Josephine Philips at BoF VOICES 2024: Making the Case for Repair on Fashion's Biggest Stage
When Josephine Philips took to the stage at Business of Fashion VOICES 2024, she brought with her a message the industry needed to hear: that caring for our clothes isn't a niche pursuit — it's the future of fashion.
Nov 14, 2024
BoF VOICES is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and intellectually rigorous gatherings in the global fashion calendar. Each year, it brings together the industry's most forward-thinking leaders, innovators, and changemakers to debate the ideas shaping fashion's next chapter. For SOJO to be given a platform at VOICES 2024 is a landmark moment — not just for the brand, but for the broader conversation around clothing repair, circularity, and what it truly means to value what we own.
From Disposability to Longevity
Josephine's talk, entitled "From Disposability to Longevity: Understanding the Value of Repair", set out a clear and urgent argument: that a widespread culture of caring for our clothes is not only possible — it's necessary.
"A widespread culture of caring for our clothes is possible," Josephine told the audience. "But caring for our clothes is not our cultural norm, and looking after what we own is not how we've been taught to think."
That's precisely the norm SOJO was built to change. Founded in January 2021, SOJO is a VC-backed, fast-growing fashion tech startup on a mission to make clothing repair simple, scalable, and mainstream. Working with some of the biggest names in fashion — including Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, Paul Smith, and H&M Group — SOJO gives brands the technology and operations to offer seamless repair and alterations services to their customers, embedding circularity directly into the customer journey.
At VOICES, Josephine reframed repair not as a charitable act but as a commercially smart strategy: "If your goal is to lower return rates, you can offer free alterations. Or if you're looking to increase perks for loyalty, offer free repairs."
Why This Moment Matters
The fashion industry produces an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year. Yet repair has historically been sidelined — seen as inconvenient, unglamorous, or simply not the industry's problem to solve. When the Business of Fashion chooses to spotlight it on their most prestigious stage, it reflects a growing consensus: longevity is the next frontier.
Being invited to speak at VOICES is a reflection of how far this conversation has come. Josephine took to the stage not just as a founder, but as a voice for an entire sector long overlooked by fashion's dominant players. The reception to the talk was a reminder that when repair is framed as a practical, scalable solution rather than a moral obligation, the industry listens.
For SOJO, this has been the mission from day one — and the industry is finally catching up.
SOJO is the UK's leading clothing repairs and alterations platform, working with brands and retailers to build a more circular fashion industry. Explore our services at sojo.uk.