First of all Happy New Year :)
The holidays, projects, and 2022 planning have kept me preoccupied, to say the least. So I’m excited to share some more of my thoughts on a topic I've not yet covered, even if it’s a short post.
So, what is deadstock and is it sustainable?
With all the buzzwords going around in the apparel industry, here’s a quick rundown of something that’s gained attention over the last few years: deadstock fabric.
In the fashion industry, deadstock refers to fabric leftover from companies and or fashion houses that didn't get used. This is caused by a number of reasons:
Overproduction - ordering in excess / overestimated quantities
2. Defects- a thread getting snagged, incorrect prints or colors, etc
3. Testing- brands doing strike off’s or lap dips and then not needing it after they're done
4. Unsold inventory- either from a fabric retailer or fashion brand
5. Fabric scraps- the randomly shaped trimmings that are left after cutting out a pattern
It sounds great at first right? But when you really think about it, using deadstock fabric is not that “sustainable” because the only reason the excess fabric exists is BECAUSE of overconsumption. (If companies see how they can make a profit by ordering in excess or if they see a market for deadstock they will continue to overproduce)......enabling overproduction and over manufacturing.
In addition to this, most deadstock fabric:
Is not made from biodegradable fibers.
Is not manufactured from responsible and ethical factories.
It is not traceable - you don’t know which factory did it come from.
Cannot give credit to the print or textile designer because unless you have the selvage edge showing the print house, designer, or brand, you won't know where it came from (to give them credit).
************HOWEVER**********
As the industry sits right now, generally speaking, if fabric has already been made, if it is already sitting unused in a warehouse somewhere- would it be better for the fabric to get used or to just stay sitting, go to a landfill or worse be burned?
(OF COURSE if would be better for everyone and the planet for it to get used in some form or fashion....pun intended ;) rather than get shipped off and burned.
Let's say hypothetically, (a very hypothetical scenario), that every apparel company practiced responsible, ethical business practices and created truly sustainable garments. There would still be fabric scraps leftover from making the patterns for those garments. So even in a perfect world; there would still be deadstock fabric. (Dumbed down example, but still).
And if those fabric scraps were compiled to make garments- then not only would that be using all of the material available - "using the whole animal" concept, but upcycling over and over and over.
In the coming months I'd like to write a more comprehensive post about this sector of the industry, digging into what seems to be a dysfunctional dynamic between the need and use of deadstock fabrics. For now check out these noteworthy companies, designers, and bloggers making an impact in and around this sector of the industry.
See ya next time :)
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