SupplyCompass, which provides production software for fashion brands and manufacturers, has launched a global Deadstock Library in partnership with Queen of Raw, a New York City-based technology company.
The SupplyCompass Deadstock Library will provide a variety of deadstock fabric options to help brands design more sustainable collections, create value from waste and champion circularity. By partnering with Queen of Raw, SupplyCompass will be able to offer deadstock fabrics at scale to brands and manufacturers in its network.
Materials classified as “deadstock”–fabrics leftovers from previous seasons or rejected fabrics unable to be sold due to minor defects or design changes–will be available to source through the SupplyCompass platform. In turn, Queen of Raw’s designers and brands will be able to tap into the SupplyCompass network to manufacture collections using its platform and services.
Queen of Raw matches fashion organizations looking to offload excess fabrics with buyers interested in high-quality sustainable and affordable textiles. Queen of Raw says it addresses the $120 billion a year of unused textiles that are thrown into landfills, burned or buried in warehouses. Leveraging blockchain technology, it provides transparency around wasted inventory, including water, toxins, energy and dollars saved by leveraging the Queen of Raw platform.
Through the Deadstock Library brands can design collections around what is available rather than relying on custom virgin materials each season. This deadstock fabric initiative forms part of SupplyCompass’ wider mission to make sustainability accessible and cost effective for all.
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The launch of the SupplyCompass x Queen of Raw Partnership is a direct result of an increasing demand for deadstock fabric from brands and manufacturers, which Covid-19 is accelerating, the software company says. The pandemic has left brands concerned by money tied up in unsold inventory and manufacturers saddled with leftover fabric from cancelled orders.
SupplyCompass sees lots of potential when it comes to the use of deadstock fabrics, beyond just an environmental perspective.
Empowering designers to build collections around materials that are already available can reduce lead times by as much as six to eight weeks.
Being more reactive to customers and being able to produce closer to the season is a top priority for brands right now, and working with deadstock fabric is a solution for this.
“Deadstock has always been something we wanted to offer our brands, but there are challenges in doing it effectively and at scale,” SupplyCompass co-founder Flora Davidson said. “We’re really excited by this partnership with Queen of Raw, which is an amazing platform making deadstock fabric possible in an easy, streamlined way. Digitization of materials, components and trims into our cloud-based libraries is a big part of our tech roadmap. Our vision is to make sustainability accessible and cost effective for every brand, and the Deadstock Library is a vital piece of the jigsaw for this.”
Davidson said she sees the potential for 25 percent of every brand’s collections being made from deadstock materials.
“The quicker we can match a buyer with a seller, the quicker we can keep valuable deadstock out of landfill,” Queen of Raw CEO Stephanie Benedetto said. “The world is experiencing a crisis of supply. Growing internationally, especially where this inventory is located, is critical to building a connected and circular future globally.”
SupplyCompass has selected a handful of initial factory partners for brands looking to design and produce collections with deadstock fabric. Brands are provided with sample yardage and are then required to place a down payment to reserve the chosen fabric. Currently, jersey, leather, and handwoven fabrics are available.