Industry Spotlight: Katie Young – Pioneering Sustainable Fashion Through Recycled and Upcycled Textiles
23-04-2025
Katie Young’s passion for reducing waste and reusing materials is deeply ingrained in her soul, ignited by a childhood spent alongside her Nan, a farmer’s wife who grew, sewed, and crafted everything by hand. This fire has burned bright throughout her career as a multi-award-winning sustainable clothing designer, maker, manufacturer, and mother — and now, as an educator.
From a young age, Katie enjoyed customising clothes and repurposing old garments to dress her dolls. By 11, she was already on her third sewing machine! But it wasn’t until later, after her parents separated, that she realised the profound healing power clothes could have. In an emotional act of connection, Katie stitched together garments from her mother and father, using this process as a way to unite them symbolically and, in turn, bring herself comfort and healing.
ForeverYoung jumpsuit
Her passion for vintage clothing grew as she discovered rare pieces in charity shops, which she would often repurpose into custom creations. This fascination with both old and new textiles eventually led Katie to pursue a career in fashion, culminating in her recognition as an award-winning supplier, Bespoke Textiles, for prestigious heritage and hospitality brands.
When the pandemic hit and halted her business, Katie returned to her roots — customising and creating clothes again. It was then that she realised her unique gift for helping others connect with the clothes they wear. Inspired to share this gift, Katie set out to help individuals and brands rediscover their relationship with clothing, turning it into something precious, timeless, and meaningful.
Katie’s work focuses on helping people ask deeper questions about the clothes they wear: Why do I love this? How does it make me feel? and How is it healing me? She believes that reconnecting with our clothes can guide us toward self-love and a deeper connection with the world around us.
With a passion for rare and unique textiles, Katie uses her method, Sacred Sewing™, to teach others how to customise clothes consciously, bringing out the beauty within. One of her proudest achievements is her 20-year-old collection, ForeverYoung, which transforms vintage finds into limited-edition, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Over the past decade, Katie has garnered five prestigious awards, written a best-selling book, The Textile Touch, and founded Bespoke Textiles, a company that designs and supplies luxury, custom uniforms for high-end British heritage and hospitality brands, including The Ivy and Historic Palaces. Her work has helped brands elevate their image with distinctive, thoughtful designs that make a lasting impression.
In her book – The Textile Touch, Katie distills over 25-years of experience into a comprehensive guide for designing stunning, unique uniforms that create a lasting subconscious impact on your brand. The book is a must-read for those looking to develop signature styles, understand sourcing secrets, and confidently design uniforms and collections that align with their brand’s values.
Through her work, Katie continues to inspire a movement towards mindful fashion, helping individuals and brands alike reconnect with the beauty of their clothing and the stories they tell.
Katie comments: “Alongside working with my heritage hospitality clients on their unique micro manufacturing batches, I’ve been supporting a gorgeous modern, Middle Eastern restaurant – founded by celebrity chef, Ayesha Kalaji, recently featured on MasterChef and Great British Menu 2025. I’ve created their unique, signature style through textile touches and developed a way to do mini batches to serve this magnificent, local, sustainable brand.
Katie with Ayesha Kalaji
Bespoke Textiles uniforms and branded totes for Queen of Cups restaurant
“My other project behind-the-scenes is a book I’ve been working on in partnership for the last few years, the first draft is almost completed. I’m also devising a series of masterclasses and one-off workshops, located in the Somerset region, on how to create customised clothes and go fashion foraging and find your true, unique style.”
To find out more about Katie’s work, books and masterclasses visit her websites: www.katieyoung.co
