Core Fabrics and Collective Détour invited Québec’s fashion community to a Lunch & Learn networking event on Tuesday, September 23, at 8280 boulevard St-Laurent, suite 301, in Montréal.

We hosted an inspiring panel discussion on a pressing topic: textile circularity. Moderated by Collective Détour, the conversation brought together local pioneers in sustainable fashion to share practical strategies for rethinking how we source, produce, and bring fashion to market — all with circularity in mind.

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Rewatch the Panel Discussion

* Please note that the panel was conducted in French, as the majority of panelists are French-speaking. An English-subtitled version is available.

Recap

Here are the key takeaways from the panel to equip you with sustainable practices

Tereska Gesing, Co-founder

Core Fabrics

Wholesale program for designers + small brands

Vision

Our approach goes beyond simply improving access to responsibly sourced fabrics. With the support of Collective Détour and the Fonds Écoleader, Core Fabrics launched a textile buyback program to reclaim surplus textiles. Since September 2024, we have already brought more than 45,000m Deadstock from local creators back into circulation—and we’re just getting started. We are also developing a second initiative to centralize and recover production scraps, further closing the loop in our industry.

Stay tuned for details at our next panel!

Lise-Marie Cayer, business development

Core Fabrics

Why a panel on textile circularity?

Lise-Marie brought these panelists together to spark inspiration, foster knowledge sharing, and mobilize creative, engaged minds around the major sustainability and circularity challenges in fashion, She brings both expertise and passion to the table. As a fashion designer herself—running two brands and a brick-and-mortar boutique—she is deeply committed to uniting the community and creating synergies around textile circularity. She leads the Wholesale program, working closely with designers and small brands.

Contact Lise-Marie here

Maxime Morin x Co-founder of eco-responsible activewear brand, Rose Boreal

  • Rose Boreal produced 90% of their collections in Quebec during their early years but had to expand production abroad after finding factories with practices aligned with sustainable development principles.
  • In terms of textile circularity, Rose Boreal has successfully reused as much as possible of their cutting waste.
  • Eco-design techniques have also been implemented by incorporating accessory pieces into the marker waste from the brand's reversible leggings, for example.
  • However, caution is needed to avoid creating a second problem by producing more accessories than the company can sell simply to minimize waste.
  • Local production is admittedly a tool for textile circularity. The challenge, then, is to develop processes that create textile circularity with overseas contractors whose work method is completely vertical (turnkey service from pattern to sourcing to finished product).
  • The company is heavily invested in upcycling methods, which involve transforming inventory of clothing that hasn't achieved expected success or for which too much inventory was produced. For example, cutting the sleeves off a long dress or transforming leggings into shorts.
  • Rose Boreal participated in Core Fabrics Textile buyback program in fall 2024 by divesting several hundred meters of unused knit fabric.
  • Maxime reminds us that selling this deadstock brings liquidity back to the company, enabling it to reinvest that amount into new production.
Learn more about Rose Boreal

Leyla Lardja, Research and Innovation Manager, Vestechpro

  • Vestechpro is a research and innovation center in apparel located at Cégep Marie-Victorin's fashion school, supporting companies in developing innovative products for over 10 years.
  • To advance sustainable practices in fashion, we must first change how products are designed—by equipping creative teams with clear methods, concrete tools, and a shared vision of design's role in the transition.
  • Leyla collaborated through Vestechpro with the Canadian Circular Textile Consortium (CCTC) and Fashion Takes Action (FTA) to develop a circular design toolkit for fashion brands and designers, adapted from WRAP's UK model to reflect Canadian realities. It will be publicly available soon.
  • The toolkit is a practical guide inspired by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), helping design teams create more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable garments—covering materials, business models, end-of-life strategies, and consumer awareness.
  • LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a complete environmental assessment analyzing a product's impacts at every stage—from raw material extraction through manufacturing, transport, use, and end of life.
  • Vestechpro's new training program supports entrepreneurs, designers, and local brands in strengthening sustainable practices through design, impact measurement, maintenance, business models, and responsible communication—paired with personalized coaching to create a tailored circular economy roadmap. This training is eligible for subsidies.
Learn more about the Training program for sustainable practices by Vestechpro

Philippe Gagnon, VP Canadian Operations at Attraction

  • Attraction is an integrated manufacturer and leader in the production and decoration of casual apparel for the Canadian and American promotional and recreational tourism markets.
  • Philippe, as VP of Operations, participated in the project to reclaim 100% of the company's cutting waste, reclaiming 35,000 tons per year.
  • The company that transforms these textiles is located in Sherbrooke and is called Mécanec Transformation Textile Inc.
  • Philippe emphasizes that this textile waste recycling comes at a cost, and it's essential to always budget for sustainable development projects. In short, cleaning up a company's practices is never free. Managing waste, however also has an associated cost. The key is to find ways to invest that same expense into more sustainable practices.
  • These values in favour of excellent textile circularity are truly embraced by all company employees. For them, every garment produced at Attraction that doesn't meet standards is one too many. Everything must be repaired to reduce textile waste. Philippe repeatedly stressed the importance of having a committed and united team in such an initiative to make it a success.
Know more about Mecanec (MTT)

Julien Tougeron, MBA, President at Véloise and the International Textile Biomass Alliance for sustainable textile

  • Véloise, a company based in Brossard, has developed the only technology in the world that uses corn stalks and leaves to create Polylactic acid (PLA); a fiber with great potential for a more sustainable future.
  • Many producers of this fibre use the grain, which is not optimal since using food as a primary source can cause other global problems at scale. Véloise's use of non-edible agricultural waste is a great way to avoid this problem.
  • The collaboration with farmers is very fruitful. It not only allows them to dispose of their agricultural waste by avoiding burying all this material, but it also saves them considerable money by avoiding landfilling.
  • PLA can be blended with other ethical fibers like organic cotton, merino wool, and recycled spandex. This blend serves to reduce the costs of this new and consequently expensive fibre, and also to benefit from the properties of other fibres that will diversify the use of the created knit fabric.
  • A fibre that creates a perfect circular loop! Véloise has the capability to transform the finished garment made from PLA fibre back to its original cellulose state.
  • Local production is very important to Véloise, which aims to create a complete production process in Quebec, from fibre to knit fabric.
  • Currently, Véloise is in R&D mode, and for any questions, you can contact Lise-Marie at Core Fabrics, who represents them in the North American market.
Know more about Véloise technology

Lunch & Learn : Circularité Textile

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ABOUT CORE FABRICS

Founded in 2020 by Heather Lou and Tereska Gesing, Core Fabrics is a Montreal-based online fabric store offering thoughtfully sourced, eco-conscious textiles and supplies for the modern sewist. Most recently, we launched a wholesale platform with a textile buyback program at its heart—part of our mission to champion circularity in the fashion & textile industry.