bag care and repair workshop
Date: Saturday April 26th
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: simétrie atelier, 7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Give your beloved bags a new lease on life
Join me, Simone Agius of simétrie, alongside Julia English, for a hands-on workshop dedicated to extending the life of your favourite bags as part of Fashion Revolution Week 2025.
In Australia alone, over 100,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill each year ~ a staggering figure that highlights the urgent need for more sustainable fashion practices. This workshop is designed to equip you with practical skills to care for and repair your beloved bags, helping to reduce waste and embrace a more circular approach to fashion.
What you'll learn
During this intimate 3-hour session, you'll master three essential repair techniques:
-
Leather cleaning & reconditioning: Transform tired leather back to its former glory
-
Fabric patching with blanket stitch: Repair holes in fabric bags with a decorative and functional technique
-
Leather repair with baseball stitch: Fix tears on leather items
Each technique will be demonstrated step-by-step, followed by dedicated time for you to work on your own pieces with our guidance.
What we’ll provide
-
All necessary tools for repairs
-
Various patch materials (leather and fabric)
-
Assorted coloured threads
What to bring
-
2~3 items in need of repair (genuine leather or fabric bags)
-
Optional: Any special scraps, threads, or materials you'd like to incorporate into your repairs
What you'll receive
Your ticket includes a take-home leather care kit (valued at $40) containing:
-
Two cleaning cloths
-
Linen thread and needle kit [with your choice of black or white thread]
Plus, the invaluable skills to maintain and repair your bags for years to come.
Why attend?
-
Reduce waste: Extend the life of your existing items instead of replacing them
-
Learn lost skills: Reconnect with traditional mending techniques in our busy modern world
-
Personalise your repairs: Turn damage into a design feature with creative patching
This workshop is perfect for anyone looking to make more sustainable fashion choices, preserve special pieces, or learn practical crafting skills from industry experts.
About your hosts
Simone Agius is the founder of simétrie, crafting sculptural leather bags that blend minimalism with artistic expression. All simétrie pieces are handmade in Melbourne using leather from Australian tanneries and traditional craftswomanship techniques.
Julia English is a researcher at RMIT focusing on repair and reuse practices for addressing textile waste. Her PhD examined local collaborations between SMEs to remake unwanted fashion products, and she currently runs clothing repair events with local councils and as part of the RMIT repair project Fashion Fix.
Spaces are limited ~ book now to secure your place.
All of our workshops are run by headcrafts[wo]man & founder of simétrie Simone Agius. Learn more about her here.
Cancellations made with less than 7 days notice before the start of a course, will forfeit 100% of the paid workshop fee. In this instance rescheduling to another course date is encouraged. Every effort will be made to make any exceptions or rescheduling requested with less than 7 days notice although it will be dependent on available time and materials in the given notice period.
Cancellations made less than 14 days prior to class commencement will forfeit 50% of the workshop fee paid.
Any cancellations before 14 days will receive the full refund.
If for any reason a participant cannot attend any one of the workshops reimbursement cannot be made for that session. Materials and further instruction will be provided for the participant to catch up or complete the course.
Transfers of the entire course to another participant is acceptable and encouraged.
Get in touch via our chat feature - Simone typically responds within the same day.