The Deadstock Depot is proud to be launching its latest deadstock product: Unwanted hoodies made by full-package garment and textile sourcing product solution Denim & Beyond. These hoodies are made entirely of deadstock materials, from the dye and print used for their design to the fabric itself. This casual wear is now premiering at the Kingpins Show in Hong Kong.
Beneath the hood of this creation is Denim & Beyond’s CEO Khurram Suhail. With textile industry experience dating back to 2000, Suhail is well acquainted with what goes into creating a piece of clothing. He uses this knowledge to support American-based brands who need a “foot on the ground” in Pakistan where many of their manufacturers – and Denim & Beyond’s headquarters – are located.
Material Exchange first approached Suhail for this project because they wanted to show the potential of deadstock materials and knew that Denim and Beyond could help them create a product that would truly showcase what is possible with them.
“When I was asked to make these hoodies, we needed just one roll of fabric,” says Suhail. “But if I see the magnitude of the problem at hand, I can't put a number to how much deadstock is lying in factories, waiting to be used.”
It is this deadstock issue that Material Exchange’s Deadstock Depot is working to mitigate – and over the last few years, the problem has only grown in scale as the fashion industry continues to produce far more products than the market is demanding. In fact, fast fashion brands are producing double as many products as they did in 2000, many at a lower quality. This quality is reflected in the increase in clothing items being purchased – an increase of 60% in the last two decades - but disposal in half of the time.
The increase in deadstock globally is why Suhail was thrilled to hear about the Deadstock Depot. The value that deadstock materials intrinsically have – affordable, sustainable, and available immediately – has not traditionally been promoted as such. But as consumers become increasingly aware of the need to support low-impact apparel, its demand is starting to steadily rise.
“I’m so excited about the whole thing,” says Suhail. “If brands are able to market their products as being made using deadstock and can pay a fair price to their manufacturer, then this is a huge success story for the whole supply chain.”
Material Exchange sees great potential in deadstock - and these hoodies are tangible proof of it.
“The hoodies look great, they feel great – they’re a high-quality product that you can wear over and over again,” says Material Exchange CEO Darren Glenister. “By outfitting our team in them at our trade shows, we’re leading the fashion world by example, showcasing what’s possible by using deadstock. The forgotten material no more.”
Deadstock to your doorstep
Want to get your hands on some deadstock fabrics? Order your own sample box of deadstock – free of charge – via express delivery to your door and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Material Exchange is a Swedish fashion tech start-up that’s here to change the way the fashion industry sources materials and products to be more efficient, transparent, and sustainable. We achieve this through our state-of-the-art Digital Sourcing Platform and services, which allow material suppliers to showcase their materials more effectively to fashion brands, and fashion brands to find the materials they need in a fraction of the time.