How to grow an upcycled brand
Growth doesn't have to mean abandoning all your ethical practices, but you will need to be strategic.
By Sophie Benson
A predictable pipeline is forming in fashion. A new upcycled brand launches onto the scene with fun, collaged, one-of-one pieces that “challenge fashion’s overconsumption”. They get great press, they look great in editorials, retailers start to reach out. But the numbers don’t add up. The brand doesn’t have stock or size ranges in the traditional sense, source material is unpredictable, and manufacturing is time- and labour-intensive – you can’t even begin making until you’ve pulled the old items apart.
To make the figures work, brands start to introduce deadstock fabrics, then recycled polyester, then virgin fabrics and eventually upcycling becomes just a tiny part of their offering. Dutch designer Duran Lantink (now creative director of Jean Paul Gaultier), London Fashion Week fave Conner Ives, US denim brand Re/Done, and Swedish duo Rave Review have all followed this pipeline to some extent, casting off their unconventional foundations to achieve conventional growth.
On many levels, it’s understandable. It’s a tough time for all brands – even without straying from industry norms. And, despite the pervasive sustainability narratives among upcycled brands, not all of them spring from a green starting point. Sometimes it’s just about broke young designers using whatever cheap available materials are to hand and moving on the second they get the chance. But if you are all in on upcycling in the name of sustainability and reducing waste, do you have to abandon it to get on in fashion? No. But you will need a solid plan.