Nona Source - the company providing brands with deadstock materials

Photo: LVMH

Deadstock material refers to unsold or surplus textiles and fabrics that would otherwise end up in landfills. This excess material is often a result of overproduction in the fashion industry. The volume of garments left over during the production of a collection can vary greatly depending on various factors such as production processes, forecasting accuracy, and demand. In some cases, there may be very little or no surplus, while in others there may be substantial amounts. The fashion industry is known for its overproduction, leading to significant amounts of unused or unsold clothing becoming deadstock.

Nona Source is a company that specializes in sourcing and repurposing deadstock materials, reducing the amount of waste generated by the fashion industry. Founded by LVMH, the company offers deadstock materials to other brands as a business-to-business solution. Exactly where the material comes from is not clear, on their website they say that they source materials from "overproduction, cancelled orders, and sample yards from textile mills and brands all over the world." The specific locations from which they source these materials are not publicly disclosed. This can be due to an agreement from the brands that sell the deadstock - to have a large amount of deadstock can be bad publicity but also hinder the customer’s experience of buying an exclusive garment from a brand (if the same garment is used by another brand).

Nona Source works with a variety of brands, including Patagonia, Levi's, and Nike, to name a few. These brands are able to reduce their environmental footprint by using Nona Source's deadstock materials in their products, rather than producing new materials from scratch.

The use of deadstock material not only benefits the environment by reducing waste but also allows brands to create unique and limited-edition products. This benefits both the consumer, who can purchase a one-of-a-kind item, and the brand, which can differentiate itself from its competition.

Overall, Nona Source is filling a gap in sustainable fashion where garments that might otherwise have gone wasted are taken care over. But of course, it is not a sustainable solution in the long-term, in the long term designs and collections should be created with a minimum waste approach and it is even better if post-consumer garments (second-hand clothes) are being used in the first place.

But deadstock plays an important role and we’re looking forward to seeing Nona Source's contribution.