We recently had the privilege of getting to know the inspirational Sakina O’Neill, the founder of RE-RUNN, a trailblazing sustainable and circular fashion start-up situated within Sustainable Merton’s Preloved Studio at Canons House in Mitcham.
RE-RUNN is the culmination of her passion for sustainability and fashion. Witnessing firsthand the alarming wastefulness within the industry during her extensive global travels, Sakina was motivated to spearhead a change. Her mission to extend the lifecycle of garments and reduce fashion’s detrimental environmental impact led to the inception of RE-RUNN.
(Sakina O’Neill, Founder of Re-Runn, holding a one-of-a-kind upcycled sweatshirt, extending the life of unsold charity clothing)
Specialising in one-of-a-kind gender-neutral leisurewear garments, RE-RUNN is revolutionising fashion by repurposing donated unsellable or damaged sweatshirts and hoodies. Through a meticulous reimagination process, these garments are transformed into entirely new and unique items. Notably, the brand’s dedication extends beyond production, with 10% of RE-RUNN’s profits from clothing sales generously donated back to partner charities.
The fashion and textiles industry stands as the third-highest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, according to the Positive Fashion report. The alarming rise in clothing production contrasts starkly with the decline in garment usage before disposal, showcasing the unsustainability of the Fast Fashion model. RE-RUNN’s arrival heralds a new era, advocating for a shift towards circular business models that prioritise extending the lifespan of clothing. This unique concept is transforming fashion through its commitment to sustainability, circularity, and community impact.
WRAP’s research underscores the potential for a paradigm shift in the fashion and textile industry through circular models, emphasising the critical role of practices such as rental, repair, resale, and upcycling. RE-RUNN embraces the principles of Slow Fashion, re-manufacturing faulty and damaged garments to prevent their disposal and fostering skills development within its local team.
About Preloved
About the Preloved Studio
The Preloved Studio launched in May 2023 and has been developed by Sustainable Merton’s waste reduction project, The Wheel. The Studio, based at the beautiful and recently refurbished Grade II listed Canons House, Mitcham, has been set up to be used by the community and sustainable businesses, with support from Big South London, and the London Borough of Merton’s Neighbourhood Fund and Community Climate Action Fund.
One day a week, the Studio is the home of community workshops and drop-in sessions for Merton residents to learn skills to reduce textile waste and avoid fast fashion. The rest of the time, the Studio offers residency places for local, circular, slow fashion and textiles reuse start-ups such as RE-RUNN.
RE-RUNN’s mission perfectly aligns with Sustainable Merton and The Wheel’s overarching goal of building a circular economy, as explained by ReLondon. This initiative addresses the climate crisis by emphasising the need to reduce waste, enhance recycling, and improve resource efficiency, resonating deeply with Merton Council’s Climate Strategy and Action Plan aiming for borough-wide net-zero emissions by 2050.
Sakina says, “The environment and our local community are at the heart of our business model. We believe in the creation of new products from existing ones, striving to prevent garments from becoming landfill pollutants or being incinerated by extending their lifespan. RE-RUNN aims to create meaningful jobs, and provide employment, training, and mentorship opportunities for local people.”
“The culture of buying brand new clothing is part of all of our lives, but it has a huge, often unseen impact on our planet, globally. RE-RUNN’s philosophy is of reusing quality materials and bringing life back into discarded garments. It’s a brilliant, local example of how to design within the limits of existing materials, to slow and scale down our fashion production, and to reduce the environmental damage of what we wear.” (Franki Appleton, The Wheel Project Manager, Sustainable Merton)
In an era where the environmental cost of producing new fabrics and garments is increasingly evident, RE-RUNN stands as a beacon of sustainability in Merton, actively contributing to the reduction of textile waste and promoting the reuse of valuable materials.
About Sakina O’Neill, Founder Re-Runn
Born and bred in Clapham, South London and spent most of her youth in Norbury, Sakina trained in Art and design at Epsom Foundation, and trained in fashion textile in Brighton, and started working in the fashion industry specialising in knitwear. She worked her way up in design and she was eventually headhunted by a major supplier with big factories in Delhi and she helped set up their London office.
Sakina created RE-RUNN after many years as Head of Design in the Fashion Industry, supplying major High Street brands and retailers.
While travelling the world, both designing and overseeing production, Sakina witnessed first-hand the excessive wastefulness of the industry and felt compelled to play some part in the solutions to this unsustainable model. She sought ways to extend the life of existing garments, that otherwise end up as landfill, to reduce fashion’s negative environmental impact.
Sakina setup RE-RUNN, forging links with local authorities and charities to support her ambition for a circular, London Leisurewear brand providing opportunities for employment, design and training, utilising skills focused on creating a sustainable model for Fashion.
Follow Sakina @rerunn_london to see visuals of how you can upcycle a garment which is ready for landfill into a completely renewed style.
RE-RUNN join GoInspire and participate in a fashion show at the Quarter shopping centre in Wimbledon during Sustainable Fashion week as ‘One To Watch’.
The shows will be on both Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September.
Sakina O’Neill’s vision for RE-RUNN epitomises a sustainable and circular fashion future, fostering partnerships with local authorities and charities to establish a circular London Leisurewear brand while championing a more environmentally conscious fashion industry. She is also passionate about the project and her level of care and commitment is evident.
RE-RUNN’s distinctive approach to fashion aligns with its values:
Re-claimed: Utilising unsold or damaged garments from partner charities, preventing these items from contributing to landfills or incineration, and conducting all design and production activities within Merton, South London.
Re-worked: Embracing a slow fashion ethos, meticulously deconstructing and reconstructing garments, ensuring a fresh and unique approach to each piece.
About Sustainable Merton
Sustainable Merton mobilises and brings together the Merton community through grassroots climate action. We work with communities to improve our local environment and help move Merton towards its target of reaching net zero by 2050. This local action contributes to a global effort to protect our planet.
We believe that a healthier, happier, more connected community will have the greatest impact, so our work addresses both environmental and social goals – such as food insecurity and the cost of living crisis.
We see sustainability as a way of living and something that brings connection, a sense of purpose, benefits to health and wellbeing and even financial savings!
