Upcycling process. Upcycling, what is that? This is what we will explain to you right away in our article.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling is a reasoned fashion practice, which consists of reusing and upgrading “sleeping or deadstocks” fabrics or leathers.
These materials come from unused stocks (or “deadstocks”) from manufacturing workshops or tanneries.
This is a method that contributes to the circular economy: fabrics or skins are reused to create new products so they are not wasted, that is to say, stored for ages or simply destroyed.
Companies like Uptrade for textiles, or Adapta for leather, make it easy for
brands to find “dead stocks” suppliers.
These platforms source, select, and make available dead stocks of fashion brands, in order to avoid their destruction.
“The goal is to be able to pre-reserve stocks directly with luxury suppliers, so as to offer access to more skins and colors,” explains Virginie Ducatillon, founder of Adapta, to Fashionnetwork.com.
Real little treasures, which are collected by other manufacturers, often young designers, to recreate new fashion, decoration, or lifestyle products!
Deadstocks leathers: a more ecological and militant solution.
Deadstocks leathers: it is an effective anti-waste method. Hera how and why.
Tackling waste is a major challenge for the fashion industry.
Popular with young fashion and leather goods brands, upcycling is a good alternative to overproduction or simple waste. This is a real eco-responsible approach that allows reusing beautiful materials rather than throwing them away., usually by burning them.
Brands that choose upcycling can thus build fashion more in line with their values.
Upcycling to reduce its environmental impact
The other challenge for fashion brands is to produce differently while using less polluting materials. In leather goods matter, using leather has consequences for the planet… For instance, the impact of the breeding of cattle – one of the worst industries at the environmental level -, coupled with the traditional chemical process necessary for the manufacture of leather, very polluting and so greedy in water. Choosing deadstock leathers, therefore, makes it possible to reduce its environmental impact by reusing already tanned hides.
Leather and its alternatives
Some alternatives to leather do exist for leatherworkers, such as the use of synthetic leather. Downside: most synthetic leathers (PU: polyurethane; and PVC: polyvinyl chloride) are made from petroleum … Impossible to recycle, these materials are not biodegradable either. An option that is therefore not unanimous!
Today, other ideas for more sustainable leather are emerging. Among them, the use of leather made up from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles (well…).
Still not ideal when trying to limit polluting waste. Finally, some brands have embarked on the manufacture of vegetable and biodegradable “leather” as from grape, hemp, or corn leather…A solution that is only in its infancy for the moment, and reserved for a few confidential brands. Deadstock leathers appear then to be one of the best at this time and as a militant and eco-responsible alternative for more sustainable fashion.
LUCE: the choice of upcycling
At LUCE, our vision of fashion is based on three adjectives: sustainable, authentic, and qualitative.
Our approach is that of eco-design: we upcycle quality leathers from dead stocks which come generally from Italy and Spain to create unique and stylish accessories.
The skins that we use for our bags as well as for our slippers come from traceable and responsible tanneries.
For this, we are committed :
- to promote the craftsmanship of the world through our collections which are all the fruit of passionate craftsmen;
- to produce only in very small quantities: all of our series are limited, to offer you a unique look that goes against the grain of fast fashion;
- reduce our impact on the environment, thanks to the upcycling of dead stocks leathers.
Our leather bags and slippers are made of genuine leather, 100% authentic and “upcycled”. We are committed to offering stylish AND quality pieces!
Mathilde Dupeyron for LUCE