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UK startup gets £1M to take better care of our clothes and the planet

Clothes Doctor
Image credits: Clothes Doctor

Sustainable cloth startups are increasing due to growing awareness and concern for the environmental impact of the fashion industry. 

The traditional fast fashion model, which relies on cheap, disposable clothing produced in large quantities, has been criticised for its negative effects on the environment.

In contrast, sustainable cloth startups aim to create clothing using more eco-friendly materials and production methods, such as organic cotton, recycled fabrics, and low-impact dyes. 

As consumers become more aware of these issues and demand more sustainable products, sustainable cloth startups are able to fill this niche market and grow.

One startup that has recently been in the headlines is the Clothes Doctor. 

Raised £1M

Clothes Doctor, a London-based eco-friendly clothing care business, has secured £1M in the latest funding round led by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF). 

The round also saw participation from Joanna Jensen, founder of Child’s Farm, Founders Factory (backed Eterlast), FSE Angel Network, and existing private investors.

The UK clothing company will use the capital to fuel its business growth as the demand for sustainable wardrobes is increasing. 

Further, part of the capital will accelerate international expansion, making essential UK hires across marketing, operations, and sales departments. 

Lulu O’Connor, Founder of Clothes Doctor, commented, “Loving your clothes for longer is our company ethos. Our parents and grandparents knew how to care for their clothes and made them last so much longer than we do today. If people can extend the life of their clothes by just nine months, it will reduce the carbon, water, and landfill footprint of their wardrobes by up to 30%. We are delighted to be expanding our business so that more people are able to use our product range to wash, repair, and care for their clothes, helping them enjoy them for longer and keeping them out of the landfill.”

Eco-clothing care

Founded by Lulu O’Connor in 2017, Clothes Doctor is an eco-clothing care brand. Primarily started as a clothing repair business, the platform evolved into a supplier of eco-friendly laundry care products. 

The platform sells direct-to-consumer and wholesale, focusing on premium eco-friendly clothing care products, including detergents, fabric softeners, stain removers, scent bags, brushes, and combs. 

As per the company’s claims, the products are being sold across five continents now with 35 different lines, of which their bestsellers are Eco Wash for Cashmere & Wool and their Anti-Moth Scent Bag.

Clothes Doctor claims that the products contain natural ingredients that are fully biodegradable, ocean & animal-friendly, and infinitely recyclable in an efficient closed-loop system.

The UK company witnessed a 270% growth last year and has secured partnerships and stockists, including Ocado, Harrods, Net-A-Porter, Hush, Whistles, Gant, Johnstons of Elgin, John Smedley, Karen Millen, and more. 

Meg Salt, Investment Manager, Cornwall at The FSE Group, added, “The all-female team which heads up Clothes Doctor are experts in their field and are full of enthusiasm and determination for what they do. This shows not just in the quality of their product but in the growth they have achieved to date. The effect plastics and other products are having on our world means that there will always be a place for eco-friendly solutions, and Lulu and her team are scaling up to ensure that their excellent products are part of the answer to the fast fashion crisis. We very much look forward to seeing where the future takes us, Clothes Doctor.”

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