Haines Collection launches in Tunbridge Wells, offering designer fabric remnants that would previously have been thrown away, for a fraction of the retail price.
The brain-child of Jules Haines, the Haines Collection acts as a broker between designers who want to sell small volumes of fabric but don’t have the time, and buyers who are looking for something unique but don’t have a big budget.
Selling exclusively online, Jules offers high-end designer fabrics which may be leftover from large scale building projects, be off-cuts or end-of-rolls, or be slightly misprinted.
With six years’ experience working in marketing at contemporary fabric designer, Korla, Jules wanted to do something for herself. She saw a gap in the market to give something back to the consumer in the form of discounted designer fabrics, without the ‘bargain basement’ branding usually attached. Following a stint as a project manager on her in-laws’ home renovation, Jules saw first-hand how hard it is to deliver a renovation project within budget.
Adding to that, Haines Collection recycling ethos is very important to Jules. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) statistics show that the UK generates around 202.8 million tonnes of waste each year. Of that, the construction industry – which includes interiors fittings and fixtures – accounts for 59%.
“I can’t bear waste and while I love cheap and cheerful interiors products as much as the next person, we all know they don’t stand the test of time. It makes me upset when I hear that fashion giants are purposely destroying millions of pounds of stock to protect their image. The world is bursting with waste and I’m glad people are becoming more aware and voicing concerns about wasteful practices,” Haines Collection, Director, Jules Haines says.
“We have come a long way to reducing waste in the building industry. The reuse rate for non-hazardous building material is 90%: it’s not right that unused fabric is thrown away when it still has plenty of life. I know from personal experience how invaluable it is to get access to reduced cost, quality building materials when you’re working on a renovation project. My hope is that Haines Collection offers a lifeline to both manufactures and the general public.”
Jules deep love of textiles started as a child: “My Granny’s drawer of fabric remnants was a treasure trove in my eyes. I’d spend days sewing bits for my teddies or making presents for people on her old Singer – I once made my school teacher a pair of slippers.”
