GREEN MACHINE: Last Yarn, the London-based resale platform for surplus fabric, is rapidly expanding. Having launched online last year, cofounders Deborah Lyons and Piarvé Wetshi have opened a physical space where designers, brands — and anyone in the market for deadstock — can meet and make a deal.
The Last Yarn Deadstock Studio, based in north London, offers bespoke private appointments, designer co-working space, breakout areas, and displays from sellers and buyers, including Bianca Saunders, Paolo Carzana, Ethan Layland, and We Are Kin.
The cofounders said they want the new space to serve as a hub “for much wider conversations, collaborations, and problem-solving,” at a time when fashion brands large and small are looking for ways to close the loop on fabric use, and to work more efficiently.
There is more to come.
Lyons and Wetshi are also working on an app which is aimed at streamlining the process of buying and selling, and helping larger companies use their existing deadstock more efficiently. They are also developing tech that will enable companies to create 3D swatches and digital mood boards.
Paolo Carzana, spring 2025
Courtesy of Paolo Carzana
There are plans to extend Last Yarn to markets beyond the U.K., and add leather and haberdashery items, such as buttons, to the offer.
Until recently brands didn’t think leftover fabrics even had an afterlife, and would regularly incinerate stock, send it to landfill or let it languish in the warehouse. While that is still happening, fashion companies are increasingly considering other, greener options.
On its website, Last Yarn keeps a running tally of how many meters of fabric it’s rescued from landfill — more than 200,000 so far — since the company launched early last year.
Wetshi said the platform is a win-win proposition for all, adding that some of the bigger companies view it as a revenue stream, selling thousands of pounds’ worth of fabric a month.
Lyons said that in addition to serving the trade, Last Yarn also counts the Royal Opera House costume designers among its top customers. It also offers discounts for fashion students and works in partnership with schools, universities and charities to push “localization, collaboration and innovation.”
The platform has brought curators on board, too, including Orsola De Castro, cofounder and creative director of Fashion Revolution, which campaigns for a more transparent and accountable industry; Tamsin Blanchard, journalist and author of “Green Is the New Black,” and James Ellis, owner of the long-standing British bridal company Ellis Bridals.
