Designers peruse opulent textiles with elaborate names at the Nona Source showroom in northern Paris, such as curly alpaca, geometrical macramé guipure, and silk diamond cloque Jacquard. But what really sets them apart is that they’re all made from “deadstocks,” which are the leftover pieces of fabric that designers throw away after using a roll of fabric.
Deadstocks, like unsold clothing, were typically burned or buried until recently. They accumulated dust in storerooms, at best. Ever mindful of its reputation, luxury behemoth LVMH established Nona Source three years ago, offering emerging designers deadstocks at a steep discount.
Co-founder Romain Brabo remarked, “I discovered there were what we call’sleeping beauties’ in the depots—magnificent fabrics that were lying there for years after collections were made.”
It sold about 280 kilometers (170 miles) of fabric last year, which was sufficient to make about 140,000 articles of clothing. Arturo Obegero, a 30-year-old Spanish designer who exclusively works with recycled and upcycled materials, is one of the frequent clients.
