So Tissus, circular fashion before it was fashionable

This April 22nd is Earth Day. Everywhere, people are talking about eco-responsible fashion, second-hand clothing, and the circular economy. Words we've been hearing a lot in recent years. At So Tissus, we never used those words — we just did it. For over 30 years.

A story that began in the Sentier district

Long before the word "circular" became trendy, Franck opened his fabric shop in the Sentier district of Paris. The idea was simple: salvage end-of-roll fabrics from the great French fashion houses and give them a second life.

These fabrics — silk crêpe de chine, wool and cashmere gabardines, cotton and linen twills — are the same ones used to create the pieces you see on the runway. Except instead of being thrown away or destroyed when production ends, they find their way to us.

From father to son (and brother)

Andy grew up in this world. He first worked at the shop with his father, learning to recognise quality fabric by touch, understanding what makes the difference between an ordinary material and an exceptional one. Then he launched sotissus.com so that all seamstresses across France (and Europe) could access these fabrics.

Today, Tom runs the shop day to day, Franck still drops by regularly — and when you place an order on the website, there's a good chance the fabric was hand-picked by one of them.

Why it's ecological (without shouting it from the rooftops)

Every year, the textile industry produces millions of metres of fabric that will never be worn. End-of-production runs, excess orders, rolls that found no buyer. Some of it ends up in the skip.

What So Tissus does is intercept these fabrics before they're lost. No need to produce new material, no need to grow extra cotton, no need to run factories. The fabric already exists — it just needs to find a seamstress.

And when you sew a dress from a striped silk crêpe that came from a Parisian fashion house, you're doing two things at once: treating yourself, and preventing waste. Not bad, right?

Natural fibres, our favourites

We won't lie: at So Tissus, we have a soft spot for natural fibres. Not as a marketing statement, but because they're the most beautiful to work with.

• Silk — fluid, luminous, incomparable to the touch. Our silk crêpe de chine fabrics are among the most popular.
• Wool — from thick wool cloth to houndstooth flannel, it's the ultimate noble material.
• Linen — grown in Europe, low water consumption, biodegradable. Our chalk linen cotton is perfect for summer.
• Cotton — from prestige cotton to broderie anglaise, the foundation of sewing.
• Viscose — an artificial fibre but made from wood, biodegradable. Our printed viscoses are ideal for summer dresses.

5 sewing habits for the planet

No need to revolutionise your habits. A few simple steps are enough:

1. Sew it yourself — a hand-sewn garment means zero overproduction, zero unsold stock, and something that actually fits you.
2. Keep your scraps — they become pouches, headbands, patchworks. Nothing goes to waste.
3. Choose natural fibres — they last longer and are easier to recycle.
4. Look after your creations — good fabric, well cared for, lasts for years. We even have a complete guide on the subject.
5. Buy end-of-roll fabrics — haute couture quality with an anti-waste bonus.

30 years and counting

Franck opened his shop in the Sentier long before the world started talking about sustainable fashion. Andy put these fabrics online so everyone could enjoy them. Tom keeps the shop running every day. And you, with every order, give a second life to a fabric that could have been forgotten in a warehouse.

On this Earth Day, we're not going to give you a speech. We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing for 30 years: offering you the most beautiful fabrics, saved from the end of production runs of the greatest fashion houses.

Thank you for making something beautiful out of them.

Andy, Tom & Franck

Want to explore our natural fibre fabrics? Browse our selection of fabrics at sotissus.com or discover them live on Instagram @sotissus_com!

Like the fabric in the cover photo? It's our Japanese khaki satin-backed crêpe, chosen by Franck — check it out!

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