MEET OUR FOUNDER, JULIA DEE

There is nothing quite like the heartbreak of pulling your favourite cashmere jumper from the drawer, only to find it riddled with moth holes.

For over forty years, Julia has made it her life's work to stop that from happening. Today, she is widely recognised as the UK’s leading authority on clothes moth prevention and garment conservation. Trusted by royalty, historic houses, and the world’s most discerning wardrobe owners, Julia has bridged the gap between haute couture tailoring and natural entomological science to keep your clothes looking beautiful, forever.

julia dee total wardrobe care

FROM HAUTE COUTURE TO CLOTHES MOTH EXPERT

Julia’s expertise isn't just academic; it is stitched into her very being. Raised in the New Forest, she fell in love with fabric and tailoring as a child. After earning her fashion design degree, her career took an adventurous turn when, at just 23, she relocated to Bahrain to establish an elite Western-style ladies’ tailoring house. Catering to high-profile expatriates and members of the royal court, she spent years mastering the intricate physics of fabric drape, construction, and bespoke fit.

When she returned to London in 1990, Julia placed a simple, landmark classified advertisement in Vogue:

"If your clothes don't fit, or need repairing, I can help."

She founded The Wardrobe Curator in a former Battersea laundry, starting out alongside fellow emerging British creative Jo Malone. As her high-profile tailoring business grew, Julia quickly became an agony aunt for clothes care conundrums. Her clients - frequently preparing for red-carpet events and film premieres - were devastated by the destructive impact of clothes moths on their luxury investments.

Julia quickly realised that repairing a beautiful garment was only a temporary fix if it was returned to an infested wardrobe.

A 20-YEAR QUEST FOR NATURAL SOLUTIONS

Unwilling to recommend the acrid, highly toxic chemical mothballs available at the time, Julia embarked on a 20-year quest to find a natural, safe, and effective alternative. She turned her attention to entomology, historic textile preservation, and botanical chemistry.

Her research into how ancient civilisations protected textiles led her to plant-derived terpenes, natural compounds that plants use to repel pests. Collaborating with a professional perfumer and aromatherapist in the New Forest, Julia developed the legendary May Chang blend.

This hand-crafted formula combines eight essential oils,including Lavender, Cedarwood, Patchouli, and Thyme,producing a sweet, citrusy fragrance that we absolutely love, but moths detest. This breakthrough became the foundation of Total Wardrobe Care.

Under Julia's guidance, the brand has introduced museum-standard, non-toxic technologies to the home, including the Moth Decoy (which uses natural carnauba wax micro-powder to safely disrupt the moth breeding cycle) and the classic Moth Box.

LOVED BY THE WORLD’S MOST DISCERNING WARDROBES

Julia’s natural, expert-led approach has been embraced by some of the world's most iconic fashion tastemakers:

Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop): "Julia Dee and her team offer repairs, alterations as well as an at-home care service. They'll come to your house, organise your wardrobe, get rid of moths and revamp your clothes..."
Elle Macpherson: "Julia at Total Wardrobe Care helped organise my closet. She managed everything, from the right hangers to folding and colour coordinating all my clothes... Julia and her team offer a wonderful service."
Sophie Conran: "I am really delighted with the products, the love, care, and attention that go into them and they really work... I haven't seen any sign of moths since using the products."

PRESS & MEDIA CENTRE

As the UK's premier authority on domestic pest management and textile preservation, Julia is a regular contributor to the national media, including The Telegraph, Vogue, The Sunday Times, and the Daily Mail. She is highly sought after by journalists for her practical, science-backed advice on sustainable fashion and clothes care.