Valentino has launched a new initiative called “Valentino Sleeping Stock” in partnership with Paris fabric store Tissu Market. The initiative has the brand upcycling its leftover fabric from its ready-to-wear and haute couture collections by making them available for sale at Tissu Market.
Historically, leftover materials from the fashion industry were sent to landfill or incinerated; and with up to 100 billion new garments produced each year — most as a result of the fast fashion machine — those fabric remnants are a big problem. On average, Americans throw out more than 80 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year — that’s about 11.3 million tons of textile waste every year.
New material production is also problematic; the fashion industry is responsible for at least ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 20 percent of all wastewater as well as toxic substances linked to human and environmental issues.
As brands look for sustainable solutions, many have turned to renewable or biodegradable materials for new collections. Leftover material, or deadstock, has also found new life for a number of brands working to decrease their carbon footprints; Los Angeles-based Reformation has made deadstock a tentpole, for example. LVMH’s Nona Source opened its first London showroom last May; it offers deadstock from the luxury group’s brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Givenchy.
Now, Valentino will be the first couture house to make its stock available to private individuals.
The partnership has been a year in the making, with Valentino and Tissu Market saying they’ve both been looking to increase their sustainability metrics. The maison’s deadstock and leftover fabrics from its Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear collection will be sold to the general public — a first for a luxury couture brand. The initial collection features a range of materials from chiffon and taffeta to satins and silks that had been kept in Valentino archives.
“At the origin of this initiative there is a profound personal and shared conviction: the importance of upcycling as an engine of change that we intend to establish in the fashion sector,” Tissu Market founder Franck Lellouche told Vogue. “The pursuit of excellence, inclusiveness and engagement through the creative process are some of the core values we share and will guide the next steps of this unique partnership.”
The proceeds from sales of its fabrics will support the Bottega dell’Arte di Valentino — the luxury label’s training program.
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