoul and for the first time, expanding into classes for children. She also plans to run pop-up workshops in cafes and expand their classes in English to reach more foreign residents.

Erin Hughes, third from left, leads a workshop at Trevari Anguk in central Seoul, May 20. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

Jee Min-joo, the founder and CEO of Zaneedle, says her company’s mission is to counter the wasteful culture of fast fashion by reviving the value of handmade clothing and promoting more thoughtful and sustainable fashion. She pointed out that more than 150 billion pieces of clothing are produced every year. Of these, 85 percent go directly to landfills before they are even sold. Even clothes that are lucky enough to find owners are often left neglected in the closet.

Her background wasn’t in fashion or design, but in theater. She was previously the head producer at the National Theater Company of Korea, where she was involved in over 100 productions. That experience naturally led to her current work, where crafting, storytelling and community engagement come together.

“We’re not just making clothes, we’re making meaning, and when people find meaning in what they wear, they don’t throw it away," she told the Korea Times.

“I’ve always been about creating experiences. Through workshops, pop-up events and collaborations with cultural spaces, we encourage people to engage with their clothing through hands-on activities like sewing, upcycling and simple alterations. The idea is simple but profound: if you invest your own creativity and manual effort into an item of clothing, you’re much less likely to throw it away. It’s not about skill level — even if you’ve never used a sewing machine or picked up a needle, you can start any time. The point is to make something with your own hands that changes how you relate to your clothes.”

Visit zaneedle.com for more information.

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also a freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency and the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative.