The Story of FunStabs
This is a queer-and-disabled-person-owned small business (I can call myself a CEO/Managing Director like an adult. It's weird). Currently, this is run by one person (see below for more deets ✨), and it's a real passion project for me. The dream is to fix up clothes in cool ways and teach y'all how to do that too! By keeping our clothes rocking for longer, we can reduce the textile waste that ends up in landfills and show fast fashion where it can stick it.
Hello, and welcome to the "About" page!
Think about sewing. Now think about what you're doing when you sew - bingo! You're just stabbing a needle in and out of fabric! I want to make cute and fun things which led my silly little brain to "FunStabs". Sounds a little scary at first, but when you thiiiiink about it... It makes sense, no?
Also there is a small part of me that wanted to start up as a tattoo artist and that has a similar vibe of needles and bright, fun things (or at least to me it does).
Uhhh... Kirstie.
Why have you called your business FunStabs?
Having a background in fashion means that I am hyper-aware of the impact fashion has on the world.
Brands like Zara, H&M and ASOS all have disturbingly quick turnaround times from design to production to these items appearing in-store/online. On top
of these quick turnarounds, they are producing more and more clothes that are lower quality and that we just blast through, often without thought.
As a society, we have a habit of getting drawn in by the shiny, pretty things that are advertised to us,
despite how eco-minded we may be (I know I get caught by this sometimes too!). Many of us
are great at donating to charity or second-hand stores, but the vast majority of the population still throw away their old clothes, which then go to live in a landfill until they break down, if they break down at all (looking at you, polyester). In the UK, you are generally unable to pop your old clothes into your recycling bin for pick up, instead having to take them all to your local recycling centre or textile banks which are sparsely distributed.
I just want to fix stuff and make the world a better and brighter place!
Not as scary as it sounds!!!
Fast fashion is so last season, slow down with us.
So I decided I'm through with this nonsense, and I'm going to make the leap and do something about it.
Let's fix and mend our clothes. Make them cooler and more unique than they've ever been before.
Let's show fast fashion that they're missing the point. It's not about how quickly you make and sell the
clothes - its the stories they tell, the memories they hold and how we've made them our own.
If this resonates with you at all, I'd love to extend an invitation to come along for the ride. It's going to get weird, I promise.
The Team
Creative and Passionate
Kirstifer (they/them)
Mender and Maker
Kirstifer is known as your friendly neighbourhood non-binary person and local mender. They have a degree in fashion design and were even the environmental officer of their student union for a bit. They dislike how much fashion affects the environment and see FunStabs as an opportunity to upset fast fashion brands and their greenwashing attempts. Let's change the world together.
Dora (she/her)
Human Resources
Dora is a very good girl. She's been with Kirstifer since she was five years old. She is very good with both people and not people. She is a professional in some aspects of the job, but in other aspects, she is a rescued medium-sized beagle mix pup. Dora doesn't have thumbs, so she can't help with the fixing stuff but the moral support and the admin she handles is critical to the success of this business.