Adrien Taylor, co-founder of Offcut. Image supplied.
Christchurch-based brand Offcut has made a name for itself by turning fabric scraps into caps and accessories, and now the brand has been acquired by new local owners. The brand was founded in 2015 by Adrien Taylor and Matt Purcell and since then has worked with some of New Zealand’s leading brands, including Swanndri, to produce limited edition caps from fabric offcuts that were destined for landfill.
“When we founded Offcut five years ago, we wanted to create a business that helped people rethink the word ‘waste’,” says Adrien Taylor. “Our goal was to show the world that things which are called waste can in fact become very valuable resources if they’re used the right way. Today, I’m proud of what we’ve built, and I’m super excited to see where the brand is taken to from here.”
The new owners of Offcut are Jeff and Hannah Ward, and Jono and Jess Riddell, two Christchurch-based couples who intend to continue growing the company locally and internationally. Jeff Ward currently co-operates Liminal Apparel — an ethical fashion brand which specialises in uniforms.
“We’ve known and worked alongside Offcut for years and we share the same values of doing business in a way that’s kind to people and the planet,” says Jeff Ward. “We’re very excited to buy Offcut and build on the incredible brand and community that’s been created over the years. Offcut caps have become a New Zealand staple and it’s our job to ensure the brand becomes even more iconic here and around the world, so we can stop as many resources from ending up in landfill as possible.”
For Adrien Taylor, the sale of Offcut marks the end of a five year chapter in his life as he started the brand from his childhood bedroom at his parent’s house. The idea for Offcut came about after a visit to his father’s curtain warehouse where he saw the amount of fabric scraps being thrown out. The original Offcut caps were all made from curtain scraps from his father’s warehouse, but Taylor quickly realised the issue of textile waste exists worldwide and wanted to do something about it.
After a brilliant five years in business he says he’s delighted to be passing on the baton to Offcut’s purchasers. “The alignment of values in how we do business couldn’t be better,” adds Taylor. “Offcut has been my baby for the past five years and so I feel very protective about who I hand it on to, but I couldn’t imagine anyone else I’d rather take over it. I can’t wait to see where they take Offcut to from here.”
Taylor will stay on and work with the purchasers to handover projects in the works for Offcut, which include a collaboration with one of the world’s most well-known outdoor brands. While Offcut may be changing hands it’s just the beginning of where the brand can go and the awareness that can be raised for minimising waste.
Images supplied.