01/07/2026
🔥 Hot take 🔥 I don't believe for a second that luxury brands are regularly sitting on huge quantities of fabric they simply couldn't use and therefore are sending them to landfill.
Here is what I think is happening and this is coming from someone who has worked for a decade in fashion manufacturing.
🚩 Scenario 1
A mill developed the fabric and sold it to a designer without exclusive rights. That means more than one brand could use exactly the same fabric. Saying "Valentino used this fabric" may well be true. Saying it's "Valentino's fabric" is a different story.
🚩Scenario 2:
Mills often produce more than the exact order because manufacturing 1,000 metres can cost almost the same as producing 900. The extra fabric is made intentionally because they know they can sell it later. It was never destined for landfill.
🚩 Scenario 3:
There are businesses that buy surplus fabric directly from mills after production and then sell to fabric shops. Sometimes that fabric was used in a designer collection, sometimes it wasn't. Either way, it often never reached the designer's warehouse at all.
None of this means the fabric isn't fantastic.
In fact, these fabrics are often exceptional quality and may be made from organic or lower-impact fibres. I just wish they were celebrated for what they are, rather than relying on the phrase "designer deadstock" as a marketing story.
True designer deadstock absolutely does exist. Sadly, it's often the result of a brand closing down, cancelling a collection or liquidating stock.
If you’re shopping for true designer deadstock, this is the biggest green flag:✅ transparency ✅
Stores should be open about what they do know, such as brand name, fabric composition, and any sustainability or eco credentials.
In some cases, retailers aren’t actually allowed to share full details due to supplier agreements. But being honest about what they can and can’t disclose is a green flag that you are dealing with true ex-designer deadstock.
P.s. if you are curious to know more, we have a whole blog dedicated to this topic xx
