Meet the side hustling students - Reworked by Han

University can be a polarising time for many. Aside from the pressures of studying and an endless list of deadlines, the reality of being ‘another skint student’ can be enough for some to drop out all together. With looming debuts and a crammed social calendar crippling many students all over the UK. 

However, a new wave of students are going against the grain - with thousands getting creative with ways that they can make their money. 

Monetizing skills in innovative ways whilst generating cash without the restraints of a part time job is an approach that many are taking to get by whilst studying. A creative shift is underway and this series will follow some students who are doing just that. 

Instalment 001 takes a closer look at how one student has monetized her hobby of repurposing vintage clothing into a monetized business for fashion forward students. 

Meet my friend Hannah, the founder of reworked by Han. Han has sold her reworked clothing on depop since August 2019 whilst at University of Leeds studying Medical Sciences. We discussed everything from the realities of juggling her business with studying and maintaining a social life, as well as what initially pushed her to launch her reworked start up. 

Can you remember why you decided to start working with vintage clothing? 

I wanted to start making things that students could afford. My clothing is typically rave and festival wear, I knew that I could appeal to students wanting something cool to wear for events but typically don't have a lot of money to spend on expensive vintage. 

I took a lot of inspiration from other sellers on depop specifically ‘90’s baby’ and I thought it would be a good way of merging my hobby and making some extra dollar as well as selling to my friends and making cool stuff for myself.  

My Mum also taught me alot, it's kind of been passed down through my family as my Great Grandma was a dressmaker. We’ve even used a few of her patterns so it’s nice to sit with my Mum and make something and also use patterns that have been in the family for years. 

It’s also nice to be contributing towards a cleaner fashion industry, I like the idea of upcycling something that someone once didn’t want but can be turned into something really new. I’m also really proud to wear the stuff I've made because it’s unique and I know I'm not buying into the fast fashion industry. 

How do you source the original items you decide to rework? 

It originally started off with mine and my sisters only clothes we wouldn't wear and would normally go to the charity shop. Now I go to kilo sales as you can get loads for your money and sometimes branded stuff which is really popular when reworked. Charity shops are also my go to as there's loads around my area. 

What kind of items work well for you to repurpose and you know will sell? 

For depop, it’s important to buy things that are current and in trend that ultimately students want to buy but can't afford, so visible branding on sportswear is great. People love Nike and Adidas because it's so versatile. 

If I'm buying items that I'll repurpose and wear myself, I love animal print so something that's bright and a good fabric I'm mainly drawn to. I also love stuff that looks more expensive than it actually is.  

What has been your biggest challenge when repurposing garments into something new?

It took me a long time to adapt to repurposing clothes as it’s different to just straight sewing. It can be challenging to think of original ideas that will make me stand out from other sellers doing a similar thing to me. I’m still always learning and sometimes I have to watch tutorials to help me out along the way. 

Have you got any advice for students considering getting into reworking and selling on depop?

You have to have patience and be open minded, it’s important to try and be as creative as possible so thinking of alternative ways of making stuff.  I always try to use as much of the fabric as possible so there's limited waste. For example, I'd normally turn a men's t-shirt into a crop top and matching skirt, I’ll also do a scrunchie so people are getting more for their money. 

How do you deal with managing your time between uni life, studying and making clothes? 

At the moment, uni is obviously my main priority. But when I have the time I like to do it to unwind as it’s nice to take a step back from studying. It is time consuming, the past few months have been hectic. I haven't had as much time to work on it as I would’ve liked. 

Can juggling all of the different things going on at your life get stressful at times - how do you deal with this? 

Finding the time can be difficult, ideally I'd love to make it more established one day as I love doing it. Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated as after a long week at uni I just fancy a chill night rather than sourcing and making clothes. I think it’s important to only do it when you want to so you still stay passionate about it. 

How have you found that other students have supported you during the process? 

A lot of the people I sell to have been students, it’s really nice that they support me and what I'm doing, even if it's not buying from me they repost it on their stories to people I wouldn't normally reach. 

I’d like to do student discounts at some point as it’s nice to give back to people that have supported me. 

What advice would you give to other students thinking of starting up a side hustle? 

Academically, it’s so good to have something like this on your CV and it’s good to have something to occupy your time other than uni work. It’s also a good idea to do something that can accompany your course so commissioning artwork could be good for an art student as it’s such a good experience. 

Having some extra cash is also helpful when you're in an expensive city, it’s cool to be able to earn money from your hobby.

Try and keep up with the trends as much as possible so do your research and know what works and what doesn't, especially if you want to sell to students, so it’s good to have people around you that support you.