What is deadstock fabric?

Deadstock fabric refers to unused fabric that was originally produced for fashion brands, textile mills, or manufacturers but never used in production. This can happen for many reasons; cancelled orders, overproduction, or surplus material left over from previous collections.

Rather than being used, these fabrics are often stored away for years or discarded and sent to landfill. Deadstock fabric gives these materials a second life, allowing them to be transformed into new garments instead of going to waste. Often, these fabrics are high-quality materials that were originally intended for premium garments.

Why deadstock fabrics are limited

One of the defining characteristics of deadstock fabric is that it is limited. Because the fabric has already been produced and no more is being made, quantities are often small.

This means garments made from deadstock fabrics are usually produced in small batches Each production run depends entirely on the amount of fabric available.

As a result, pieces made from deadstock fabrics tend to be more unique, with limited quantities available.

Why deadstock matters

Textile production requires significant amounts of water, energy, and raw materials. At the same time, large quantities of unused fabric already exist within the fashion industry.

By working with deadstock fabrics, we can create new garments without contributing to additional textile production. Repurposing existing materials helps reduce waste while making use of fabrics that might otherwise be discarded.

Deadstock is not a complete solution to fashion’s environmental impact, but it is a meaningful step toward more responsible production

Deadstock at K&R

Deadstock fabric is where our story began. We started by sourcing high-quality denim that would otherwise have been discarded and transforming it into durable, thoughtfully made garments.

Over time, we have continued to work with deadstock fabrics alongside other natural materials woven using traditional techniques. Each fabric we source has its own character, history, and limitations.

Working with deadstock also means embracing a degree of unpredictability. Rather than producing large quantities of identical garments, we create smaller batches based on the fabric available. When a fabric runs out, we spend time sourcing similar deadstock materials so we can continue restocking our most popular styles while still working with existing fabrics.