Hey fashion mavens and budding entrepreneurs! Ready to turn your clothing dreams into reality? Let's talk about how to establish a rock-solid partnership with your garment factory for long-term success. Here's the scoop: 1. Open Channels of Communication: Clear communication is the fabric that holds everything together. Be upfront about your expectations, timelines, and quality standards right from the get-go. It sets the tone for a fruitful collaboration. 2. Facetime is Prim

Welcome to the rollercoaster ride that is the world of factory audits! If you've ever wondered if you can trust your factory or felt that...

There never seems to be enough time. From shopping for groceries, buying our favourite coffee, picking new clothes, these decisions are...

Welcome to the ultimate guide on garment factory services! If you've ever wondered about the different types of apparel manufacturing...

What is MOQ? Do you feel like you're trying to crack a cryptic code when you hear the term MOQ? Fear not, Today, we're diving into the magical world of Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) and guiding you on your quest to find the ideal factory partner. Buckle up, because we’re about to make MOQs as clear as your morning coffee and as thrilling as a rollercoaster ride! Sew, What Are MOQs? MOQs, or Minimum Order Quantities, are the smallest number of units a factory is willing to

Garment Manufacturing Tips Sew – have you ever painted your nails and, as you’re about to finish the final coat, you ruin one nail so you have to start that nail all over again? This is what it will be like once you’ve started working with a manufacturer and production is underway but then, oops! – an issue pops up that costs you time and money. To prevent this, here’s a list of five most important things to take care of. 1. Schedule Each Step – Do it Smartly (Aka calculate

A First Timer's Guide to Material Sourcing Sew, you’re in the sweet spot between completing your garment design and sending it off to the factory to be manufactured. We know how incredibly exciting this stage is, but don’t jump too far ahead of yourself – by the first time you reach out to the factory, you need to have everything from fabrics and labels to hang tags and trims ready to go. Also, factories who don’t do product development will need you to have additional mater

Technical garment descriptions are written by fashion designers to make the jobs of everyone on the production team including the technical designer, pattern maker, and sample maker- easier. The technical description writing should be to the point and clarify in a snapshot what the product entails. It’s the first thing everyone on your team reads and if it’s done right it can save you time and money in the long-run. Here are few useful technical garment description writing ti

If you’ve read our Fashion Designer’s Ultimate Guide to Shopping the Market, you already know that shopping the market is a crucial part of the designer-entrepreneur’s job… and market research is a never-ending process! The fashion industry is changing, and with new technologies and methods of production arising, there’s always something new. It’s up to you, as a fashion designer or entrepreneur, to stay on top of the trends, and that includes fabrics. Once you’ve reached the

No matter who you hire to help you, there is always prep work to be done in order for them to do their job to the best of their ability. Their success is directly related to your ability to provide them with the much-needed information and tools. One of the biggest problems I see is that merging designers rarely have taken the time to prepare their design so the patternmaker can do their job successfully. Ultimately, the pattern maker has the biggest control over the success

Tech packs and garment specs & POMS… Oh my! Seem a little bit daunting? Let’s break it down: A garment tech pack is a document that contains the assembly instructions of your design. It is one of, if not the most important document needed to manufacture your product! A thorough and accurate tech pack is essential; the more detailed your tech packs are the fewer problems will occur during production. A garment tech pack not only provides the sizes but how to measure and stit

Sew what’s a sample maker? As a designer-entrepreneur, a sample maker is a core member of your tribe. They are responsible for sewing the design from your pattern to determine any issues before the pattern goes into production. Once a pattern is made, then comes sewing the prototype (think of this as the “model numero uno” of your garment). They work closely with the pattern maker and designer to sew your samples. As a designer and entrepreneur, here is a foolproof outline to

Are your ready to take your apparel design to the next step? Vetting pattern makers is the key to turning exactly what you envisioned into reality. Hiring the perfect pattern maker is similar to finding a partner in life. Both parties have a list of wants and needs in mind – here are a few tips to make sure your pattern maker is equipped to bring your creative vision to life! Sew, what is pattern-making? (pun intended) In the apparel industry, a pattern is the template from

Five Factors That Affect Fabric Consumption If you are in the garment production industry, you may have noticed that fabric takes up most of your production costs. Well, it turns out that 70 percent of raw material expenditure goes into fabric and trims. It is possible to manage the cost of raw material by simply monitoring fabric consumption and utilization. The aim is to minimize wastage of fabric at various levels of production. With little fabric going to waste, you can

Design is done, tech packs signed and sealed, but now it’s time to shift your focus to choosing where to manufacture your garment. (P.S....

Zippers, invented in 1913, are an important component to garments. It may seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of things, but in truth, it keeps your client’s clothes on (well, when you put it that way…) and can make or break your garment (literally). Sew, it’s crucial to know the multitude of options out there and to be able to specify the right zipper which is the most appropriate one for your design. Types of Zippers QUALITY: There are many different styles and si

The question, “How much for 1000 t-shirts?”, is complex. There are way too many variables to be able to give a universal response. For...

Cheers to you! If you’ve made it to the fabric selection stage, you’ve come a looooong way (and we’re proud of you!). The fashion designer’s relationship with fabric is at the heart of the creative process. Choosing the right fabric is fundamental to good design and is crucial to its manufacturing success. Apparel design and garment production are lengthy processes, and likewise, sourcing your fabric is no quick task. The types of fabrics and textiles out there is endless. E

The fashion industry has long been criticized for its treatment of workers and the environment. From high-profile sweatshop revelations...

As a designer-entrepreneur, sustainability and ethical fashion design starts with you… and if you’re reading this blog post, you’re well...