Josephine Philips is a British entrepreneur, sustainability advocate and fashion-technology leader. She is best known as the founder and chief executive officer of SOJO, a company that makes clothing repairs and alterations easier for customers and fashion brands. Her work challenges the wasteful habits created by fast fashion. Instead of encouraging people to replace clothing after minor damage or changes in size, she promotes repair, reuse and longer garment life.
Through SOJO, Philips has connected technology with traditional tailoring. Her business has attracted investment, major fashion partnerships and international attention. She has also become known for her TED Talk, Forbes recognition and public writing about fashion, culture, social justice and responsible consumption.
Josephine Philips’ Age and Birthday
Josephine Philips was born on 4 September 1997. She celebrated her 27th birthday on 4 September 2024, confirming her birthday date. She is British and lives in England, while her professional career is based in London, where she founded SOJO. In a personal Instagram post, she welcomed her birthday with a joyful message about gaining “a few more grey hairs” and embracing life with greater happiness. Friends affectionately called her “Jo” and celebrated her achievements, personal growth and continued success.
Josephine Philips’ Early Life
Detailed information about Philips’ childhood is not widely available, but she has shared meaningful stories about her family and the emotional value of clothing. One of the most important stories concerns her grandmother, Isa. In the late 1950s, Isa bought a yellow dress in Sierra Leone. She later brought the dress with her when she moved to England.
The garment remained meaningful because it carried memories of family, migration and personal experience. For Philips, the dress showed that clothing can hold a much deeper value than its price or fashion appeal. She has also spoken about her sister’s jeans, which had been worn for many years. Paint marks from her sister’s artistic work gave the jeans a personal history and made them more valuable to the family.
Josephine Philips’ Education
Josephine Philips studied Physics and Philosophy at King’s College London between 2017 and 2020. Her academic background combines scientific reasoning with questions about ethics, society and human behaviour. Physics helped develop her analytical and problem-solving skills. Philosophy offered a way to examine human choices, responsibility and the impact of social systems.
These subjects connect closely with her later work. SOJO depends on technology, logistics and business planning, but its purpose is also linked to environmental responsibility and ethical consumption. During her time at King’s College London, Philips presented her fashion business idea through the university’s Idea Factory competition. This helped her develop the concept that later became SOJO.
Josephine Philips’ Experience at Depop
Before creating SOJO, Josephine Philips completed a summer internship at Depop in 2018. Depop is a digital fashion marketplace known for second-hand clothing and resale. The experience gave her insight into online fashion communities and the changing way people buy and sell clothes. It also helped her understand how digital platforms can support more personal and accessible fashion choices.
Philips had already developed an interest in second-hand shopping while studying. She enjoyed discovering garments through Depop, charity shops, vintage markets and kilo sales. The difficulty came when those garments did not fit properly. Finding a tailor or repair service was often inconvenient, which made buying a new item seem easier than fixing an existing one.
How Josephine Philips Founded SOJO
Josephine Philips began developing SOJO in 2020, and the service launched in London in 2021. Her aim was to make clothing repair and tailoring easier to arrange. The early platform connected customers with local tailors and seamsters. Customers could book a service online, arrange collection and receive their repaired or altered garments at home.
Bicycle couriers were used during the early London operation. This made the service convenient for people who wanted professional tailoring without travelling across the city. The business was sometimes compared with delivery platforms because it brought together online booking, collection, tailoring and return delivery.
The Problem Behind SOJO
Fast fashion has made clothing cheap and easy to replace. A broken zip, small tear or poor fit can lead to a garment being thrown away. Philips recognised that many people would prefer to repair their clothing if the process were simple, affordable and trustworthy. SOJO was created to close this gap. Its purpose is to make repairs feel like a normal part of owning clothing rather than a difficult or old-fashioned service.
Josephine Philips’ Business Model
SOJO provides repairs, alterations, tailoring and garment-care services. The company began by serving individual customers but later expanded its work with fashion brands and retailers. Businesses can use SOJO to offer repair services through websites, shops and customer-care programmes. This gives customers support after they have bought an item.
The model benefits both sides. Customers can keep clothing for longer, while brands can improve after-sales service and support more responsible fashion practices. SOJO’s work includes repairing damaged garments, changing the fit of clothing, replacing zips and helping customers give valued items another life.
SOJO and Circular Fashion
Circular fashion aims to keep clothing and materials in use for as long as possible. It reduces the need to produce replacement items and can lower the amount of waste sent to disposal sites. Philips has helped bring this idea into everyday fashion. Her approach does not depend only on new fabrics or expensive technology. It focuses on practical care and longer use. She believes a sustainable wardrobe is not simply one filled with products marketed as ethical. It is also a wardrobe in which garments are worn often, maintained carefully and repaired when necessary.
Funding and Company Development
SOJO attracted early investment as its concept developed. Different financial figures have been mentioned at different stages, but reliable sources confirm that Philips raised millions of pounds for the company while still in her twenties. Early backing included support associated with Simon Beckerman, the founder of Depop. This connection helped Philips gain attention within the fashion-technology sector.
SOJO grew from a small London service into a recognised company working with fashion brands and retailers. Its development was supported by investment, partnerships and growing interest in circular fashion. The company later established an in-house studio for tailoring and repairs. This helped it improve operating systems and maintain service standards as demand increased.
Josephine Philips’ Brand Partnerships
SOJO has worked with fashion businesses including Ganni, Margaret Howell, Paul Smith, Beyond Retro, Traid and HURR. The company also partnered with Marks & Spencer on clothing repair services. Customers could arrange support for issues such as broken zips and damaged knitwear.
A major business milestone came when SOJO opened a permanent concession at Selfridges in London. The location followed an earlier pop-up and gave customers a physical way to access the service. In 2025, SOJO expanded into Paris through a location at Westfield Les 4 Temps. This was the company’s first international location and marked an important step in its growth.
Josephine Philips’ Awards and Recognition
Philips was named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Europe technology category in 2022. The recognition highlighted her work as a young founder using technology to address waste in the fashion industry. She has also been recognised through Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators programme. This initiative celebrates people influencing fashion, sustainability, retail and technology.
These honours helped bring wider attention to her business. They also showed that clothing repair can be viewed as an important modern service rather than a small traditional trade.
Josephine Philips’ TED Talk
In 2023, Philips delivered a TED Talk titled The Simple Solution to Fast Fashion. The talk explains why repairing and caring for existing clothing can help reduce waste. She encourages people to pause before buying something new. She asks them to consider whether they need the item, how it was made and whether they will continue to value it.
She also highlights the human effort behind every garment. Cotton must be grown, materials must be processed and workers must cut and sew the final product. When clothing is thrown away after only limited use, much of this effort is wasted. Repair can help preserve the value of the materials, labour and memories connected with a garment.
The Message Behind Her TED Talk
Philips does not blame shoppers alone for fashion waste. She believes governments, brands and consumers all influence the system. Businesses can design stronger products and provide repair services. Governments can support responsible production and waste reduction. Consumers can buy less and care for what they already own. Her message is clear: valuing possessions can become part of climate action.
Josephine Philips’ Writing and Undercurrent
Philips is also interested in writing about politics, culture and social justice. Her Instagram account links to a Substack project called Undercurrent. Through this project, she explores subjects beyond fashion. One essay discussed Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th and the American privatised prison system.
She examined whether society can move on from an injustice that is still happening. Her writing considers the relationship between history, economics, politics and responsibility. This wider work shows that her interests reach beyond business. She is engaged with questions about inequality, culture, race and the systems that shape everyday life.
Josephine Philips’ Personal Interests
Philips’ public posts show an interest in books, writing, art, documentary films, vintage fashion and second-hand shopping. She has also spoken about pre-owned designer goods and vintage homeware. These interests reflect her belief that quality items can remain useful, attractive and meaningful for many years.
An interview connected with Selfridges mentioned her dog, Koda, and described walking the dog as part of her daily routine. In 2026, her Instagram biography stated that she was taking a break from social media during part of the year. She explained that she wanted more time for books, work, writing and conversations.
Josephine Philips’ Company Records
Companies House records identify Josephine May Olabisi Philips as a director of SOJO Services Ltd. She was appointed on 2 September 2020. A separate business, SOJO EBT Ltd, also recorded Josephine Philips as a director. That company has since been dissolved, while SOJO Services Ltd remains active.
Conclusion
Josephine Philips has built a successful career around a straightforward but important idea: clothing should be repaired, valued and used for longer. Her education at King’s College London, experience at Depop and interest in second-hand fashion helped shape SOJO. The company has grown from a London-based service into a fashion-technology business working with well-known brands and expanding internationally.
Her Forbes recognition, TED Talk, writing and business achievements have made her a respected voice in sustainable fashion. Her work shows that environmental responsibility can be practical, modern and commercially useful. By making repairs easier, she is helping change how people think about clothing, ownership and waste.
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