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What is deadstock fabric?
Deadstock fabric is finished cloth that was produced but never used. It is left over when a collection is cancelled, an order is not collected, a design is revised or a production run comes off the machine longer than the order needed. The cloth is new and unworn – it simply has no buyer. Selling it on keeps it out of landfill and means no new fabric has to be made to replace it.
The word covers two quite different things, and it is worth knowing which one you are buying.
Designer deadstock is surplus bought from fashion brands and their agents, usually short lengths of whatever a label happened to over-order. Most deadstock shops sell this, and they rarely know how the cloth was made or by whom.
Mill deadstock comes straight from the factory that produced it. That is what AnBella sells. Our embroidered lace is the excess stock of Antex, our own family embroidery mill – material from past designs and product revisions that was never taken up. Our plain cloth is mill-end fabric rescued from European suppliers rather than produced to order. In both cases we can tell you exactly what the fabric is, how wide it is and where it was made, because we were there when it was made.
Where our deadstock comes from
AnBella Designs is the online arm of Antex Broderie, founded in 1955 by Elmar and Lotte Heinzle in Altach, Austria, in the border region between Austria and Switzerland where Schiffli machine embroidery began. Antex has supplied bridal, lingerie, eveningwear, babywear and childrenswear labels across Europe, the US and Australia for more than 60 years, specialising in cotton embroidery with a plain, graphic, linear design.
Sixty years of that work leaves a warehouse full of excellent cloth that no longer has a customer. In 2018 Martina Heinzle, the third generation in the business, decided not to let it go to waste and put it online for people buying in small quantities. That is what you are looking at: not a reseller’s mixed bag, but one mill’s own surplus, catalogued piece by piece.
Because it is genuine surplus, ranges are finite. When a piece sells we cannot predict whether anything like it will come back, so what you see is what exists.
Shop deadstock fabric and lace
Everything below is deadstock, priced per metre, in stock in Austria and ready to ship.
- Deadstock fabric by the metre – plain cloth in cotton, georgette, satin, tulle and other materials for linings, underlays, backing and garment fabric.
- Eyelet lace and broderie anglaise – cotton embroidered trims, galloons, insertion lace, edgings and lace fabric.
- Embroidered tulle – cotton, nylon and polyamide tulle lace fabric, trims and collars.
- Guipure lace – cotton, rayon, polyester and wool guipure fabric, trims, collars and appliqués.
Source locally and sustainably
At AnBella Designs we do what we are good at – designing and producing embroidery on fabric and making it accessible to a wider audience.
We believe in the future of sustainable fashion and want to support this development with supplying sustainable embroideries. Sustainable embroideries such as embroidery net fabrics and cotton eyelet lace trims. With our in-house design team and local production units we follow the thought through and put European origin first.
Deadstock lace and embroidery
Deadstock refers to the re-purposing of unused fabrics leftover from fashion houses. It is a sustainable alternative in the fashion industry, decreasing the amount of overproduced fabrics sent to landfills.
We fell in love with this concept and decided to sell Deadstock embroidery full-width fabrics, trims and motifs so that nothing goes to waste.
Besides professional Designers working with AnBella Designs we also see more and more hobby seamstresses sharing our values around sustainable sourcing options. Get to know some amazing sewing enthusiasts featuring AnBella Designs in their creations.
Excellent quality
Wondering where to source lace? At AnBella Designs we focus on outstanding product quality.
We believe in bringing excellent Swiss quality embroidery back alive. With more than 60 years of industry experience every single AnBella Designs product consists of highest standard materials and shows precise finishing.
We have our own shop where you get the greatest variety and best price, but for Etsy Lovers we also do sell on Etsy, so feel free to check us out there.
Buying deadstock fabric – common questions
How is deadstock fabric sold?
By the metre. Every product page shows the composition, the width and the price per metre, plus the piece length that particular deadstock roll is sold in – for example a 115cm wide cotton batist sold as a single 3m piece.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, a €35 minimum order excluding VAT. That is deliberately low so a first order can act as a sample: pick the pieces you want to feel and order them.
Will an item come back in stock?
Usually not. Deadstock is finite by definition and we cannot predict which products will be restocked, so if a piece matters to your project it is worth buying the length you need in one go.
Where do you ship, and what does it cost?
Everything ships from our warehouse in Austria to all EU countries, as well as overseas to selected countries. Shipping is calculated at checkout from your delivery address, and orders over €300 ship free.
Can I order larger quantities?
Yes. For larger cuts, send us the products and metreage you need through the wholesale enquiry form and we will come back with a custom offer.
Is deadstock fabric good quality?
Ours is the same cloth Antex supplies to fashion labels – it was rejected by a schedule, not by a quality inspector. Deadstock in general varies, which is why it matters whether the seller can tell you where a piece came from.