Fabric, clothing, shoes and accessories in secondhand marketplaces are on the rise, but deadstock is the latest big thing and it is a great way of makers getting on trend fabrics and consumers getting as-new vintage clothes. At the wholesale end of the spectrum, marketplaces are also increasingly using high tech to track, divert and deliver deadstock efficiently and quickly around the world. The reuse of fabrics and clothes otherwise destined for landfill is literally saving billions of litres of water, keeping all manner of hideous chemicals out of the environment and shifting the carbon footprint of the fashion industry.
Queen of Raw is a New York based global Marketplace, set up to buy & sell unused textiles. The Marketplace says that there is more than $120 billion worth of excess fabric sitting in warehouses around the world - billions of dollars worth of fabric that ends up in landfill each year - to be burned or buried.
Queen of Raw uses blockchain and artificial intelligence to divert tonnes of organic cotton, peace silk, faux leather and fur, to some of the highest quality luxury fabrics - from deadstock to other individuals and brands.
There is no minimum amount of fabric required to become a seller on the site, listings are free of charge, and sellers have significant leeway in determining their own returns, cancellations and other policies. Queen of Raw charges a commission based on the size of each total sale.
There aren't any Australian sellers on the marketplace yet, but it is global, so anyone can buy - and anyone can join and list from Australia.
Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH has launched an online market platform to sell off its deadstock high-end fabrics. The new online marketplace called Nona Source re-sells fabrics and leathers that were once carefully selected by designers working at one of the many fashions houses owned under the LVMH brand - for around 70% of the original wholesale price. The fabrics could come from any of the LVMH-owned brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Celine, Loewe, and Marc Jacobs.
ASOS Marketplace has a pile of very cool gear in a specialist deadstock fashion area - literally thousands of pieces originating from anywhere across Europe, USA and the UK, it ships within 2 weeks for around $25.
MAIN IMAGE: *rescued from landfill by Queen of Raw *ready for runway by @official.gutsy (designer) + @j.alexanderofficial (stylist) *reproduced by @elixrexports (photographer) Other images as named.