Fashion startup promotes circular economy through visible mending

Jimin-ju, the representative of Jennies, founded a circular fashion startup in October 2024 to promote a culture of creatively repairing old or out-of-fashion clothing.

The startup operates repair workshops and an online platform to help people fix their own garments. Jimin-ju, who previously worked in a costume team at the National Theater of Korea from 2015 to 2022, drew inspiration from the creative process of tailoring clothes for performers.

The company consists of four members with diverse backgrounds, including a British immigrant who worked as an English teacher, a retiree studying costume design, and a professional in her 30s who focused on combining fashion with environmental concerns. These individuals joined the startup after responding to an online job posting that detailed Jimin-ju's vision for the project. The startup focuses on visible mending, a technique that highlights repair marks as design elements rather than hiding them.

Jimin-ju views these marks as records of the time a person has spent with their clothing. Jennies has attracted interest from global corporations and operates environmental, social, and governance programs with companies like L'Oreal, Patagonia, CJ ENM, and Muji. Since June last year, the startup has also partnered with Uniqlo in Myeong-dong, Seoul, to run the ReUniqlo Repair Workshop. This program teaches customers various repair techniques to help them extend the life of their clothes.

Jimin-ju describes the workshops as a form of wellness where people can form loose connections and find satisfaction through the shared activity of sewing.