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Jeweler Pandora Raises 2026 Guidance as New Designs Draw in Shoppers
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Culture & Society

Jeweler Pandora Raises 2026 Guidance as New Designs Draw in Shoppers

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Clothing brands are increasingly offering repair services and sewing workshops to appeal to Gen Z consumers interested in sustainability and saving money.
  • Companies like Levi's, Uniqlo, and Primark are teaching customers to mend clothes, aiming to reduce textile waste and extend garment life.
  • This trend reflects growing pressure on the fashion industry to address its environmental impact, particularly textile waste, which is a significant global challenge.

Apparel brands are adopting a "fix it, don't ditch it" strategy, offering in-store repairs and sewing workshops to attract Generation Z shoppers. This approach aims to resonate with young consumers who prioritize saving money and environmental sustainability. While luxury brands have long offered repairs, the practice is now becoming a mainstream retail service.

Companies such as Levi Strauss & Co., Uniqlo, and Primark are investing in these services. Levi's, for example, has introduced hand-stitching courses for teenagers, teaching basic mending skills like sewing on buttons and hemming. The company's "Wear Longer" program, expanding across the U.S., builds on existing repair and customization services available in hundreds of stores globally. Paul Dillinger, Levi's head of global design innovation, emphasized empowering customers with the skills to maintain their clothes for a "second life."

We think it’s important to empower the people who buy our clothes with the skill sets to maintain them, to get them to that second life.

— Paul DillingerLevi's head of global design innovation, explaining the company's 'Wear Longer' program.

Consumers like 25-year-old Chloe Halprin are precisely the target audience. Previously, she might have discarded fast-fashion items with minor damage due to limited sewing ability. Now, she buys mostly secondhand clothes and is learning to use a sewing machine for repairs and alterations, motivated by a desire to reduce her carbon footprint and save money. This shift from mending as a necessity to a customer engagement tool highlights the fashion industry's response to mounting pressure over its environmental impact.

The fashion industry faces intense scrutiny for its contributions to pollution and climate change, with textile waste being a major concern. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that the world generates fabric waste equivalent to a garbage truck's load every second. Researchers agree that repairing and reselling clothes can significantly reduce their environmental footprint by delaying or replacing new purchases. However, many experts caution that these practices alone may not be sufficient to counteract the continued growth in clothing consumption.

I try to be conscientious of my carbon footprint. I really don’t like waste. I’m trying to save money as well.

— Chloe HalprinA 25-year-old consumer explaining her motivations for engaging with clothing repair and secondhand shopping.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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