‘A new start after 60:

‘I started to experiment upcycling old clothes – and they sold’

A New Start After 60

Portraits of Herbie Mensah

@ PORTOBELLO ROAD

‘He set about his collection of clothing with scissors and pins. He finished one piece – a dress made from shoe pockets – and took it to his market stall. It sold. “You think: ‘This is interesting.’ Next thing, I was getting orders.” He started to make trousers with overlaid prints and sliced and spliced jackets. “My kitchen became my studio.”

That was 18 months ago, when Mensah was 62. Now he rents a studio near his home in Kensal Green, north-west London, and sells his creations through his website and Instagram. ‘

Paula Cocozza

@CocozzaPaula

Mon 10 Oct 2022 07.00 BST