Reimagining Fashion with Diana Uprichard and DOLLY Clothing
For designer, dressmaker, and sustainable fashion activist Diana Uprichard, textiles have always been woven into the fabric of life. Writing for Fashion Revolution, she remembers, “As a toddler, I loved my rag books – the texture of the cloth telling the story. My dressing-up box was full of silky nightie fabric, rejects from my mum’s handmade lingerie business.”
By the age of seven, Diana was stitching her mother’s scraps into pin cushions and tiny clothes for her Pippa dolls. Her most treasured toy was a rag doll her mother made – a symbol of the handmade, cared-for, and cherished textiles that would inspire her future.
DOLLY style - The 1 Metre dress kit by DOLLY clothing.
Today, Diana runs DOLLY, her Sustainable Clothing Hub in Lewes. From a light-filled studio, she designs zero-waste clothing kits, offers bespoke alterations and visible mending, and teaches sewing to people of all ages. Her aim is to encourage a deeper connection with the clothes we wear – and to challenge the waste and exploitation of fast fashion.
“Only 1% of textiles are recycled back into textiles,” Diana explains. “There’s already enough fabric in existence to sustain our needs – we just have to use what we’ve got.” In her own practice, she works with post-production cloth – deadstock, end-of-roll fabrics, and surplus materials – giving new purpose to fabric destined for landfill.
Poster for The Great DOLLY Clothes Swap at London Textile Month. Design: Gabriel Uprichard
It’s this belief in extending the life of clothing that underpins The DOLLY Clothes Swap, part of Selvedge London Textile Month. On Thursday 11 September, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of the Home, visitors are invited to take part in a curated day of exchanging garments, conversation, and community.
A day at the DOLLY clothes swap. Find new sustainable treasures for your wardrobe.
The day begins with a Clothes Drop-Off (11.30 a.m.–1 p.m.), where clean, gently-worn garments are prepared for the rails. After a lunch break, the Swap (2–4 p.m.) opens – a calm, welcoming space with no frenzied rummaging or sharp elbows. Instead, expect a beautifully presented selection of pre-loved pieces to browse at leisure, with Diana and her team of expert “seamSTARS” on hand to suggest alterations or mending ideas that make your finds truly yours. You might leave with a perfect fit straight off the hanger – or a garment brimming with creative potential.
For Diana, it’s about more than swapping clothes – it’s about shifting how we value them. “Mending is a badge of honour,” she says. And it's true – loved clothes last. And when we share, adapt, and repair, we honour the people who made them, the resources they came from, and the stories they carry.
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Further Information:
Get your tickets for the DOLLY Clothes Swap on Thursday, 11 September, 11-4 p.m, at the Museum of the Home, as part of London Textile Month.
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Portrait of Diana Uprichard by Alun Callender
All other images courtesy of Diana Uprichard