Founder Series: USA & Fashion's Aftercare Opportunity with Chelsea van de Kamp

Everything Repair and Care

Chelsea’s favourite wardrobe pieces evoking nostalgia is what sparked her interest in prolonging the life of her fashion products. But the USA's underdeveloped repair and care market seems to be still in the stone ages, causing multiple friction points for the everyday American consumer. Chelsea wanted to find out why this is. We'll be analyzing the demographic trends that are causing this uprising, especially among Generation Z, the problem with 'mom & pop' stores, and numerous concrete examples of brands that are leading the "repair revolution", an increasingly important aspect of our clothing consumption.

The USA's Aftercare Opportunity

The golden state of California (Chelsea's home and the subject of the research) offers a fascinating case study in how lifestyle can be fused into a desired aesthetic, opening a vista for businesses willing to adopt an aftercare model. We dissect the critical role of garment repair services in reducing environmental harm and maximizing our apparel value, and why there are high rejection rates of clothing items from resale platforms. Finally, we ponder on how the unification of various tech platforms can build a more sustainable fashion future.

Find out more about Chelsea's research contacting her on Linkedin.

Transcript

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 0:04

Every startup begins with an ambitious founder and an idea, but what inspires them to take the leap into the entrepreneurial world? I'm Peter Jeun Ho Tsang, founder and CEO of Beyond Form, and welcome to our new founder series. I'll be sitting down with a few of our startup founders to hear about their journey as entrepreneurs in the fashion tech world. On today's episode, I'm sitting at Chelsea van de Kamp to talk about fashion repair, care and everything aftercare. We'll be distilling insights from a research project that Chelsea has been conducting with the Beyond Form team over the past summer months. We'll be talking about what the aftercare category looks like in the USA, what's lacking for the consumer in terms of experience and why there's huge business opportunities to be had still in the region.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 0:50

And really understanding that there's so much frustration throughout that customer journey. It's just untapped potential to do something to make repair and re-wear and the longevity of these items so much more exciting and a better experience.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 1:07

Let's get stuck into Chelsea's research journey on this episode of Venturing into Fashion Tech. How are you today, chelsea? Yeah, good thanks. I'm looking forward to today's conversation about clothing repair and care, but just to set the scene for our listeners into some context of what's happening in the space itself, the global clothing and footwear repair market size is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 58.99%, reaching US$659 million by 2027. That's 360 to research reports. That is growing at an exponential growth rate. So we're going to talk a bit more about this later on.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 1:48

So what does this mean for brands specifically? Well, let's just take some new cases. So, for example, Nudie, the Swedish jeans brand, repaired 65,386 pairs of jeans, resold 394 pairs and collected nearly 21,000 jeans in the year 2022. So that's a huge number. Patagonia, the brand that's famous for being a little bit more ethical, has opened more than 70 repair centres around the world and have repaired more than 100,000 garments per year, which is a great initiative by the specific brands. So we're seeing brands are adopting this practice more and more in their business models. So, in terms of demographics, gen Z is repairing clothing more than any other age group, with 77% mending their clothes in the last 18 months, according to research by Penny's Ireland, which is very interesting to see, that the younger demographic is actually repairing more than the older counterparts, and we're going to comment on that a little bit later on. But first and foremost, chelsea, let's hear a bit about you. Tell us about your background and what led you to the interest in the ecosystem and repair space.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 3:02

Yeah, absolutely. So. It all really started from a young age. If I think back as to what has influenced me in being interested in the fashion industry, you know, growing up with a single mom in New Zealand, she sewed all of my clothes and I'm telling you these outfits were both amazing and insane at the same time. But I really got to understand and appreciate fashion from a young age and as I got older, my mom really had an influence on me and really taught me to look for quality, look for classic, look for pieces that were trends in style or trends. So throughout college and, you know, throughout my degree, I was working in retail and then eventually ended up at Australia working on their global marketing. So it's really been a through line of my entire upbringing and into my early career, up until I was working in the fashion footwear space and then have just continued to have a lot for the industry and just for context of our listeners.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 4:20

You mentioned that you're from New Zealand, but you're not currently based in New Zealand. You left the little small island for chasing the American dream. How did you end up in America?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 4:31

Yeah, no, it's funny, I think it's when anyone comes from a small town or a small country. They always dream of going bigger and beyond, right? So, yeah, fresh out of college, I packed my bags, took a huge leap and just moved to California and I've been here ever since and working my way down the coast of California. Now I'm in Orange County and it's been an amazing ride. It's very different to New Zealand, but a great, great place for the fashion industry and it's really got a unique style and connection to fashion here, unlike anywhere else I've seen in the world.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 5:15

When we're talking about repair and care. So you mentioned there a little bit about you know, your childhood. Growing up Was that translated into adult herd and specifically where you are living now?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 5:29

Yeah, it definitely has, and I will say a feed on both sides of how consumers approach fashion. And it's not surprising. In your early 20s, you're new to the workforce, you're strapped for cash and you still want to be cool as hell and follow all the trends so fast. Fashion has had its place in my life, but it has been a struggle to really understand what am I doing here. What is my personal style? How am I investing my money in fashion and am I really making the right choices? And you're really starting to see that shift, especially here in California.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 6:21

People are starting to understand fashion trends are fleeting. There's something new every other week. Fast fashion has tapped into that and definitely capitalized off of it. But where's the end? Are we all just racing to the bottom and just creating this anxiety-ridden closet full of things you've never worn, or is there a better way where we can really start to slow down and think about our relationship with the fashion that we buy and invest in and what it means to us? So I'm definitely on that journey. Now. I feel like my closet has definitely condensed a lot. I am really meaningful about my purchases and how I care for my items, which is why I'm so interested in the aftercare space and how we can lengthen the lifespan of our most prized possessions. How does that feel?

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 7:22

Did you just wake up one day and be like I need to repair more of my clothing, my wardrobe, and you just stopped spending money?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 7:29

Yeah, actually, one day I got out a trash bag and I was just like I'm getting rid of half of the stuff. It was just so overwhelming. And I do think there's a lot of people that feel that too, where you just want to feel rid of the chaos of all of these things that you have just accumulated over the course of years. You haven't departed from them, but you've never worn them. So it was almost like a cleanse, in a sense, and I just decided I'm done. I need to be more mindful and just create what it is to be Chelsea through my wardrobe and through my style, and just for the context, for our listeners.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 8:11

The reason why you're obviously on our podcast shows that you have been working with us over the last few months on a research project specifically about aftercare, fashion repair and care and so forth, which obviously has been a journey for us because we have learned so much when we talk about in a second you mentioned that you're living in California, but actually there seems to be still a lot of opportunity there. There's not necessarily that much happening and you know you're talking more about this in a second, about the local mom and pop stores but in terms of technology and fashion tech platforms, there's still so much opportunity to there to be had in, not just actually in California, but around the world. I mentioned right at the start of this episode that it's going to be growing by nearly 60% on your growth rate, you know, between now and 2027, which is a massive number, which means that there needs to be more players coming onto the market. So, from our really source that we've done so far, what have you found? That's really impressive to you.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 9:18

Yeah, well, I mean, all of it has been so interesting. I think going into it we had a lot of preconceived ideas that maybe were a little assumptive of the space and how consumers are currently thinking about repair and refurbishing luxury items. You look around, especially uniquely to California everywhere that offers shoe repair it's usually offered as an ancillary service on top of laundry or on top of dry cleaning. It's all mom and pop shops which have kind of been in the business for 10 to 20 to 25 years. It's very antiquated.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 10:06

I think the thing that I initially was so interested in is why is this huge industry so antiquated without any refreshing disruption, knowing that there are a lot of pain points? Even just the work we've done in talking to a lot of consumers about how they think about aftercare. What's the journey they go through when they know they need something that needs repairing or re-soling and really understanding that there's so much frustration throughout that customer journey? It's just untapped potential to do something to make repair and re-wear and the longevity of these items so much more exciting and a better experience. From the beginning I knew there was potential, but actually uncovering where the potential was was really interesting. It wasn't what I had assumed.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 11:04

Obviously, we didn't know what to expect when we were first thinking about conducting these focus groups with people around in your area. Is anyone actually going to turn up and give us things to look at as to what they want repairing? I remember how old people did actually turn up with tons of stuff. What did they turn up with?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 11:27

Yeah, I mean it was a variety and it was great because you really saw a full spectrum of where people need this kind of support Anywhere from luxury goods a lot of Louboutins which was interesting a little tidbit there as well. The majority of people who bought Louboutins they all had the same issue was that the heels are so skinny that they get stuck in escalators constantly and just completely chewed up and destroyed. Anything from high-end shoes and handbags to things that were sentimental, like grandmothers for coat, and things that they've had for a long time that just seem to be a really memorable piece of their experience, like a jacket that they bought on vacation. That may not have been the most expensive jacket, but they've just worn season after season after season. It was great to see the full spectrum of what people are looking for and it really reinforced the need for this kind of service.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 12:35

Why aren't there more people looking after their garments in this? Obviously, if we're going back to 100 years ago, everyone was repairing and carrying, but, as you've alluded to, now that fast fashion is there, we don't necessarily need to do that. Why is everyone just suddenly stopped?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 12:52

Yeah, it's interesting. I think for sure fast fashion created this idea of disposable fashion. If trends are so fleeting and so fast to come to market, what's the point in investing in this jacket, knowing that in a season you're going to go for something new, a completely different style? You might not even know what it is, but you get into this rhythm of expecting something to be out of date very quickly. When that happens, why would you invest in a very expensive coat only to know you're going to wear it a season? That's where I really think there's a lot of potential with just shifting the paradigm about how we think about style and fashion. Do we need to keep up with all these trends and just continue to feed that engine? I don't know.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 13:49

I think with the emergence of some new styles like white luxury and turning more towards timeless classic styling is actually helping us get there as well, because I think if you can find a wardrobe that works hard without having to be all things, you'll find that it's actually more economical to spend more on these items that will last from season to season. For example, you could buy an amazing high quality Burberry coat and you know that's going to last for 10, 12 years. You know it's going to remain an icon style for that length of time as well. It's like looking at construction, looking actually at the investment long term and doing the girl math to justify the high ticket item actually ends up being a better investment in the long term. I think we're getting there and we're taking small steps, but I think peering that shift in mindset with some maintenance and after care service to support it is a no brainer.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 15:09

Do you?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 15:09

do a lot of girl math, chelsea, I do do a lot of girl math. My husband takes it. But you know, it is true, people laugh at me for trying to justify. You know, I'm going to spend $600 on this dress, but I've got three weddings, so it's $200 each and then I can resell it for $400. So really I'm making money, you know. But when you do do the math and you do spend more mindfully and you can justify it, that way you are reducing your footprint, you're also maximizing your dollar and it makes sense. So you don't need to go and buy a new dress for every wedding and then have it sit in new wardrobe and collect dust. So I'm all for supporting girl math.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 15:57

So, just going back to the OEC but you're based in California because this is where predominately a lot of the research has taken place whether it is a step up for everyone being into the wellness house and the environment. So I'm just thinking along the lines of when it's out, trying to do, for example, is it actually like that? What's the ceiling for sustainable fashion and circular fashion?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 16:19

Yeah, you know the stereotype is real. But I will take it a little further and say it's a lot like a religion. Honestly, it's ingrained in all of us. And to go deeper into that, I think when you live in a place like California, you feel like you need to do your part to really appreciate the place that you live in. You know we're so we live in such a beautiful spot, so the health and wellness part of it kind of lends itself really nicely to the overall lifestyle that's here. You know it's always sunny, it's always shining, there's beaches everywhere. It's just part of the experience of living here.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 17:03

So, you know, part of the privilege of being in Southern California is that you really do take the time to make sure you're taking care of yourself, of your community, and it really does come through in a really stereotypical way. But it's really why the marketplace here is the way it is. You know it's not a surface level, as some may think as well. It really is. You know things like aftercare and upcycling, doing more sustainable things with fashion is really part of the attitude. That is like the California experience. People are looking to do their part, they're looking to make an impact. They're also looking at how they're contributing to the idyllic environment that we've created here, so it seems like a natural fit. Gwyneth is our leader in all of that, but you can see by her rise of popularity it's really a lifestyle that has now become very aspirational.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 18:24

Do you think that's definitely an opportunity to add in from a business perspective?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 18:28

Absolutely, absolutely. I mean we. There's a very specific California aesthetic and lifestyle that you probably see on TV. It's very cliche, but it is what it is. So I think there is a really huge opportunity here to support this kind of repair and resale movement, knowing that a lot of people are interested in fashion, interested in high end fashion. Here you have a lot of high end markets. Whether you're in Southern California, beverly Hills, or in San Francisco, you have a lot of consumer bases that are perfect for this kind of experience and enhancing the experience of off the care, knowing that no one has done it right yet.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 19:24

Where you're living obviously is quite a wealthy neighborhood, so I wouldn't necessarily say that money is an issue. If they want to buy new things, they can do If they want to. So you're saying I just use more of a lifestyle twice, potentially why they would do more repair and care. Because actually the research that I mentioned right at the start, with pennies Island and the Gen Z repairing clothing, one of any of the age group, one of the drivers, is, although they, yes, do care about the environment as sustainability, I just want to say money.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 19:57

Yeah at the same time, and that's why they are repairing and caring. But I think it's interesting to see how the different demographics are taking different perspectives and approaches to the whole repairing care movement. Do you think, in a perfect world, that technology and sustainability could come together to solve a fashion over production and over consumption issues? Yeah, exactly, you've got to have an opportunity to fix that, and the industry wanted a clothing that it got sold, for example.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 20:31

Going back to your earlier point, we do have it's very funny, there are two very clear and seemingly opposing audiences. That would be perfect for an aftercare solution. You know the Gen C. You know that growth number is not surprising to me because, as you see, you know platforms like the RealReal and this year collection really booming within that audience. They are looking for more affordable ways to enter the luxury category and you've seen a lot higher engagement with luxury brands like Gucci and Mu Mu recently with that younger demographic. So they're really trying to find ways to enjoy and be a part of that luxury fashion space.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 21:20

And that comes from resale. And when you go through resale, there's a point where you need to figure out okay, what can I do to maximize the value of this item If I'm going to get the most bang for my buck and make this an investment item that I am going to resale or that I am going to purchase and take care of, because you're right, I mean, on the other hand, there's the higher end buyer and they have an excess amount of money that they can just buy the next thing, buy the next thing. But I think where Gen Z comes in as an opportunity is we can actually help support them in that journey to obtaining their favorite Gucci bag or their resale items that we can then tailor to their needs or repair so they're getting that return on their investment. The higher end, which is definitely in my neighborhood it's not me by any means, but there are just down the road, I think there's.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 22:27

I think everyone's going to be listening to this podcast episode and just imagining Chelsea's function now.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 22:34

Gosh, I wish I mean fingers crossed right, but no, I think the other demographic understanding their needs as well, although they do have a lot more disposable income, it's very rare to find someone who is just going to toss out you know a Hermes and go for the next color. There is still this sense of responsibility and taking care of their goods and making sure that things are well maintained and that they show up nicely and that you know shoes are going to actually be clean the next time they want to use them, or repaired when they break. So I think, when you think about the luxury sector, specifically of goods, there is a need there as well just to maintain, although they're continuing to invest elsewhere as well.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 23:33

Do you mention that Chelsea the real real? And during your reset process, I thought it was very interesting how a resale platform like the real real doesn't actually accept a majority of products if they don't meet their standards. What did you learn?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 23:49

that yes, I actually learned this firsthand myself when I tried to resell a pair of shoes that I had maybe worn once. They were in great condition and they came back saying they were not accepted because they were dirty and now I'm talking like a little bit of dust. So like, come on, guys, just pick up the cloth. That proves that there must be a lot of people out there who are just really trying to sell some of these things that they no longer need or want. And then they're kind of left thinking, well, shoot, what's my option now?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 24:29

I either have the burden of getting this repaired and fixed, especially to resubmit it and resell this, or I guess it goes to the back of my closet, or, you know, do you donate it and there becomes a point where it's like you feel like you're at a crossroads of three seemingly not perfect options to take this item and give it back into the resale universe. So with that I was thinking, you know, if the real, real kind of pick up a cloth and just wipe off dust from a shoe, who's going to do that? Who can be that person to take that opportunity, handle it for the consumer? They no longer want to deal with it, and then you can do what it needs to get that back into the ecosystem and find its new family or buyer. So definitely an opportunity there. I think they're knowing how high their standards and rejection rates are. Yeah, there's definitely work to be done to try and fill that need.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 25:44

There's definitely space then, and it's just for platforms to be aligned and to unite and to Work together to make, you know, fashion more sustainable. I think that's a great point that you make there, just because if they haven't such such high rejection rates, it just means that a lot of this fashion is just going into the void.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 26:04

Yeah and it's just sad that nothing's happening, which is only, although you're necessary, on rails, I Guess a gender is a positive one, so we can't knock that. It's still not necessarily doing enough. And the roofing needle for fashion to become truly circular or truly sustainable. So I think in terms of fashion, technology, sustainability, they're all coming together. What do you think that can do for the future of the industry? What's your vision there?

Chelsea van de Kamp: 26:37

Yeah, you know, I'm so glad this is a hot topic right now within the industry Because, knowing firsthand you know working at UGG and seeing the the other side of fashion and the process from Concept to Retail, you know being on the floor there's a lot of waste and a lot of streamline opportunity Through the entire supply chain. So there is absolutely a space for tech to help resolve some of those supply chain gaps and issues. A Lot of companies are focusing on their internal supply chain, but with aftercare it's almost like as soon as the item is purchased it goes into a black box. No one knows what happens to it and no one wants to take accountability for it. So that scope 3 kind of work that can be done to help Sustainability and create more circular economy is really interesting, which is, you know, we found a lot of great insight through the work that we've done together as well.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 27:44

Yeah, I think we could talk for hours. Yeah, but I think it's so generally. Do you have so much more insights to share? But obviously we can't make a Podcast episode that is like ours. No, we could do, but I'm not sure I was gonna listen right to the end, so I'm gonna end the episode there, but I want to finish with a quick fire round of questions. Chelsea said the first, and so that comes to your head. Are you ready? Yes last fashion item, you, that you repaired.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 28:12

Oh, actually, you know what? Going back to the Louboutin example, it was my pair of Louboutins that I had caught in an escalator and I ate it in Vegas. It was very embarrassing and not only painful then but very painful afterwards having to get that fixed.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 28:30

All in the name of research.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 28:31

Yeah, exactly.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 28:34

One item that brings nostalgia in your wardrobe and you want to repair forever.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 28:39

Oh, Okay, my mom, she, she gave me this beautiful green leather belt with a massive Onyx belt buckle. It sounds hideous, but it's actually a dream, and that is something that I will forever get fixed and Resize, no matter what weight I am, that thing is staying with me forever one tip for people to be more stable with passion.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 29:06

Oh, look at the, the contents of your fabric. I think a big thing is is. A tip from me is if you can find something that has majority organic materials, so like a hundred percent cotton or merino or cashmere. This is something that is gonna last you, it is gonna maintain its integrity longer and and you're just gonna get a lot better wear out of it. Try and avoid any, any blends that have nylon or lycra and stuff in them. Um, you're, it's gonna, it's not gonna end well.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 29:46

I think that's such a good tip. I've always been Obsessively looking at clothing labels but I think that's because I'm just trained in fashion. But a lot of people don't know what their clothes are made of and actually, aside from it lasting longer, the more natural fire as it has, or hundred percent as you're saying. Actually, you can then recycle that and it's also biodegradable as well. Those blends are just so difficult from a recycling perspective or from a no biodegrading perspective. They're just really difficult to deal with.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 30:20

Really difficult to deal with and also terrible that they are really sweaty. They don't breathe you, yeah, I'm the disgusting to wear as well. They're horrible to wear. You're always gonna go, you're you. You're never gonna have an issue if the quality of the contents of your Apparel is a high quality.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 30:43

I even let you brands that you think is truly being sustainable.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 30:46

Oh, I Immediately think of Stella McCartney. She is doing a lot in the terms of aftercare. She's really honing in on how you can properly wash and, you know, maintain and look after your goods. You should definitely check her out. She's doing a lot called clever care, where she kind of takes you through how to Create longevity out of specific fabrics and items. So she's doing a lot in that space.

Peter Jeun Ho Tsang: 31:20

Thank you so much for your time, chelsea.

Chelsea van de Kamp: 31:22

Thank you so much. I had a great one you.