Deadstock materials

With deadstock we intend those large quantities of unsold fabrics, yarns, garments that are the most obvious sign of one of the big problems of the current fashion business model: overproduction. They could be leftovers from a previous production, colour trials or prototypes, sample collections, fabrics or yarns that do not make it into the collection, but also defective items.

For an independent designer or a small brand, having the possibility of finding quality fabrics or yarns at reduced prices and in minimum quantities is a great opportunity. When you work with small number, one of the biggest obstacles to the creation of collections is precisely the purchase of fabrics: manufacturing companies require production minimums that are often too high for a small brand.  The limit of these materials is that they are available just in limited quantities, so production must be planned wisely. This is also an opportunity for big brands and companies, a lower-impact way to dispose of their unsold or defective goods.

Source: Lottozero

Today there are a lot of brands that work with deadstock and waste materials, lowering down significantly their impact.

MTOF is a brand which produces knitwear using stock that would otherwise be discarded. They select the highest quality yarns to create exclusive mixes that are always innovative, reversible garments enriched with embroidered prints and applications.

AVAVAV, on the other hand, is a Florentine brand that creates patchworks with stock fabrics from major luxury brands. Working with deadstock necessarily requires adapting the collections somewhat to the materials one finds. The geographical location in this case helps: since many luxury brands pass through Italy in their production chains, it is quite common to find luxury fabrics in the Prato district.