Three start-ups specialising in the revaluation of deadstock fabrics to discover at the February 2024 edition The - Première Vision Paris
Circular options are mushrooming in the textile, fashion and luxury industries, for both ecological and economic reasons. The revaluation of “deadstock” materials of all variety has become a matter of course, and a sought-after alternative in the market, creating new business opportunities. Both upstream – destocking – and downstream – use in creation – now demand expertise in managing these stocks, particularly when it comes to scaling up and automating processes. From made-to-measure to industrial-scale services and personalized advice, discover three start-ups specializing in the revaluation of deadstock fabrics to consider as a new sourcing option, to be discovered at the February 2024 edition of Première Vision Paris.
3 Start-ups specialized in the revaluation of deadstock fabrics
Nona Source, luxury deadstock just a click away
Launched in 2021 by LVMH, Nona Source is the first online platform for the resale of exceptional materials from the group’s Fashion & Leather Goods houses.
The offer is presented on a digital marketplace as well as in a physical showroom. The mission is twofold: enabling the Group’s houses to enter the circular economy and give a second life to deadstock materials – vectors of exceptional know-how and quality – while making high-end fabrics and leathers accessible at competitive prices to young designers and brands in Europe to encourage creative reuse.
Alongside Adapta, Nona Source was selected to present at the July 2023 edition of Première Vision, as one of the most pioneering exhibitors in terms of reuse offers.
“We welcomed many highly qualified visitors to the stand, which was not only attractive in terms of the quality, diversity and accessibility of the offer, but also because of its strategic location close to the Talks area. Première Vision’s positioning in this segment is a strong indicator of a change in mentality for the entire industry”.
Romain Brabo, Nona Source Founder
For Brabo, Nona Source’s model for catering to the current challenges of the fashion industry offers a number of benefits: “First, it is economically attractive, made possible by a destocking strategy whose value is not considered in the accounts by the Houses, making prices unbeatable for the equivalent textile quality on the new market. There’s also the possibility of benefiting from very low minimum orders, with very short lead times, and even immediate availability. Finally, the offer is very broad, given the number of Houses and the quantities of deadstock, both in terms of colors and compositions“.
Only exclusive patterns or monogrammed fabrics are not offered for sale. The start-up’s strength also lies in its digital experience, optimized by a fluid purchasing process for both samples and orders, from color accuracy to renderings of how a fabric falls, set ups of draping on mannequins and detailed product sheets. Last but not least, Nona Source recently launched a recycled materials collection in collaboration with weturn, which is in line with and complementary to its deadstock offer.
Listen up! Smart Creation, the podcast, with Eugénie Monroe – Recycling and Ecodesign Sales Manager at weturn
After sourcing, the challenge lies in reinventing the creative process while adapting to the references available. Nona Source assists its customers with project design. “We’ve known opulence, now we have to control our use of resources, like a great chef who goes to the Rungis market every morning to source his vegetables, and then composes something out of whatever they had available. Our educational role in this is a major one“.
To illustrate this paradigm shift in our approach to desirability, Nona Source partners with fashion schools and events, and surrounds itself with high-profile players from the various Fashion Weeks, whose creations are featured under various labels, such as ‘Creative Reuse’ or ‘Circular Creativity.’ They include star designers like Stella McCartney and Gabriela Hearst, as well as young prodigies like Steven Passaro, Kevin Germanier, Eagon Lab and Julie de Libran.
To raise awareness among consumers, Nona Source promotes the use of these textiles by introducing a label guaranteeing the quality and virtues of reuse and the creativity it offers.
Meet Nona Source from 6 to 8 February at Première Vision Paris
Read also: What the “revaluation” of deadstock fabrics and materials means and why it matters
Adapta, exceptional leathers and skins
Complementing Nona Source’s fabric offer, fellow start-up Adapta offers a range of high-quality deadstock skins and leathers from luxury brands, presented both online and in showrooms. Its mission is to avoid as far as possible the waste of materials that are nonetheless made from animals, as well as the ecological impact of production.
“We need to reduce both the quantity of material required to make collections and the impact of the materials, which means not launching a production of a leather defined according to a specification, when equivalent stocks are already available. Reuse must become the first reflex for brands, manufacturers and buyers alike,” says Adapta founder Virginie Ducatillon for whom there is a lack of incentives from legislators: “These solutions should benefit from favorable VAT rates and be taken into account in environmental impact calculations; brands can also promote this sourcing method to their end customers“.
There are many benefits: on the one hand, access to reasonably priced high-quality skins, with no minimum quantities or long lead times, and on the other, the creative stimulation brought about by the limited availability of stock.
“You have to be inventive and smart to produce continually. We generally work according to customer briefs, to support them in their 360-degree approach. You can’t restock, but new ideas emerge as you get to grips with the exercise”.
Virginie Ducatillon, Adapta Founder
Young designers are of course more flexible, but scaling up to the big Houses is increasingly envisageable. “We take several months to onboard everyone, understand the issues and set up a specific process. The winning trio being: creatives, product developers and supply chain.” It’s a strategy based on taking small steps. “It’s best to start with an existing model and adapt it with deadstock sourcing, so as not to accumulate challenges at the start!” adds Ducatillon.
Adapta enjoyed high visibility and a highly varied visitor profile at the July 2023 edition of Première Vision Paris, from project developers to established French and European brands. The start-up also acts as a specialized buyer, sourcing skins on demand and in larger volumes, according to customer specifications. Product data sheets are highly detailed, guaranteeing increased traceability throughout the entire hide processing chain, which is rare for this material.
Last but not least, the Adapta team benefits from a wealth of experience in product development, enabling them to provide customized support for purchases of skins, according to use and any imperfections they may bear. “A watch strap or a travel bag do not require the same surfaces or material placements. Our support is tailor-made to be optimal for every type of customer and project.“
Meet Adapta from 6 to 8 February at Première Vision Paris
Read also: New: Première Vision offers a dedicated space for exhibitors to sell their deadstock
L’Atelier des matières: 360 degrees of circular solutions for unsold goods
Premium and luxury players have had another partner of choice since 2018. L’Atelier des matières is a Maison Chanel initiative for a diverse circular offer of end-of-life and unsold products, and an implementation of these models across all high-end brands.
Like Nona Source and Adapta, l’Atelier des Matières markets a selection of premium and luxury dormant materials.
“L’Atelier des Matières could be summed up in one phrase: where beautiful materials come back to life! In three words: we recycle; we recreate; we reintroduce“.
Nativité Rodriguez, General Manager
Yet their offer differs somewhat, stemming from the core mission of the company, which is committed to offering 360-degree circular solutions for its customers, via an expert design office that inventories surplus stocks (textiles and leathers as well as sewing notions and supplies) and unsold goods of all types (TLC) and presents a range of tailor-made options for their revaluation, in collaboration with around 40 partners. These include a marketplace and a material library of deadstock “sleeping beauties” for reuse, as well as recycled materials, produced from deadstock transformations.
The library, presented at the February edition of Première Vision Paris, includes a selection of deadstock materials, recycled textile innovations such as recycled yarns (four to date, three of which are Global Recycle Standard certified), a 100% natural cotton made of 50% GOTS cotton and 50% recycled cotton, fabrics made from these recycled yarns, and composite materials such as Tum padding or Vernatio recycled leather.
Each brand can benefit not only from sourcing solutions, but also share its inventory issues, across all volumes, enabling a wide range of recycled textiles at the end of the loop. “Whatever your size, big or small, nothing is impossible. We hope to encourage a large number of companies to move forward with us toward a circular economy.“
Meet L’Atelier des Matières from 6 to 8 février at Première Vision Paris
Three players proving that it is now possible to generate sales and scale up with reuse. With major shifts underway for the creative process, which now requires the entire value chain to be brought on board, the presence of these companies at Première Vision is a strong sign of positive change, ushering in a new era.
Première Vision Paris PV Hub – Hall 6︱6-8 February 24︱Paris Nord Villepinte