Perhaps you've come across this term before, but have no idea what it means. Dead stock? Fabrics that are old and worn out?
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Often, these are fabrics of the highest quality and are in very good condition. Deadstock includes meters of fabric left over from previous productions. This is often because too much was ordered to meet the high MOQ (minimum order quantity). Another reason could be that the fabric was rejected due to weaving flaws or that the color did not turn out well from the dye bath. These meters of fabric often gather dust in factory warehouses. When space needs to be made for new fabrics, they are often burned or dumped in landfills.
While there is plenty to be found about the amount of clothing that is burned or dumped, little is known about these deadstock fabrics. It is estimated that this accounts for about 10 to 20 percent of all fabrics produced within the clothing industry that are leftover, or cutting waste after cutting patterns.
During my career as a designer, I witnessed this firsthand. Racks full of rolls of fabric, or boxes full of spools of yarn for knitted items that are also leftover or rejected. When I visited a potential supplier in India and they told me about their archive full of vintage saris that were no longer worn, they asked me: "if you can do something with them?" At that moment, the seed was planted that led to the first sari collection, and that idea from then has grown into what el.résidu is today.
During my first trip for el.résidu, I went back to India and delved into the closets of various small ateliers and found beautiful gems of qualities there. For example, the ikat collection is made from some leftover meters from our partner Saheli Women. The block print collection is made from rejected meters from a small print house in Jaipur that works closely with our partner Vastraashi.
The newest collection that has just been released is the deadstock denim collection. This cotton quality that our partner in Turkey still had on the shelf are remnants of a previous production. We have developed a denim set from this in two different washes.
Unfortunately, a solution for this deadstock is still a long way off. As long as the clothing industry does not change, fabrics will remain. Initiatives and brands that, like el.résidu, work with these deadstock fabrics certainly contribute to the fight against textile waste. In addition, there are fortunately several solutions. For example, more and more brands are working on-demand, which means that only the quantities that have been sold are produced. The disadvantage of this is that it is slower, labor-intensive, and therefore more expensive. It is also important that consumers simply buy less and more consciously.
Nevertheless, I am hopeful that these kinds of practices will contribute to a change in the current, polluting industry that fashion is at the moment.
Deadstock – What does that mean?
