The Different Types of Cotton
Cotton is one of the textile industry's most widely used natural fibers. However, conventional cotton production methods have raised concerns about sustainability, environmental impact, and worker welfare.
In response, various alternatives have emerged, including organic cotton, recycled cotton, cotton produced under the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), as well as a few other specialized types of cotton.
Let's dive into the different types of cotton and shed light on their differences and contributions to a more sustainable future.
5 Signs of a Bad Clothing Manufacturer
Clothing manufacturing is not for the faint-hearted. Working with the wrong manufacturer can end your business, especially if you are a new brand.
You can take steps to find the right factory. However, some signs will only be noticed once you work with the factory.
So what are the symptoms that should make you run away from a factory?
Natural Dyes vs. Fiber-Reactive Dyes, Unveiling the Differences
3 Tips For Grading Apparel Products
3 Tips For Working With a Patternmaker
What Is The Most Profitable Category In Apparel?
The answer is one of these industry "secrets" that if you are new to the industry, and especially if you do sew or never produced apparel before, you simply wouldn't know it...
Yet once you hear the answer, I bet you'll go, "oh yes, that makes a lot of sense."
In this video, I also share info about the cost of labor and why certain categories are assumed to cost less than others...
How To Become A more Sustainable Fashion Brand
The fashion industry is in major need of a change and needs to adopt sustainable practices. We’ve been getting questions from fashion designers and brands who are asking how can they become more sustainable in their business? Here are tips on what you can do to integrate more sustainable practices into your business.
How to Build Long Term Relationships With Your Manufacturers
The Future of The Fashion Industry Post Covid-19
Solving Inventory Challenges in a Consumer-Led Marketplace
The Five Latest Technologies in Fabrics & Materials
Technology is changing the way that we, fashion designers, approach fabric sourcing.
There's a whole range of pioneering textiles that are not only groundbreaking in a
technological way but also push the fashion industry towards more sustainable practices.
This includes the development of fabrics and materials from the byproducts of other
industries, which is also a much-needed step into a circular economy.
How to Source Fabrics for Your Fashion Product
Sourcing the right fabrics for your fashion products is half of the battle in developing the perfect garment.
However, the process can be overwhelming, long and frustrating, especially for a new brand that is new to the industry and can't yet commit to high volume.
How can you make this process more effective and less complicated?
Below I've put a checklist of the steps and actions that you should take to help you with that.
Design with Production In Mind
“We are experiencing many issues with our production, can you help us with this?”
If I had a cent for every time that I heard that sentence I would probably be retired by now.
Most fashion brands (especially if they are new or small), assume that since production is the last part in the process they’ll just worry about it when they get to it, and rather choose to focus mainly on designing and making the perfect samples.
NEWS FLASH - that is the wrong approach.
How to Calculate And Fix Fabric Shrinkage
Offshore or Domestic Apparel Manufacturing?
Deciding whether to produce your fashion product offshore or domestically goes beyond the reasons of cost and number of units you will need to produce.
As a matter of fact it's a decision that will impact how your business is set up and operates to best fit that scenario, re; what kind of people/services you should hire and even the details of your designs.
4 Things That Any Fashion Brand Can Do To Be More Sustainable.
Sustainability - The ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely.
In the fashion industry we are constantly producing more and more goods. We use tons of natural resources, produce garments all over the world and all the while we are trying to keep up with ever changing trends and timely demands of the fashion industry. What is that impact? Most of the pollution in the garment industry comes from textiles. Water usage, finishing agents, and dyes. 20% of the worlds water pollution is due to the garment industry. How does it affect the community that work and live around these factories? As designers and consumers we have the responsibility to ask ourselves these questions and the ability to make change.
How do you as a designer build a company with all of these things in mind and as a small brand be a part of this change?
5 Points to Consider Before Starting a Handbag Line
Are you looking to start a handbag line?
We recently partnered with Tara Sauvage, a handbag expert with over 15 years expertise in handbags and leather goods. Together we will offer help with every stage of the process: from consulting to design, sourcing, development and production with both domestic and overseas manufactures.
Below are Tara’s top 5 points you must consider before starting a handbag line:
Price Point Will Determine Feasibility.
It is important to figure out your retail price point before starting a collection, as this will determine the materials you can use. Many new aspiring handbag designers want to make a luxury leather bag collection that retails for under $100.
The Most Important Step to Get the Best Results From Your Production
This week I read a very informative article on manufacturing and production and it made me think: “What is the single most important step to get the best results from your production? “
I once had a teacher who said that if we simply do our homework and study, the test will be a breeze! And he was right, it worked for me. The same concept easily translates to fashion production.
DESIGN WITH PRODUCTION IN MIND! I know how boring and limiting this part sounds for a creative person like you, but following this motto is the single, most important step to turn your creativity and talent into a BUSINESS! If you plan your production process while you design your product and think ahead about each step, re: the logistics, the cost, the timeline, etc. your production will be easy and will have no tricky questions or surprises.
To help you with that, here are 3 tips you should follow when designing your next season:
Top Five Points to Consider When Sourcing Fabrics
On July 22-23 the PREMIERE VISION NY & INDIGO fabric shows will take place here in New York. If you are planning to attend the show, here below are 5 fabric sourcing tips you should consider.
Choosing fabrics for your designs will have an impact not only on your garments but on your business in general. Things like minimums, freight, continuity and availability of fabrics, prices (off course), etc. can affect your cash flow, cost, prices and more and should all be seriously considered before committing to fabrics.