Fashion Incubator » Newbies http://www.fashion-incubator.com How to start a clothing line or run the one you have, better. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:36:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 How much cash do you need to start a small clothing line? http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-much-cash-do-you-need-to-start-a-small-clothing-line/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-much-cash-do-you-need-to-start-a-small-clothing-line/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:56:31 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10793 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:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-much-cash-do-you-need-to-start-a-small-clothing-line/feed/ 12 How to search for clothing manufacturers http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-search-for-clothing-manufacturers/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-search-for-clothing-manufacturers/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:48:12 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10776 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: search_for_clothing_manufacturer]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-search-for-clothing-manufacturers/feed/ 11 NEW! Wholesale fabric show, low minimums NY http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/new-wholesale-fabric-show-low-minimums-ny/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/new-wholesale-fabric-show-low-minimums-ny/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:36:57 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10519 it is critical that this go viral -promote this show to all of your friends, colleagues and contacts because not sharing the details can kill a show like this faster than anything. If you don't make an effort to tell -oh let's just say ten other people- don't be dismayed if this is the first and last year this show is held. If you don't tell ten other people, I never want to hear you complain there aren't any shows for small designers. You should promote this show even if you don't live in NY or plan to attend! If this show doesn't succeed, the vendors will not be convinced to do it anywhere else. Meaning, if you want a show like this to open in a location more convenient to you, the best way to make it happen is to do what you can to make a show you're not even going to, a rousing success. Make sense?]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/new-wholesale-fabric-show-low-minimums-ny/feed/ 118 Using interns or consultants for sourcing. Or, the blind leading the blinder http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/using-interns-or-consultants-for-sourcing-or-the-blind-leading-the-blinder/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/using-interns-or-consultants-for-sourcing-or-the-blind-leading-the-blinder/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:15:49 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10507
  • Leaves the impression that the owner has more "important" things to do.
  • The assumption that interns (and often consultants) are qualified to assess skills.
  • A failure in understanding the product development process.
  • Leaves the impression the owner thinks service providers are an interchangeable commodity.
  • Miscommunication in work assignment.
  • And to service providers I direct the last -getting paid can be a problem.
    • 1. That the owner has more "important" things to do: As the Wall Street Journal said (paraphrased) once management decisions are made, the pattern maker is the single most important person in the factory with the greatest impact on costs and quality outcome. The matter of product development is so pivotal that the owner of a start up should make the time to do the research even if they're not qualified to assess the skills of those they'd hire. It is in the search process that one learns to discriminate and acquire critical lessons that will affect every facet of their profitability. Books and internet searches are useful to learn assessment skills. Better yet, you could just read this and this. There is nothing wrong with getting help in locating services but the person who does the hiring should make the first approach.]]>     http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/using-interns-or-consultants-for-sourcing-or-the-blind-leading-the-blinder/feed/ 5     I have a prototype but I don’t have a pattern http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/i-have-a-prototype-but-i-dont-have-a-pattern/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/i-have-a-prototype-but-i-dont-have-a-pattern/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:36:45 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10229 the preceding entry), you cannot have a prototype if you don't have a pattern. It is impossible. I do not doubt you have a nicely constructed sample of what you envision your product to look like and perhaps even rough figures on fabric needs and maybe even an idea of what it will cost to sew it up -although I strongly doubt the latter. This is why: If you do not have a pattern, you cannot know the amount of fabric needed nor the costs of production with any degree of certainty. The reason I say this is because although you may have hired a skilled operator to wing a sample for you but this person could not come up with a pattern for you, it is likewise probable that any figures or calculations of allocation or cost estimates are not verifiable either. If they could have verified all that, they would or could have provided a pattern as the first step. This does not mean you shouldn't hire someone to mock up a version of what you have in mind -but it's not a prototype. A prototype is a benchmark of reproducibility. If you don't have a pattern, by definition it can't be reproduced. This is no different than hiring a whiz kid to do some experiments for you in a lab and even if the whiz ends up with promising results, it's a waste because nobody else can reproduce the results because the whiz kid isn't so hot on documentation. That's what a pattern is -reproducibility. The prototype itself is a proof of the pattern's reproducibility. If the pattern doesn't produce the intended results, you don't have a prototype. The prototype is the first product to roll off the line as it were but under more controlled circumstances than later units will be. All of the above inspired by one person who wrote me saying:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/i-have-a-prototype-but-i-dont-have-a-pattern/feed/ 12 What’s a prototype and when do you need one? http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/whats-a-prototype-and-when-do-you-need-one/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/whats-a-prototype-and-when-do-you-need-one/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:28:28 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10224 Muslin, "muslins" & protos or in the post I wrote last year called the 13 different kinds of samples. I'm thinking we should revisit the subject since the word "prototype" is increasingly being thrown around in contexts that make little sense. A prototype is an example of a style that uses the specified hardware and final fabrication. The construction should also be identical to specifications intended for the final product. A prototype is not a dummy, mock-up, fit sample or first sample etc. Those sample types are common to the pre-prototype stages, the steps in your journey to get a prototype. By definition, a prototype is a benchmark. As a benchmark, it is used for certain tests. Among other things, a prototype is a proof of:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/whats-a-prototype-and-when-do-you-need-one/feed/ 2 Getting a quote for children’s pattern making pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:44:56 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10169 the first entry so I don't know if people are mulling it over or what but Simone came back with answers to the questions I posed that may be similarly helpful for us to discuss. In reference to my point that she needed to have fabric samples before hiring, Simone said:
    I have not sourced my fabrics yet, although it is not for lack of trying being far from the fashion districts. I'm planning to use very basic fabrics (lightweight wovens) in dye-able white. I will be dyeing my garments post production in shades that complement one another.
    We call it garment dyeing and it is common. You need to shop for PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabrics. There are quite a few dye houses that provide this service. As far as sourcing that I mentioned in the first entry, one reason it is critical to be aware of industry schedules is because fabric shows are also organized by season. Meaning, you may plan to attend a fabric show in August (for example) with the intention of buying summer fabrics but there won't be much there because they're mostly selling Fall. Simone continues:]]>     http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/feed/ 12     Advice to sewing contractors pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/advice-to-sewing-contractors-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/advice-to-sewing-contractors-pt-2/#comments Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:46:21 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10144 part one, I'll address other common questions I've heard from start up sewing contractors. Specifically industry norms and standard practices among colleagues with respect to NDAs, contracts, payment, what you charge for versus what is thrown in with the deal. Again, designers are welcome to disagree but to keep in mind that this advice covers common policies. NDAs -Non-disclosure agreements As I have said many times, it is generally recommended that you don't sign an NDA because they do nothing to protect anyone's ideas and signing one imparts false confidence. Whether your customers can bring pressure to bear for you to sign an NDA depends on your operation, customer profile and scope of services. There are two basic kinds of contractors. The first are full package soup to nuts (part one, part two) and the second parcel out services specifically like cutting and sewing etc. The cut to the chase summary is that signing an NDA is more common in soup to nuts (full package) contractors that target DE clients. Signing an NDA is relatively risk free because their average customer is very short term, only producing for one season or maybe two. It is far less common for established sewing contractors (not full package) to sign an NDA because most are interested in developing a long term relationship. These contractors don't sign because NDAs are pretty useless (see links above) and also, they aren't interested in working with people who are paranoid and have misplaced priorities. Summary: Even though your customers may request it, credibility in the trade is higher for companies that don't sign them versus those that do -and since a contractor is more likely to get work from colleagues, it matters what they think. I wouldn't say this is true in all cases but being willing to sign an NDA creates the impression that a contractor is inclined to take advantage of customers with respect to pricing and what not, making other providers reluctant to refer customers to them.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/advice-to-sewing-contractors-pt-2/feed/ 8 A tale -and tutorial- of three collars pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars-pt-2/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:24:01 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10140 the first entry. First up is Sarra who asks:
    A home sewing book I have suggests cutting the under collar 1/8″ or so smaller lengthwise than the upper collar and then stretching it to fit the upper collar while sewing, so that once it is sewn it will curve inward, i.e., around the neck. Is this a good idea, or an example of poor pattern drafting?
    If you think about it, taking out a bit at center back of the under collar is a variation of method #1. The only difference is that you're taking out of the center of the (under) collar rather than the ends. As to whether it is a good practice, sometimes it is your only option. By way of example is Renee's comment:]]>     http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars-pt-2/feed/ 10     A tale -and tutorial- of three collars http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:28:20 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10115
  • Why ignoring this advice can make you a target for a knock off.
  • Why home patterns will not work in production.
  • How the pattern governs product quality and prevents sewing mistakes.
  • Why pattern makers and sewing contractors ask you questions that make you paranoid.
    • By way of introduction to today's post is Deconstructing a sewing class:
    [One example of a planning workaround] was the instruction on how to press collars so the seam would fall to the underside. The way Leslie showed how to do it was what a presser would do in a lower value product. A contemporary or better quality product would have the turn of cloth feature built into the pattern and executed by stitchers before it got anywhere near the pressers. My point is this: a work around is defined by workers having to bail out a failure in a process upstream from them. Since the collar example is so easily defined, I will write an entry about this to explain more fully.
    To open, we need to discuss collar pattern drafting. I've made it simple so non-sewers can follow along. No pattern or sewing experience is needed. In school and in books, we are taught to do whatever shaping by whatever means to come up with our collar's shape. The type and shape is immaterial for this example so our collar is represented by this rectangle. control_collar_draft]]>     http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars/feed/ 26