59. Layla Sargent, Founder of The Seam

Company: The Seam

Website: https://www.theseam.uk/

 

About Layla & The Seam

Layla conceptualised The Seam in 2019 and then incorporated it in 2020 which was great to make the concept a reality.

The Seam is designed as a way to connect consumers and tailors with the aim of reducing waste from fast fashion by repairing or altering clothes. With an online network of over 700 makers across Greater London, serving thousands of people who are booking their services, The Seam platform empowers wearers to have a personalised connection with their clothes.

Some of the challenges the business has had to overcome are:
• Carving the path as the first service provider for clothes care & repair services at scale.
• Learning what it means to build a business promoting the mindset of care and repair, amongst a world dominated by brands promoting throwaway culture.
• Building a business model that provides a constant and sustainable balance of quality assurance versus growth.
• Building a community of Makers that feel part of a community and see a clear value proposition in The Seam.

Plans for this year are:
• Geographical roll out, to scale other UK cities on a mission to make care & repair services accessible to everyone.
• Team growth, expanding our community management team, supporting our customer and maker communities.
• To support more brands and retailers in closing the loop on circularity.

The Seam was inspired by Layla’s grandmother, a professional seamstress, who would often mend her clothes as she was growing up. She recognised that other people had a different relationship with fashion – discarding old clothes instead of repairing or remaking them. It was this inspiration that formed the foundation of The Seam. What started as an evening and weekend project, using flyers asking people if they can sew, soon grew into hundreds of users registering their interest within months.

Layla is a sole founder of The Seam and spent her professional career building digital communities and using technology to help bring people together. In addition to herself at the helm, with her lifelong experience of tailoring, The Seam is supported by an experienced team including Bonnie Carr, whose previous roles include UK operations and Community Manager at Taskrabbit.

 

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