ABOUT PARKES TEXTILES

Sustainable design isn’t just about choosing eco-friendly alternatives. It is about looking at what already exists and finding value in it. At Parkes Textiles, a strict standard has been set: every piece of canvas, interior lining, heavy-duty hardware, and zipper is sourced entirely second-hand to actively reduce waste and prevent premium materials from ending up in landfills.

Where the Materials Are Found

Sourcing this way requires a meticulous, hands-on process. Materials are gathered from an interconnected network across Scotland:

• Recycling Centres & Charity Shops: Reclaiming durable fabrics and components from local centres and independent shops, rescuing unique textiles while supporting community causes.
• Online Resellers: Tracking down individual destashes, abandoned sewing projects, and material remnants that would otherwise sit forgotten in storage.
• Creative Deadstock: Collaborating with other makers and design studios to take on leftover cuts that are too small for commercial manufacturing but perfect for small-batch curation.

The Impact

The commercial textile industry discards millions of tons of high-quality material every year simply because it is overstock or leftover from larger production runs. By manually hunting down and intercepting these fabrics, Parkes Textiles breaks the traditional "take-make-waste" loop. Every single component carries a past life, intentionally remade into honest utility built to endure a new one.