An Interview with Florence On Conscious Luxury & Creating With What Exists
In this edition of The Edit, Florence shares how at La Collection she approaches conscious luxury; creating timeless pieces with intention, working with what already exists, and embracing the quiet beauty of materials that deserve a second life.
What does sustainability mean to you within luxury fashion?
For me, sustainability is not an added layer. We truly believe that luxury fashion and sustainability should always go hand in hand. Luxury must be durable, responsible, and built to last. The pieces we create should carry quality that endures years, even decades.
When we create a collection, we look for materials that support that value of longevity. That means using virgin wools, cashmere or silk, and also integrating deadstock fabrics and recycled wools when they naturally fit the collection. Both carry the same standards of quality and craftsmanship.
Every season, I explore deadstock options alongside our other materials. It’s part of the creative process for me. The challenge of discovering something special, and giving it a place when it feels right.
What exactly are deadstock fabrics?
Deadstock fabrics are high-quality materials that were never used, often due to overproduction or cancelled orders. Many of these come from mills or couture archives, untouched and full of potential. In today’s fashion landscape, where overproduction has become the norm, we must act. Because many of these beautiful fabrics remain stored and unseen.
When a deadstock fabric aligns with the direction and the mood of the collection, it feels meaningful to bring it in. It allows us to work with existing resources in a thoughtful way, without compromising on beauty or creativity.
That way, we have worked with recycled wools as well for many seasons now, another circular, zero-waste approach we use at La Collection.
Tuba A coat in a Satin Padded deadstock fabric.
"For me, sustainability is not an added layer. We truly believe that luxury fashion and sustainability should always go hand in hand."
How do you source these fabrics?
We collaborate with passionate partners who gather and curate these materials and bring them back into the creative world. I love stepping into their warehouses. It feels like entering a hidden universe of craftsmanship. Rolls of silk, wool, satin, velvet… all high-quality, all waiting for a second life. It is circularity in the most tangible way.
How did this shape the Orno Collection?
For Orno, I selected two dramatic, luxurious fabrics: an Italian padded satin and a checked velvet. Both of them were never used before and the moment I draped them, you could feel their quality. They moved beautifully, captured light in a natural way. These fabrics became two elegant evening coats, the Tuba A coats, in our festive capsule collection. Their durability and richness brought the designs to life.
Tuba A coat in a Velvet Checked deadstock fabric.
Does working with deadstock influence your design process?
In many cases, the starting point for a design is the fabric. We drape, feel, and observe how a material moves before imagining its final form. That process becomes even more intuitive with deadstock because the fabric already has a story, a character.
Beginning with what exists slows everything down in a meaningful way. It invites reflection, creativity, and a different rhythm, a reminder that fashion doesn’t have to be fast.
"Beginning with what exists slows everything down in a meaningful way. It invites reflection, creativity, and a different rhythm, a reminder that fashion doesn’t always have to be fast."
And does deadstock mean limited quantities?
Yes, of course. These fabrics exist in finite amounts. That means our pieces are produced in limited quantities. It’s slow luxury, rooted in durability and respect.
