Has “deadstock” become a dirty word? We welcomed Steph, from Steph Sewn, into our fabric room in North in London to discuss how Last Yarn operates, why we started it and what role we play in the fabric reuse supply chain. You can listen to our conversation on her YouTube channel below.
The video is an introduction to the concept of “deadstock” fabric, which refers to leftover fabric from the fashion industry. Deadstock fabric traditionally comes from textile mills – accumulated due to overproduction, sample runs or quality control issues. Deadstock can also come directly from fashion designers who have excess fabric left over from their collections – which is one of the reasons why Last Yarn exists, to allow designers, mills and factories to resell their excess fabrics on their terms.
In this video, Steph speaks to Last Yarn co-founder Piarvé, who shares how her and Deborah met, after they both independently had the idea to create a platform for selling the industries excess fabrics. As a designer, Deborah had noticed she was accumulating leftover fabrics, while Piarve had encountered excess high-quality fabrics from her work in the interior design industry. They met their first seller, The House of a Thousand Fabrics, who were streamlining their bridal wear business and sorting through hundreds and thousands of meters of fabric from decades of collections. This led them to develop the Last Yarn marketplace, which allows designers to directly sell their surplus online – giving buyers transparency of who they are buying from. The market has caused a lot of confusion by using the term deadstock on fabric that is often brand new – which is why Last Yarn vets every single seller to work out the history of each bulk of fabric.
Keep watching beyond the Last Yarn interview as Steph then delves into the pros and cons of using surplus fabric. On the positive side, it can be more sustainable by preventing fabric from ending up in landfills. However, the quality and fibre content of deadstock can vary greatly, so the video encourages viewers to be selective when buying it, prioritising quality over low prices.
Steph is also giving away two £50 Last Yarn Gift Cards. All you have to do is comment on this Instagram post. Deadline Monday 17th Feb.