Toast Renewed

Three pieces from the Toast Renewed collection / Source: Toast

EuropeTextiles

6 MINUTE READ

Nate Tyler

WHAT WE SAY:

All clothing brands have pieces that never make it to the floor, having been damaged during shipping or display, as well as faulty returns from customers. These clothes are occasionally sent to the discount rack or outlet store, but most are simply discarded.

Welsh fashion brand Toast has not only found a solution to this problem, but a way to add value to damaged goods, enhancing the original design and creating one-of-a-kind pieces for the conscious consumer. Toast Renewed sees a team of artisans applying thoughtful and creative repairs to damaged and worn-out clothing, drawing attention to the act of mending and celebrating the clothes' uniqueness. While this takes time and effort, we love a slow approach to fashion that truly cherishes the craftsmanship of design.

KEY FACTS:

Toast Renewed is Toast’s collection of uniquely repaired clothing and textile housewares. When items are damaged in-store, or returned by customers to the warehouse, a member of Toast’s six person in-house repair team creatively restores the item for resale.
Each piece is repaired with consideration for colour, fabric, and texture. Rather than taking a spool of black thread and simply mending the piece, Toast’s artisans make each piece one-of-a-kind by ensuring the repairs stand out, giving them unique character and charm.
The Toast Renewed specialists utilise a number of different mending techniques in the collection, including applique, reverse applique, darning, Swiss darning, and sashiko.
After repair, the pieces are sold on Toast’s website and in pop-ups. Each one is completely unique, showcasing the talents of the different artisans on Toast’s team, so once a piece is sold, it won’t be available again.
Toast Renewed is part of Toast Circle, Toast’s “evolving circular strategy,” which includes Toast Repair (a free, in-store mending service and workshops), Toast Exchange (in-store clothes swaps), Toast Renewed, and Toast Reworn (secondhand pieces launching 2023).
The Renewed collection was trialled in-store in 2022 and launched online during Q1 2023. Because the collection is so new, there’s currently no data on its performance, but we can look towards Toast Repair for clues. Launched in 2018, the free, in-store repair service has fixed 3,245 garments to date, according to Toast’s 2022 Social Conscience Report. Over 1,900 of those repairs occurred in 2022.
While the items that go through Toast Renewed are originally damaged, the thoughtful, hand-made repairs extend the pieces' lifespan. Prices have stayed relatively the same as original markings, despite the expert, time-consuming work of the Toast team and the uniqueness of each item. The collection ranges between GBP 90 - 350 (USD 112 - 436).

Five pieces from the Toast Renewed launch collection / Source: Toast

One of the unique repairs / Source: Toast

DIVE DEEPER:

Fashion has a problem with unsold clothes, and landfill, burning, and other forms of destruction are the most common responses. While it’s unclear exactly how many damaged clothes brands throw away each year - they don’t tend to publish what they’re wasting, let alone distinguish between the reasons why - it’s safe to say the number is high.
Footage of luxury fashion house Coach destroying handbags surfaced in 2021. The company said it only destroys damaged goods, and donates intact, unsold pieces. It wouldn’t reveal the exact quantity of products on either side of the spectrum, but the value of donations exceeded USD 55 million in 2021. Other major brands that have been caught destroying products include Victoria’s Secret, Eddie Bauer, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Nike, Michael Kors, and Burberry, which admitted to burning USD 37 million worth of goods in 2018. The problem isn’t limited to higher priced fashion brands and accessories, either: Walmart has also been caught destroying products.
Returned items pose another environmental problem, adding to the scale of destruction. The logistics involved in getting things back on the shelf are too complicated for many fashion companies, and with the rate of return from online sales standing between 30% and 50%, the industry is being overwhelmed with returned goods. Even if the items aren’t faulty, it's often easier to destroy than it is to resell.
This problem is compounded by a lack of repair services from brands. Consumers are given a replacement item when returning a faulty one, even if they would prefer it to be fixed, with returned goods sent to landfill or incinerated.
Emerging Right to Repair legislation is putting this practice under pressure. In the UK and EU it will soon be mandatory for brands to open-source spare parts for products, while in France it’s illegal to make something that’s designed to deteriorate within a certain timeframe. 38 out of 50 US states are bringing in similar mandates.
By employing a team of dedicated, in-house repair technicians, Toast is not only giving products a second life, it’s also opening up a new revenue stream for the brand, appealing to the growing consumer cohort looking to reduce the impact of their purchasing habits. The Renewed collection ensures Toast can profit from its faulty items, rather than swallowing the cost.
Upcoming circularity initiatives from Toast include using more deadstock, recycled, and organic fabrics; and the formalised tracking of its supply chain. The company is also reducing the number of styles it makes by 20% to lower waste and cut the number of unsold goods.
Founded in 1997, Toast is a Welsh company with a focus on handcrafted goods and staying local where possible.

"Through the collection we demonstrate the beauty in the process of repair, and hope to honour the strength of a patched and repaired garment.”

Suzie de Rohan Willner - chief executive, Toast - as quoted in Fashion United

Key Design Considerations:

Celebrate imperfections

Using the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, the Toast Renewed specialists draw attention to the imperfections in each piece, rather than hiding them. Repairs enhance the pieces' durability and longevity, and through accented colours the act of repairing is itself celebrated. Uniformity is not the goal here, so while uniqueness is a good marketing tool, it also generates emotional attachment that will hopefully ensure the customer holds onto the piece for many years to come.

A multifaceted approach

Toast Renewed is just one element of Toast’s move toward circularity. This is the right attitude, as no single scheme will make a brand fully circular. We need a range of distinct approaches - working in tandem with the same end goal - to truly transform the fashion system. Other brands should take note.

Be aware of legislative pressures

While slow to move, legislation is beginning to impact the way brands make, sell, and waste. It’s imperative that any designer is ahead of regulations coming down the pipe, ensuring the designs of today will still be viable tomorrow.