Fabric waste is one of the biggest problems in the fashion industry today, right up there with the overconsumption and making of clothing. It all starts from overproducing fabric itself. Over 100 billion new garments are produced every year and within this number also sits a huge surplus of fabric which has been produced and never gets used by fashion brands. Its something that doesn't get spoken about enough and the overstocking of fabric means we need to find a solution. 

Introducing ‘deadstock’ fabrics. What is it and why do we call it the most sustainable way to source fabric? Deadstock fabrics are what is left over after factories and fashion brands have finished producing fashion garments with them. They sometimes go straight to landfill however there are a few wholesale suppliers doing their part and rescuing them by buying and then reselling to other smaller brands (like us!).

According to ‘Good On You’ its reported that less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing and we are so proud to be a brand that's part of that statistic. By using fabrics that are not virgin materials, it means we need to order less fabric to be made for us which reduces our personal environmental footprint by the percentage that we use at Gem The Label. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about deadstock fabric is that it's somehow inferior. The fact that its labelled as fabric which was otherwise going to landfill gives the idea that it should go there, not that its the fashion industry once again wasting resources created equally to what's used to create garments but just misjudging numbers and over producing. Deadstock fabric is the same quality and the same fabric that was destined for retail fashion production.

Therefore its high quality by definition + with the added bonus of knowing you’re doing good by purchasing something that could have had a very different life. 

The dyeing and finishes that can be added to fabric is a chemical process. This means there is usually a lot of water used, a whole heap of energy used adding to the CO2 emissions, release of toxins as by products of the process and labour. 

By supporting the deadstock industry and effectively recycling the fabric and working it into Gem The Label collections, we don't add to this production. Its already happened, meaning you can support GTL and our deadstock pieces knowing that rather than producing new we have saved on the cost to the environment and giving new life to something already created. It also means it reduced the demand for virgin fabrics we print on through supporting this circular model. 

Our goal for 2027 and into 2028 is to source deadstock fabrics and print, embellish and embroider them rather than using virgin materials. This poses some challenges such as inconsistencies in rolls, shorter meterage and the smaller pool of fabrics to choose from. As we continue to grow and evolve, it is a target we have in mind to create one small run using this process to see how it goes and eventually grow to a point where no virgin materials are being used. We are so sure we can get there because we know just how much fabric is being overproduced in the fashion industry. We hope that we can divert this fabric form going to landfill and truly make it Gem The Label one meter at a time.