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By Kathleen Fasanella on Feb 2, 2012 at 5:56 pm
On Quora, someone asked me how much cash do you need to start a small menswear label? I haven’t responded over there yet, it was too long so I thought to post it here first. I frequently get variations of this question, a previous entry I wrote was how much does it cost to start a handbag line. My stock response is, how much does a house cost? Is it a dump in a crappy neighborhood or is it a restored pristine cottage on Martha’s Vineyard? The questioner asked me how much cash I would need and I wouldn’t be so boorish as to drill that down because why would he or she care? He or she would want to know what they can expect to pay, not what I would.
But then I thought, maybe I should answer the question literally in terms of how much cash I would need to start a menswear clothing line. That is a better question because most startups (nearly all) waste way too much money. Okay, so let’s unpack this. By the way, I suggest you hang around for this even if you don’t care one whit for menswear.
My first thought was “menswear label” is too broad, I’d have to determine my customer within the parameters of what I’m interested in producing. You need to do that too. Is your market young urban males, marathoners, bikers, C-level executives or your average IT guy? Each market has its own dictates for everything from styling and fitting in, to disposable income, signaling requirements and need. Since I have tons of menswear experience, I’d do casual western styled sportcoats at a mid range price point for men aged 35+. Forced to put a point to it, my ideal customer’s wife subscribes to Cowboys & Indians while he reads Western Horseman. I’d do that for a few reasons:
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 31, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Someone I will call Jody writes:
Do you have any articles or information about how to sell or license a design? Although I have streamlined and have one full time helper, the business has grown too big for me to handle on my own and I am interested in finding out if there are any companies out there that would be interested in buying my designs and brand. I have a small business making xxx from post-consumer apparel.
I’ve published several posts on selling your business which I’ll link to as is appropriate to sort out these issues.
- What is she selling? The business? A license? The brand? The designs?
- How marketable are those elements as they would interest a buyer?
Background: Jody included a link to her website. Personally, I think her products are awesome (and you know how I resist making such pronouncements) and priced well (commensurate to their value) but there are two core problems that can affect the sale of businesses like hers.
First the downsides: With respect to licensing -this isn’t going to happen, or it shouldn’t. Only someone who is really green would buy a license and these people tend to not have much money so its a zero sum game. If you are toying with the idea of selling a license, keep in mind the option is limited to celebrities or very well established brands. A license is only good for an add-on product, it’s not a take-over of your primary one. In other words, Ralph Lauren can sell a license to a sunglasses manufacturer but the license is worth nothing if RL stopped producing -which is what Jody wants to do. So unless you’re Beyonce, Martha Stewart or Hello Kitty, cross licensing off your list of options.
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 27, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Rather late in the game, I’ve discovered flow charts. A recent post to the F-I Facebook page inspired this one on how to search for clothing manufacturers. Said one visitor (in response to my news that domestic apparel production continues to increase for the third quarter in a row and is now at 20%!)
It sure would be nice if there was a list of manufacturers in the USA. It’s pretty difficult to figure it out. Have any recommendations for women’s wear?
I’ll give the redux of my response to her below but back to the cheat sheet I made on how to search for clothing manufacturers:
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 25, 2012 at 5:28 pm
I found a question on LinkedIn I thought to answer here since more people might find it useful (I don’t know if that link will work for you unless you belong to that group). Anyway, the individual in question (Michelle) said (paraphrased and snipped):
I want to start a business where young designers can rent time on CAD software and equipment that I will buy. I think there is a need for this kind of studio – there are many young designers coming straight out of school who could benefit from CAD software.
Has anyone heard of this kind of business? Is there an existing business model I could learn from? If this kind of CAD studio were available in your area at an affordable rate, would you be interested in the services? What kind of needs would you expect this studio to meet? I am interested in any kind of feedback or information you can offer.
I think this could be a viable business but I also think the focus needs to change somewhat. My first approach would be to ask CAD trainers one simple question: Who wants to use CAD systems?
The answer is businesses. Meaning, there is a mismatch between your mission and the market. I completely agree it would be awesome to provide CAD access to independent designers but most of them need hard patterns because their lots are so small. Also, while they may have acquired some training in school, there’s a big gap between school vs good production patterns to say nothing of knowing how to grade them. I’m not saying you shouldn’t provide access to them -you should- only that CAD access alone won’t pay the bills. What will pay the bills is training.
Continue reading "Is a CAD rental and training business viable?" »
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Patterns, Small Business /
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 22, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Two tidbits of interest to my fashion friends. First is word of Valentino’s archives. With respect to that there’s a plus and a minus and another minus. The plus is you can download it (site plays an annoying midi all the while). Minus is that the archive is software driven (that you download). Second minus is that it seems to be buggy (v.1). I use two monitors; after installation, clicking anything in my second monitor minimized Valentino in the other one. Also, my shipping program and Adobe Pro commenced wildcat strikes so I had to uninstall. I hope your experience is better, lots of folks are raving about it.
Second item of interest: the most expensive tee shirt in the world (as depicted at right) Yep, $400,000.00 worth. As befitting such a discriminating item, allow 28 days for delivery -’cause it’s bespoke ya know- for the firm to “exceed your expectations”. On the other hand, shipping is free!
Below you’ll find the usual sampling of content that’s been published this week in history over the past six -soon to be seven- years. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, keep the archives page handy; it lists every entry ever published.
January 13, through January 19, 2006
How to issue style numbers pt.127
Interview with a buyer
How to issue style numbers pt.128
The post office is closed
Yet another pet peeve: Waistbands
Getting a quote for cutting
More cutting and grading questions
Continue reading "Archives 1/13-1/19 2006-2011" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 19, 2012 at 5:34 pm
If you’re new to these parts, yours truly and many F-I members have been meeting at a sewing equipment trade show called SPESA. SPESA is no more; it was purchased by Messe Frankfurt (yay!) who have renamed it Texprocess. Catchy, no? Okay so it’s not. It is still the happening place to be come April 24-26, 2012 in Atlanta GA USA.
If you’re not sure if this show is for you, there is a lot of coverage of this show on Fashion-Incubator. I think it is good to attend even if you don’t intend to buy equipment because it will give you a better idea of the kinds of equipment needed to sew your products. There are also ancillary products of use such as software, dress forms etc. Furthermore, it should be a priority to attend because this show is only held every other year.
Many of us have had the show on our calender for two years so I don’t remember to mention it. Hopefully it’s not too late for you to make plans to attend. If you are going, please let us know so we can plan activities, hotel accommodations etc. If you’re not a forum member*, we will wait for 30 minutes after the show closes each day in the foyer at the top of the escalator. I realize that sounds ambiguous but you will find it. And you’ll know it’s us because we will be milling around, talking in twos and threes and have some kind of distinguishing feature on our badges. As dress is business casual, we won’t be wearing suits (hardly anyone does these days except salesmen and even many of them don’t). In 2010, we had holographic star stickers.
Continue reading "Sewing Equipment Tradeshow -TexProcess April 24-26" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 18, 2012 at 2:29 pm
It’s illegal to be fat in Japan. For reals. Okay, there are a few caveats. More specifically, you can’t be fat if you’re over 40.
Concerned about rising rates of both in a graying nation, Japanese lawmakers last year set a maximum waistline size for anyone age 40 and older: 85 centimeters (33.5 inches) for men and 90 centimeters (35.4 inches) for women.
I can’t imagine how they’ll enforce it. The article mentions offenders will get counseling; the companies they work for will have to pay more into a health fund for the elderly. Hmm. Where is Teijo when we need him? I’m sure he will explain in more detail.
So maybe you think the Japanese are being unreasonable but they could be more so. The IDF (International Diabetes Federation) recommends 35″ waists for Japanese men and 31.5″ for Japanese women. What I want to know is if the law applies to tourists. It goes without saying that this would never fly here…
See also: How Japan defines fat.
Continue reading "Japan: The obesity police" »
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Fit and Sizing /
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 17, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Following up from the first entry and the side jaunt (what does a 1″ grade mean?), I’m not sure we have a clear explanation for the apparent contradiction. Specifically the contradiction is:
If we only grade the neckline a total of .5″ for a 1″ grade, how come we don’t grade the neckline an inch for a 2″ grade? [Informal (unscientific) polling shows we usually grade the neck 3/4" for a 2" grade, 1/2" for a 1" grade.]
Some suggested ideas were as follows (mostly paraphrased, please correct me if I misquote, mis-attribute or misinterpret what you said):
Theresa said 3/4″ is used for a wider demographic because one is using SML instead of 6-16 etc. You know, there is some validity here. I take this to mean this is a way of refining the grade, to tweak it with a semblance of fit to one’s customer rather than an across the board, gross increase. This seems just as likely as any other theory.
Katyrenee said it amounted to “just because”, that we do it this way because it works (for whatever reason) instead of blindly following a rule. I like this too, another good theory.
Brina said the neck increase should be relative, not absolute -using the example of grading from a M to an XL. At first I wasn’t sure what she meant as the amount of grade applied to an area is relative (explained in the second post) but I think I get it now.
It brought to mind an ongoing argument I’ve been having with Cooklin’s grading book -yes, I argue with inanimate objects since Cooklin is now deceased and couldn’t be compelled to leave the piano (and wine and women) long enough to discuss it with me and for which I do not blame him, my being generally quarrelsome. Pg 25 of my copy has scrabbled sketches with a lot of notation to include exclamation! points! such as “F&G do not equal D!” , “D-(F+G)=8%!”and “D=25%, F+G=17%, E=12.5%!” This of course is totally aside from the fact that I am in complete agreement with him that the front should get 62.5% of the grade and the back 37.5% of it but I don’t know anybody who grades like that (anymore). Which is because your front is bigger than your back (yes it is, yes.it.is). Which is in sum, kind of sort of what Brina was saying drawn out to its logical conclusion. I think. Either that or I am too liberal in my attempts to inject a little fun into a normally dry discussion.
Continue reading "Pop Quiz: grading necklines pt.2" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 14, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I laughed out loud at this photo that one of my students (Antonina) sent me. She works (hard) in the film and TV industry. Those of you who have taken my production pattern making class will probably get it right away. Everybody else, well, who knows. The back of her jacket says Poka Yoke (pronounced “poh-kah yoh-kay”) which is Japanese for idiot error proofing. Nicely made production patterns have all kinds of poka yoke strategies built into them. It’s a primary tenet of lean manufacturing. There’s no easier or better way to reduce but hopefully prevent, the number of things that can go wrong once your stuff hits the sewing line. Unfortunately, they don’t teach much of this in school or in books. It’s one of those things you learn on the job if you’ve had the fortune to work at a good company.
In any event, here is the archives post for this period in blog history -and there is more, much more on the archives page which lists nearly every entry ever published. One reader this week mentioned it was challenging to find specific material so I wrote a tutorial on how to find stuff that should dramatically improve your results (the search box is useless unless your keyword is very unique). Have a great weekend.
December 30, 2005 through January 12, 2006
Thread consumption formulas
Dress Kathleen
Nameless Tutorial #7
Nameless Tutorial #8
Push Manufacturing Bras
Sewing patterns for geeks
A question of line size
Paper wedding gown
If I were to produce a line pt 2
Top 10 lies of designer-entrepreneurs
Who’s copying whom?
Fix my pants
Continue reading "Archives 12/30-1/12 2005-2011" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jan 12, 2012 at 4:33 pm
A funny thing happened on the way to writing a follow up post to Pop Quiz: grading necklines -and as it has come up before, I thought to dispense with it for once and all time. Namely, what do we mean when we say we have a 1 or 2 inch grade (or however much)? This is not so easily summarized because it seems ambiguous if one doesn’t understand the underlying references. I’ll try to explain the primary tenets of grades which are:
- A grade describes sizing changes for the major fitting attribute only.
- Application of the grade is proportionate.
- Grading is a logarithmic scale. Or should be.
Defines major fitting attribute: Generally, when we say something has a 1″ grade, we mean that the major or defining attribute of the garment will grow or shrink that amount. If the item is a blouse, it is understood that the bust measure will grow or shrink 1″. If the item is a pant, it is understood that either waist or hip is the primary fitting attribute. It is also possible they both are, it depends on the company.
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