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Anthony: Hello and welcome to Founder Interviews where everyday I talk to amazing founders on SeedLegals. So today I’m talking to Layla from The Seam. Hello Layla, tell us about The Seam.
Layla: Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for having me. The Seam are changing the way that people think about and access clothing repairs. We are creating a culture of care where for each of us it becomes easier to really extend the life of things that we love the most.
Anthony: Okay, so we’ve read a lot and there are many companies working on upcycling, recycling. We know we don’t want to throw out those sneakers and so on. So you’ve got really tailoring as a service, a marketplace for tailors… Tell us more.
Layla: Yeah, of course. So unlike others, The Seam believe in local. We know that there are already enough people around us who have the skills, who can help us to repair the things that we love. It’s just a case of finding them.
So over the last five years, we have built a smart, AI-driven technology platform that allows you as a customer to connect with makers nearby who have the skills that you need. Makers are tailors, cobblers, dressmakers, embroidery artists, and so much more.
Anthony: Okay. So, you know, sometimes we read about AI and SaaS businesses, but this is taking a really ancient business and reinventing it. It’s a marketplace, and you were telling me to use AI to connect people, and it’s a B2B. Tell me more. It sounds super interesting how technology is turning a cottage industry into a platform essentially.
Layla: So I was inspired to start The Seam as I grew up with my grandmother, a lifelong dressmaker, who shared with me the values of really caring for the things that we own. I’m on a mission now to kind of share those values even further and ultimately empower people like my Nan to be able to earn money with their sewing skills.
Anthony: Okay, so tell me how does The Seam work if you’re a tailor?
Layla: Of course. Traditionally as a maker, you would kind of take bookings over the phone and keep notes in your notepad. The Seam really changes that by providing a platform to manage all of your bookings, to schedule appointments with customers, and essentially scale your business – with 50% less of the admin time and a lot more inbound customers.
Anthony: It’s amazing. So you’re turning a traditional into a platform. So, tell me your go-to market. Is it for consumers? When we were speaking before, you spoke about businesses using it as a white label. Tell us more.
Layla: Look, since kind of five years ago when The Seam was first founded, we’ve kind of grown all very organically, working directly with customers. But over the last couple of years, we’ve really started to understand how we can also benefit large brands and retailers. We forecast that within the next five years, 50% of our business growth will come from brands and retailers.
Anthony: Amazing. So if you’re a brand, I think there’s tremendous pressure (sometimes it’s EU regulations and so on) on recycling and perhaps being able to do repairs and to outsource that with a platform seems like a fantastic opportunity, a nice win-win.
Layla: Absolutely. Legislation is changing everything. Brands know that they need to become more circular and sustainable and The Seam really helps them to do that.
Anthony: You can provide a seamless experience. Amazing.
So what’s the market size? How many tailors are there in the UK?
Layla: Look, from what we know now, we estimate that there are around 26,000 makers currently able to take on work through a business like The Seam. As for the customer side of things, what we do know is that by making our services even more affordable and accessible, the market size grows exponentially.
Anthony: And so is your focus just UK or globally as well? What are the expansion plans?
Layla: Well, very excitingly, we’re working on international expansion right now.
As it stands, we currently service the whole of the UK, from the peaks in Scotland right the way down to the South Coast.
Anthony: Amazing. And what got you out of bed one morning to go, I want to start The Seam?
Layla: Look, if it wasn’t for the story of my grandmother and the values that she’s really kind of taught me from a young age, I don’t think I’d have the passion or the craziness that is required to keep building as a founder.
Anthony: All right, amazing. So if anyone wants to find out more, where do they find you?
Layla: People can find us on Instagram, which is actually a really great place to see all the kind of stories of things being repaired. It’s almost like magic. And you can also find us online at www.theseam.uk.
Anthony: Amazing. Thank you, Layla.
