QUESTION:

Hi team Fashion Insiders, should I have a garment pattern ready before I contact a factory?

~ Kelly, London, UK

Hey Kelly, ideally YES!

The garment pattern for your product is one of the most important elements in the process of translating your idea to finished product. Getting it right in terms of design and fit is essential for the success of your business.

With that in mind - some factories provide pattern making services, and some don’t.

If you are just starting out, it is best that you find a pattern cutter and work with them to get the pattern perfect.

Related reading: How to Find a Pattern Cutter for Your Needs

Then contact a factory. This will allow you to:

• have a bigger choice of factories to select from
• reduce your sample development process
• get the 1^st sample as close to right as possible.

It will also show a factory that you are serious about wanting to work with them.

Another important reason to have the pattern in advance is that you woul...

QUESTION:

Hi Dessy, help! Do I need to be fabric sourcing my materials and hardware, before contacting a factory or can a factory support me in sourcing this?

~ Magda, Poland

YES! Fabric sourcing raw materials in advance of manufacturing is an essential part of the development process. Only you - the designer - know what is the end product that you would like to create, what your target market is, at what price you would sell it at and if your materials are part of your unique selling point. A factory cannot know all this information and as such cannot do fabric sourcing the correct components for you.

The raw materials are what makes or breaks a product. You can have the most brilliant idea but if your materials are too cheap or too costly – then your product will not sell.

Fabric sourcing, while being aware of your business plans, is also an important activity for your brand. This cannot be delegated. Not only would you have to be mindful of the prices of the raw materials, but ...