Stitching Sustainability into Community: House of MO Repair Café in Dundee
In an era where fashion is often driven by speed and constant consumption, a quieter, more thoughtful movement is emerging in Dundee; one that centres on care, craftsmanship, and longevity. At the heart of this shift is House of MO, an independent fashion studio led by designer Omolola Olasoju. Through a combination of design practice and community engagement, the studio is fostering a renewed appreciation for clothing as something to be maintained rather than discarded.
A key part of this initiative is the monthly Repair Café, delivered in collaboration with Transition Dundee. These workshops invite members of the public to bring garments in need of repair and learn practical mending techniques in a supportive, hands-on setting. From simple seam fixes to reinforcement stitching, participants gain skills that help extend the lifespan of their clothing.
The concept is simple, yet increasingly relevant. As awareness grows around textile waste and the environmental impact of fast fashion, the Repair Café offers a meaningful alternative—shifting the focus from disposal to preservation. More than just a workshop, it creates a space for shared learning, where everyday skills once considered commonplace are reintroduced within a contemporary context.
For Olasoju, this initiative reflects a broader design philosophy rooted in durability and intention. Having developed her craft from an early age, she continues to build a practice that values structure, quality, and longevity. This mindset extends beyond garment creation to encompass how clothing is cared for over time.
The studio’s recent presentation at the Diaspora in Vogue Fashion Show in Edinburgh marked an important milestone, helping to establish its design identity on a wider platform. At the same time, its growing focus on community-based work signals an evolution, one that views fashion not only as a finished product, but as an ongoing relationship between people and what they wear.
Since its launch, the Repair Café has attracted increasing interest within the local community. Participants attend not only to mend garments, but to reconnect with the processes behind them. In doing so, the workshops challenge the notion of clothing as disposable, instead encouraging a culture of care, responsibility, and sustainability.
As these sessions continue on a monthly basis, House of MO is shaping a model of fashion that is both grounded and forward-looking—balancing design with purpose, and creativity with meaningful community impact.
