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Salvaging damaged garments, TOAST introduces collection with visible mending

TOAST recently launched TOAST Renewed, a collection of garments featuring visible repairs. The UK fashion brand retrieves damaged items from its stores and warehouse, including ones returned by customers. They're handed over to an in-house team of repair specialists who carefully mend each garment, taking fabric, color and texture into consideration.

The resulting pieces are one-of-a-kind, with visible repairs that use contrasting colors and techniques like Swiss darning and Japanese sashiko stitching. If patches or appliques are added, the menders use fabric from other TOAST pieces. Prices reflect a garment's original value plus the time a repair specialist took to assess and creatively fix it.

The Renewed collection builds on TOAST Repair, a service offering free mending of any of the brand's garments that customers bring in, no matter how old. First piloted in 2019, that service has evolved into a team of six repair specialists working from six locations and completing over 3,000 repairs.

Trend Bite

Rather than seeing repairs as diminishing the value of a garment, TOAST highlights the craft and artistry involved in mending. Visible stitches tell a story, and it's one that customers are likely happy to share with others.

Repurposing and renewing damaged or unsold stock is a sustainable way to create new products. For some manufacturers, it could be cost-effective, too. Time for your brand to start viewing damaged inventory as a resource, not a write-off?

Innovation of the day

Spotted by: Thomas Klaffke