LaundRE Brings Finishing to the UK for Denim Flexibility
Like much of the Western world, the United Kingdom’s apparel industry largely relies on offshore production. Although sending garments around the globe is often cost effective and the infrastructure and expertise is highly built up overseas, it is not conducive to speed and leaves companies open to disruptions. At the same time, the long lead fashion business model is creating excess clothing volumes in countries like the UK.
Denim consultant Salli Deighton is aiming to solve both these issues with LaundRE, a UK-based onshore denim finishing hub that is opening soon. The goal of LaundRE is not to replace the existing denim supply chain, but to serve as a localized platform for reprocessing and quick turns. Salli is bringing her background in sustainable denim finishing to LaundRE as CEO. Before founding this latest venture, she had worked with brands like Wrangler, Marks & Spencer and Topshop on denim development.
Salli chatted with Carved in Blue about the vision for LaundRE, how it fits into the bigger denim manufacturing picture and the impact this venture intends to have on fashion waste.
Carved in Blue: Could you give us an overview of LaundRE?
Salli: LaundRE is the UK’s first of its kind, sustainable and circular denim finishing hub. LaundRE will help everyone with their denim problems!
Over 70 million pairs of jeans are sold in the UK each year, countless more are discarded and currently there isn’t a denim facility to reprocess deadstock or nearshore in low volume. Most importantly, the UK needs a solution to tackle the tons of discarded jeans which are disposed of each year.
Having a UK hub will enable British companies to have flexibility onshore, a place to innovate and deliver on their circular and sustainable goals.
Carved in Blue: What led you to launch this localized finishing hub? What need did you see for this type of solution in the U.K.?
Salli: LaundRE was born out an urgent need and a lot of frustration!
Working for an online retailer a few years ago, we had a surplus of unsold jeans in the warehouse. We tried to find a local solution to reprocess and modify the jeans. Overseas laundries in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey have become sustainable “star ships” over the last decade, full of laser machines, ozone and nebulising systems. In the UK, we had a leaky old washer, a manual grinding tool and a pair of scissors! It was embarrassing.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, many brands and retailers reached out to us, seeking a solution to reprocess unsold stocks which had accumulated in the warehouses while stores were closed. Many UK brands had moved from stores to online only had seen a considerable reduction in volume.
With travel budgets reduced, designers are frustrated by the lack of resources in the UK to develop collections and collaborate with overseas suppliers, mills and supply chain partners.
New sustainable startup brands started to enquire about small runs and the opportunity to flourish with a low carbon footprint.
Most importantly, we saw tons of discarded jeans in charity stores, recycling centers or heading to landfill just because they were dirty or didn’t fit. We had to provide future solutions.
Our incredible team with decades of experience united to plan LaundRE and lead positive change in the UK.
Carved in Blue: For your customers, what are the key benefits that LaundRe offers over offshored finishing?
Salli: Our initial focus is to help companies reduce inventories and reprocess their stocks. This frees budgets and provides a new circular channel. With legislation on the agenda in Europe and Textiles 2030 creeping ever closer, onshore solutions are desperately needed.
By changing the finish and shade on demand with sustainable laser and ozone technology, we create a new refinished jean for full price resale, cheaper than the customer can bring in new stock from Turkey or North Africa.
Our unique UK service will also allow brands and retailers to hold small stocks onshore and finish in response to customer demand, test new fits or finishes, make bespoke limited-edition capsules or most importantly, react to the weather forecast. No buyer wants to predict the volume of light wash shorts three months ahead of a British summer!
Our USP is we produce up to 500 pieces a wash; most overseas vendors require that as an MOQ. LaundRE aims to support the wider denim industry, not compete with it.
Carved in Blue: What has been the biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome this?
Salli: Raising investment post-Brexit and -Covid has been a challenge, especially when we can’t demonstrate our model to investors with live equipment. Videos are great but not the same as seeing a laundry in action.
The UK government are also reluctant to fund ventures which are pre-revenue. They admire and support our plans, but we can’t drive revenue until we have the kit—it’s chicken and egg! Tech and AI businesses with low startup overheads are also much more desirable.
Fortunately, we have found an incredibly supportive investor, a textile recycler who couldn’t be more generous, and the whole industry has pulled together to support us. The denim community is unique, and we can’t thank everyone enough.
Carved in Blue: Which part of the supply chain are you collaborating with—is it brands and retailers, manufacturers, collectors? And are your customers solely in the U.K., or are you getting nearshore requests as well?
Salli: LaundRE is a hub where the entire industry can come together to create circular, sustainable, and positive denim. We want to help anyone who genuinely wants to make better denim.
Our job is primarily to serve the UK and British brands, retailers and recyclers and help them deliver on their circular and sustainable targets.
Our collaborative workshops enable brands to work with any suppliers, mills and supply chain partners onshore to solve problems and develop better products. We will share the recipes and support our customers to match the responsible products with their overseas supply partners.
Development teams can work in LaundRE directing their own collections for a tube or a train fare. Many product teams rarely travel to the big overseas vendors and experience a laundry, so we will encourage then to engage with our R&D to innovate and we will train the next generation of denim pioneers.
LaundRE supports the entire supply chain, encourages less risk, less waste and a lower carbon footprint for all.
LaundRE will be on site with a textile recycler with an endless supply of discarded jeans. We ran some trials earlier this year (thank you Jeanologia for your support) refinishing old jeans into new vintage. As we all know, there are many challenges in refinishing post-consumer denim, but this is the R&D we are most excited about.
Carved in Blue: How is the customer response so far?
Salli: Incredible. We’re full for 14 months before we open if all the written forecasts translate into orders! If we factor in the verbal forecasts, we may need another site!
The level of enthusiasm and demand is really encouraging, but our team understand the denim business and have planned conservatively and sensibly for steady growth. We’re a new venture and must establish our handwriting, quality and excellent service above all else.
Carved in Blue: LaundRe is currently in the U.K., but are you considering expanding this geographically? Would you consider growing this to other parts or Europe, or the U.S.?
Salli: As mentioned, we need to deliver an excellent service first, but yes, there’s a huge opportunity for collaboration and growth. We have already been asked about other sites in the UK and overseas.
Carved in Blue: What is next for LaundRE? How do you hope to scale this up in the next few years?
Salli: We are just at the start of our journey and not open as yet. Our facility will be a next-generation laundry with no traditional processing, so we must build a new skillset, train apprentices, and create a desirable career for the next generation.
We know thousands of jeans are heading for fiber shredding, insulation or landfill just because they are dirty. We aim to disrupt this sector and add a new circular solution onshore alongside the regular services.
We don’t know yet which of our many services will ultimately create the most demand, but we have designed LaundRE to be agile and responsive and we will finally have a service to support and revitalize British denim.
We look forward to welcoming you onsite in London soon.