Australian boho fashion brand Spell has partnered with New Zealand organisation Waste Free Celebrations (WFC) to turn its deadstock into Christmas crackers.
The initial pilot has seen stock that’s taken months to make sell out in two days.
Spell sustainability manager Angie Menghini said it was a strategic decision by the brand to collaborate with WFC.
“When our designs go to production, we carefully determine the fabric consumption required but, despite our best efforts, sometimes we find ourselves with excess fabric,” Menghini said. “It is our commitment that our deadstock will never end up in landfill.
“Our collaboration with Waste Free Celebrations makes perfect sense, as it gives some of our deadstock its second life and helps our customers lower the environmental impact of their holiday celebrations, year after year.”
WFC founder Emma Conyngham said Spell had initially contacted her to discuss a partnership in 2022 to turn their surplus-to-requirements fabrics into ‘ReCrackers’.
According to Conyngham, WFC requires 1.1 metres of 150cm wide fabric to make a box of eight crackers.
"For this very first run using Spell’s deadstock, we trialled 200 metres and those crackers went on sale on November 19 on Spell’s website," she said. "We couldn’t believe it when they had all sold out 48 hours later.
Conyngham said the result is driving her to expand WFC's work to include other fashion houses and designers on larger quantities ahead.
“I want to expand this area of our business by taking deadstock from fashion designers around the world and creating a Christmas product they can sell under their own brand.
“It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Conyngham said she is preparing to expand WFC into supplying trade, opening up to countries outside Australia and New Zealand.