Repair Rebels was born from the idea of innovation researcher Dr. Monika Hauck.

After years of experience in the fashion industry, first as a model, then as an activist against "fast fashion" she was looking for a new trend - and found it herself. Her start-up wants to rebel the fashion system and repair rather than replace garments. Almost half of Germans have never had an item of clothing or a pair of shoes repaired (Greenpeace, 2015). Repair Rebels wants to modernize the world of craftsmanship with their platform and improve access to alteration or mending of garments.

August 28, 2022

Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Dr. Monika Hauck

Residence: Düsseldorf

Occupation: Model, Social activist, entrepreneur, and open innovation researcher

Mission: "Well-designed fashion has no expiry date":

How did you get the idea for Repair Rebels and what have you accomplished with your initiative so far?

The story of this is rooted in my childhood. I come from Lithuania and was born in the times of the Soviet Union and experienced its collapse. In the Soviet Union it was very difficult to get nice fabrics or nice clothes. Therefore, my mother sewed a lot herself and made new creations from old fabrics. If you wanted something special, you had to make it yourself. I learned sewing, mending and cooking at school, which in retrospect I consider sexist, but I'm very glad I learned this because it has been with me all my life. Since I was 15, I worked as a model and traveled a lot. At 21, I left the fashion world to study business. I worked in finance and did a PhD in Open and Collaborate Innovation. When I studied the fashion industry, I immediately understood that the fashion industry is neither innovative nor collaborative and is non-transparent. The fashion industry is built on envy and no one wants to share the know-how- issues like environment or social injustice did not exist.

5 years ago I brought the movement "Passion Revolution" to Düsseldorf - a movement that existed in over 100 countries at that time, just not in Düsseldorf - and became its ambassador. I realized that the fashion industry didn't need a new sustainable T-shirt brand anymore, because what is sustainably produced doesn't mean it won't be discarded again. There was no appreciation for garments; I found that a garment is made by hands - has its karma and deserves an appreciation The idea for Repair Rebels was born. Personally, I never disposed of and always repaired and cared for my garments. Therefore I also knew many shoemakers and alteration tailors in Düsseldorf. I was amazed that younger people didn't even know that clothes could be repaired at all. However, it was clear that this industry needs to become more modern. 

Your love of fashion certainly helped you.

For me as a feminist, as a mother, as an educated woman, the classic fashion cycles are nothing. I have been looking for new meanings in fashion. New movements in art design and music bring people together. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor - you dance together. The fashion industry is a creative industry - but it has always been used to distance people from each other - because everyone positions themselves differently and tries to express their status. In the desire for a new current, I found the way of fashion repairs. Repairs connect people.

©Monika Hauck

"I want to create a cultural change. I want the garment to be valued."

How do you formulate your vision?

The most sustainable garment is the one we already have in our closet. The best we can do is to take better care of it. If we import clothes from abroad, at least we can have them repaired domestically - that way we support the service economy and can preserve craftsmanship. I want to create a cultural change. I want the garment to be valued. I want people to say, I can't afford to dispose of the garment because it has a lot of memories. You appreciate the materials and the resources that were involved in it.

Repair Rebels is already active. How are the commissions being implemented?

We have created a profile for the shoemakers and tailors with whom we cooperate. When an order is placed, we look for the best person for the particular repair, because each craftsman has his area of expertise. We are trying to standardize this industry through digital booking systems. There is also an estimate service for special needs. Alteration tailors can also come to your home. We also provide a pickup and delivery appointment, as pickup has become a common service.

You know, of course, that repairing or altering a garment has a price that many people today find too high.

Only a few people know how time-consuming it is to sew a garment and also how many hours it takes to alter or repair it. Awareness must be raised that a piece of clothing is worth repairing. This can also come from environmental awareness, because fashion is a big polluter. In Germany alone, the figure is 100 million tons.

How do you plan to market your initiative. Are you working with influencers?

We work on our own channels and with magazines but not with influencers so far. Most influencers say "buy yourself happy." But we see that the online community for sustainability-oriented people is big. At the moment we are looking for cooperation partners in business, because with our service we can support not only end consumers, but also fashion companies that need to offer these services.

Is it better not to buy "fast fashion" pieces?

It's okay to shop at "fast fashion" but you should then keep the garments. Our motto is: "We repair everything! Not only luxury bags and designer clothes but every piece of clothing deserves a second chance. When repaired even "fashion fashion" becomes "slow" and cheap copies become originals by hand.

Do you have a personal favorite piece and what is its story?

A pair of shoes by Isabel Marant that I got as a gift after my daughter was born. They are now 11 years old and look top because our cobbler Hassan, who is also a partner at REPAIR REBELS, has already repaired them 10 times. 

"Fashion is zeitgeist. You can enjoy fashion without owning it - you can enjoy fashion on the street on other people and give them compliments."

What are your hopes for the fashion industry?

I hope that the fashion industry will become a force that connects people. Fashion is zeitgeist. You can enjoy fashion without owning it - you can enjoy fashion on the street on other people and give them compliments. Or the movements of NFT and digital fashion. Fashion can be seen as an art form that tells stories instead of disposing of them.

What should politics do to stop "fast fashion" - what kind of support would you like to see?

We already have the Supply Chain Act. I think the quality of fashion will improve and prices will go up again. My hope is that companies will bring production back to Europe. In Sweden and Austria, for example, the government has lowered the VAT on repairs.

©Melanie Osterried