Metropolitan-centred development causes social issues including welfare and quality-of-life problems. Focusing on women who have interrupted their careers, this study investigates the effects of a fashion DIY programme using cultural heritage on the local community’s social sustainability in South Korea. The methods include a literature review, action research, and in-depth interviews. Results show that social and cultural capital are interrelated and can contribute to social sustainability. The fashion DIY programme of textile and fashion item production through Korean traditional natural dyeing technique provides a fashion experience that can create social relationships during participation, provide opportunities to strengthen the local community’s identity, and contribute to an approach towards social sustainability. The results have implications for social sustainability through strengthening social relationship and cultural capital by facilitating change in a patriarchal industrial structure. The research is significant as it examined the problems of women with interrupted careers from the perspective of social sustainability as well as the role of fashion experiences.