Garment Production | Apparel Network

What Designers Should Know About Outsourcing Manufacturing

11 August 2017 By Apparel Network

If a designer or brand is thinking about working with a manufacturing partner, it’s very beneficial to understand how the outsourcing part of the manufacturing process works. Although it might not be obvious right away, especially for designers who are establishing their careers or for new brands that have not worked with a manufacturing partner before, outsourcing plays a major behind-the-scenes role in making sure that your design is executed correctly, on time, and within budget.

It is important to outsource all the materials involved with your design or collection before production begins. Why is this so necessary at the start? Because it takes time. For example, it can be difficult to find a good fabric supplier that meets your requirements, and then it can be even more difficult to find one that will sell fabric in smaller minimum quantities. In order to make sure that you have the exact materials you want at the quantity you require, this early stage of legwork is crucial.

There are a few different ways a brand or designer can approach outsourcing the fabrics for a project. You could start from samples, using even simple ideas, or you could use small fabric swatches as samples. From there, you should contact different suppliers to make sure everything you need can be delivered within budget and can reach the factory on time for sampling and production. This is not an easy process unless you already have several different contacts with suppliers, and then, on top of that, you have to know that for every type of fabric there are different suppliers as well.

It’s always best to diversify your contacts when outsourcing your manufacturing so you have the flexibility necessary to achieve your goals within the time frame you have set. Fortunately, we agencies have many contacts in the field. This is why it can be beneficial to work with an agency that already has strong relationships with the manufacturers, possesses deep expertise in the processes involved, and can help you navigate these steps with ease and confidence. We are here to help you succeed and grow, and we put all of our talent and knowledge about the outsourcing process to work in order to make sure that you do.

If you’re thinking about outsourcing your manufacturing, feel free to reach out! We’d love to discuss how we can help.

How an Agency Helps You Succeed and Grow

11 May 2017 By Apparel Network

If you’re a designer or brand hoping to grow your business and realize your goals, particularly if you’re just starting out in the fashion industry, at one point or another you’ve likely wondered exactly what types of partnerships will be the most valuable in helping you achieve success. If so, have you considered why it might be advantageous to work with an agency like Apparel Network?

For starters, agencies typically have close working relationships with the factories that produce your garments. Why is this important? At one point or another, technical and practical difficulties may come up while trying to execute your design. A solid and stable relationship with the factory provides the effective communication that quickly resolves these difficulties, putting you back on track with your overall plans and timeline as swiftly as possible.

Agencies like Apparel Network can also offer you a level of flexibility and affordability that might otherwise be hard to get when going solo. For example, we are usually able to manage a lower minimum order quantity (MOQ) for the fabric and dyeing. We also often have more than one factory option for a specific type of garment, which is always helpful—it’s better to have more options whenever possible. We also provide the technical support to ensure that you get the result you want when it comes to important aspects of your garment, from fitting to constriction to paper patterns.

When you partner with an agency, you also have increased leverage and power in the discussion with the factory when negotiating quotations and target price. Due to our long-term cooperation with the factories and established relationships with them, we can often secure terms that designers and brands would otherwise unable to be able to get on their own. A strategic partnership with an agency automatically gives you access to our deep industry expertise, extensive contacts and strong business relationships.

All of these elements can make a powerful difference in helping you achieve your goals and create your garments or fashion line just as you envisioned them. What’s more, we’re invested in your success. It’s important to us that you succeed and grow, and we put all of our talents and knowledge to work to ensure that you do. If you haven’t explored working with an agency yet, reach out to us! We’d love to discuss how we can help.

Eco-fur and Faux Fur: Just as Good as Real Fur

23 February 2017 By Apparel Network

Fur is luxurious and glamorous, but it can come with ethical concerns. Animal rights activists have long highlighted the issue of cruelty and fur, creating awareness about fur’s impact on animal welfare. Fortunately there is a range of fantastic animal-friendly fabrics available, including eco-fur and faux fur, which are just as beautiful as the real thing and cause no harm to our animal friends. What’s more, faux fur is very much in vogue. It’s been prominently showcased on the runways in recent years, and it still carries cachet among fashionistas and designers alike. Even better, the quality of faux fur is now comparable to that of real fur.

So what are some of the benefits of faux fur? It offers quite a bit of variety and flexibility, for starters. You can get it in solid colors, patchwork patterns, stripes, or even striking colorblock looks. And unlike with real animal fur, you can get eco-fur or faux fur in every color of the rainbow—including showstopper hues like hot pink and highlighter yellow. You could use it to dramatize your entire garment, or you could choose instead to leverage it as an accent, as seen with this striking faux fur coat from Giamba. You can also play with the texture of the fur, choosing a smooth and silky version for a luxe effect or going with a more wild, longhaired, or shaggy look that a rebellious soul might rock.

As for the types of garments that suit eco-fur or faux fur the best, outerwear is of course the obvious choice. Faux fur coats, jackets, and vests abound, particularly this time of year. But faux fur and eco-fur also appear in dresses and robes, and it they are also ideal for trimming and detailing certain areas of a piece (such as the lining or hood of a jacket, for example). They also show up in accessories such as purses, bags, hats, scarves, and gloves.

With eco-fur and faux fur, the sky really is the limit. They’re economical, versatile, beautiful, and can be used to create looks ranging anywhere from the glamorous floor-length fur coat we’ve admired on celebrities to the popular puffer jacket, graced with a cozy fur-lined hood, that we see out and about on the streets in winter. It’s a gorgeous and animal-friendly fabric that everyone can feel good about, and a great medium for designers to creatively express their vision.

Reflections on Manufacturing and Outsourcing at Fashion Forward Dubai

30 December 2016 By Apparel Network

It was a pleasure for us to be a part of October’s Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) event, where our co-founder Viola Vitiello participated in a d3 fashion talk panel, Manufacturing and Outsourcing: Global Market Trends. Along with Riccardo Vannetti of Pitti Immagine and Tahrun Pahwa of New Times Group India, Viola discussed today’s global manufacturing and outsourcing landscape and how young designers can best approach it. Barbara Trebitsch of Domus Academy served as a skillful moderator. Here are a few highlights from the exchange.

Advice for young designers who are beginning their careers

When a young designer or new brand is just getting started in the industry, they need to quickly identify and tackle their greatest challenge or obstacle. It might be difficult finding the fabrics, challenges creating the sample, or constraints on producing what they want within budget. Finding an agent or a person who can guide you toward a ready-made system is key. If you have no contacts, going to China and trying to do it all on your own is nearly impossible. Instead, you need to build collaborative and enduring relationships with people you can trust and who understand you.

The importance of collaboration

As Viola pointed out, one of the most difficult things for a new designer or brand is to find an appropriate supplier that is able to execute their vision on a technical level. It’s important, especially at the very beginning, to develop a mutual understanding between the designer and the supplier around important factors such as material, fitting, and workmanship. After a strong relationship is established, cooperation becomes easier on a regular basis. Any resource or service that can help young designers navigate this initial hurdle is valuable and worth exploring.

Working effectively with the manufacturer

This topic is near and dear to Viola’s heart. She travels to China three to four times a year, and she works with fifteen to twenty factories there. In her experience, each country is different. Everyone has different standards and lives in different societies. But there are no unpleasant situations when collaborating with an overseas partner. It’s simply different from what we are used to. And it’s essential to develop a close relationship with your manufacturing partners from the start of your career. When the relationship is mutual, there is nothing to worry about. The manufacturer wants to support the designer as they grow.

Interested to see the full conversation? You can view a complete recording of the d3 fashion talk on Manufacturing and Outsourcing in which Viola participated on YouTube.

An Introduction to Printing Methods

13 September 2016 By Apparel Network

When creating a design or pattern for fabric for use in a garment, it’s important to consider the various printing methods in use today and how they can best be applied to create the visual effect you have in mind. Here are seven of the most popular printing methods currently available along with a description of the processes involved and the cases in which they are typically used.

Screen printing

In screen printing, a sheet applies layers of ink onto a printing surface. Each sheet represents a unique color and the sheets are applied sequentially to create the desired design. This is a very versatile method of printing that is well suited toward high rates of production. It’s estimated that 61% of all printed textile fabric worldwide is created through the rotary screen method, while an additional 23% is generated through flat screen printing.

Heat transfer

The heat transfer method is used for transferring a design from one medium to another. This process commonly involves first printing a design on special paper using special dyes, and then placing it in close contact with the fabric. Heat is then applied, allowing the fabric to absorb the dyes from the paper, and the design is transferred to the fabric.

Direct printing

As the name implies, this method involves printing the colors for your desired designs directly on either white or dyed fabric—as opposed to other methods in which the designs or patterns are created by lightening or whitening fabric that has already been dyed, using a discharge process for example.

Discharge printing

Also known as extract printing, discharge printing is a method in which a special solution such as a discharge ink is applied to dyed fabric in order to create a white pattern or simply a lighter design that contrasts with the deeper hue around it. Discharge printing can be an effective method of creating color on dark garments.

Block printing

This time-honored, painstaking traditional method of printing involves manually stamping designs onto fabric, usually linen, cotton, or silk, using hand-carved wooden blocks. Although it is a labor-intensive process, block printing can achieve a gorgeous, ornate effect that is very hard to create using mass production techniques.

Dye sublimation printing

Considered an alternative to screen printing, dye sublimation (or “dye sub”) printing is a cost-effective method of printing designs on fabrics, particularly synthetic materials. It uses heat sensitive ink that turns into gas when exposed to heat. Heat transfer printing, mentioned above, is a form of dye sublimation printing, as is the direct-to-fabric method in which printing takes place directly on pre-treated fabrics.

Remember that the fabric you choose will influence how your design ultimately appears when the printing process is complete, and not all printing processes are universally suited to all types of fabrics. Call or contact us us if you have questions and need expert answers.

How to Assess Fabric Quality

10 August 2016 By Apparel Network

When choosing the fabric for a garment, it’s important to keep a close eye on quality. Garments made from a lower quality fabric may look beautiful on the rack but feel awkward to wear or lose their beauty after just a few washes. A piece of clothing made from high quality fabric, however, will keep its attractive look and comfortable feel for a long time to come. High quality fabric is the difference-maker, ensuring that your garment is as beautiful as it is durable, giving the wearer joy and becoming a favorite addition to his or her wardrobe. Here’s how to determine the quality of five major types of fabric used in garments: cotton, denim, linen, wool, and synthetics.

The Quality of Cotton

Cotton fabric with a long staple length is considered higher quality than cotton with a short staple length because it is softer, more durable, and more breathable. It should feel soft and show no signs of pilling. The threads should also be organized in smooth rows with no gaps.

The Quality of Denim

Made from cotton, denim should also be relatively soft to the touch. Make sure that the fabric is tightly woven and dense enough to last after long term wear. Make sure the seams don’t unravel when they are stretched. You will also want to see either double stitching or chain stitching.

The Quality of Linen

High quality linen should feel comfortable on your skin. If you see some slubs in the fabric, don’t worry. They are often included to retain a natural look and feel, and they can often even help the linen stay durable. Make sure that there are not any permanent creases in the fabric, as they may become prone to tearing with regular wear.

The Quality of Wool

Wool should be evenly knitted with a dense, orderly pattern. You’ll want to avoid knots, loose threads, or broken fibers. Wool is prone to pilling, although high quality wool such as Merino is less likely to show it. Some types of wool, such as Cashmere, are softer than others. This is not necessarily a sign of higher or lower quality, just the variety of wool.

The Quality of Synthetics

There are many types of synthetic fabrics. Rayon is a good choice for many garments because it is more breathable, similar to cotton or silk in texture. Two varieties of rayon, Modal and Tencel, are especially popular due to their soft, smooth feel and shrink-resistant properties.

Ultimately, it’s always best to evaluate a particular fabric’s quality in person so you can touch it, stretch it, and look closely at how densely the threads are woven together. It’s definitely worth taking the extra time and care to make sure you love the fabric you’re using. That way, you can be sure you will love the garment it becomes.

Are Designers and Pattern Makers Cut from the Same Cloth?

8 July 2016 By Apparel Network

The art of fashion is in a class all its own. A painter, for instance, summons images from the depths of her imagination, blending colors and strokes until her canvas is covered. A fashion designer goes through a similar creative process, but the image she creates is only the beginning: drawings must be transformed into a wearable product that fits standard proportions, can be copied with minimal error, and can be graded into different sizes. All of this has to happen before a garment can be produced, distributed, and sold.

That being said, the journey from paper to finished product begins with a pattern. The designer’s target market (gender, age, special size, etc.) will determine the standard measurements to begin with. Several measurements are utilized: bust, waist, and hip circumference; chest, back, and upper arm width; and torso, leg, and arm length, to name a few. Once the pattern maker has the right proportions, she will draw a line for each body measurement on thick oak tag paper, including unique details of the garment’s design such as the neckline and “ease” (how tight or loose the garment will fit). A pattern maker will draw and cut different patterns for the front and back of pants, skirts, bodices, sleeves, pockets, cuffs, collars, and embellishments such as bows or sashes.

The most basic function of a pattern is to serve as a stencil or guide for fabric cutting. However, a pattern must also include all of the information needed to assemble the garment. For example, pattern edges are notched to tell sewers where to join two pieces of fabric. The notches must be placed perfectly to create a completely even and symmetrical garment. A pattern maker must also include several internal markings to instruct sewers. These include the placement of zippers, pockets, horizontal and vertical stripes, buttonholes, and buttons as well as darts, seams, closures, pleats, and seam allowances.

A pattern maker’s ultimate goal is to design a pattern that can be sewn perfectly by anyone in a reasonable amount of time. The first step to achieving that goal is measuring and marking patterns with complete accuracy. A good pattern maker assumes that cutters, sewers, graders, etc., down the line will make slight mistakes when using the pattern. For example, if each person makes a tiny mistake of 1/32”, the total error can grow to be 1/8” or more, which is enough to create crooked cuffs, collars, pockets and stripes. This can be minimized with a precise pattern. The second step is marking patterns according to a universal color-coding system. By doing this, the pattern maker ensures that the sewer can create the garment without learning the pattern maker’s language.

It is no wonder that large fashion brands employ separate artists to design apparel and create apparel patterns. The two jobs require very different skill sets; the former is creative and conceptual while the later is technical and process-oriented. A good option for smaller brands is to outsource their pattern making needs. Apparel Network, for example, will consult with your design team extensively before creating the perfect patterns for your garments.

Made in Italy

25 April 2016 By Apparel Network

Apparel Network is proud to announce that we are now providing MADE IN ITALY manufacturing services. When it comes to apparel manufacturing MADE IN ITALY has long been the standard bearer for high quality craftsmanship.

After going through a period of economic crisis that coincided with the Made in China boom, Italian apparel manufacturing is having its own renaissance. Italian craftsmanship is unparalleled and Italian manufacturers use of only the highest quality of materials in the production of clothing and fashion accessories. This allows them to rise above their competitors and present the finest finished products in the fashion industry.

About Apparel Network’s MADE IN ITALY

Our factories are located in Italy’s Campania region, the garment production hub of the country. Campania’s factories are renowned for their superior craftsmanship; their long, proud history of being the gold standard of apparel manufacturing still stands true today in part because of meticulous attention to detail.

That attention to detail includes using only the finest materials (like prime cottons) and employing only top-of-the-line sewing and embroidery machinery in the production.

Why choose MADE IN ITALY?

Designers put a lot of work into their designs. It’s only natural that they would like those designs to be translated into an excellent finished product. For designers who want their designs to be superior in terms of quality and attention to detail then MADE IN ITALY is the way to go.

MADE IN ITALY is particularly suited to those brands that target the higher end of the retail market. The MADE IN ITALY label yields higher prices on the finished garments because of the unrivaled quality of the cut, material and workmanship.

To find out more, contact us.

Manufacturing with Slub

15 April 2016 By Apparel Network

Chances are you own an item of clothing with slub fabric. Chances are you also have no idea what that means. If you have a t-shirt or a dress or sweater that looks and feels a little lumpy (and always has, even when it was new) then you own slub fabric clothing.

Slub fabric has a unique look to it: it may appear defective because of the knots and bumps throughout the material but that’s done purposely to achieve the lumpy texture. These qualities can occur naturally as is the case with wool or cotton, or can be created using modern machinery.

Like all fabrics, slub begins with greige cloth that then undergoes the dyeing process. The dyeing process for slubs is done in such a way as to emphasize the lumps and knots throughout the textile.

There are various reasons a designer would choose a slub fabric: its high “drape-ability” and “good fall,” or it simply might fit the type of look they’re going for. For streetwear — especially slub jersey knit fabrics which are often employed in the manufacturing of sweatshirts, t-shirts and hoodies. Slub fabrics tend to work well with those garments.

The “drape-ability” of the material is what gives the piece its natural street-feel while the slubs add a little grit to the garments. An added bonus: slub fabric never needs to be ironed.

Fabric selection can be a complex and tricky process. Because this particular textile selection can involve different steps (raw textile selection, dyeing, etc.) it’s critical to know who your supplier is and be certain that the product they deliver is up to snuff.

Apparel Network is well versed in the selection and production of garments that utilize slub fabric (see photo). Call us first if you have questions and need expert answers.

Fabric Selection in Garment Manufacturing

1 April 2016 By Apparel Network

If you’re manufacturing apparel or fashion accessories, it should go without saying that the quality of your clothing will be judged not just by the design but also by quality of the fabric you choose to use in production.

Fabric selection in garment manufacturing will ultimately be one of the deciding factors in the success of the finished product. A good manufacturing partner can help a designer focus on the best type of fabric for the design; once the type of fabric has been identified, the manufacturing partner can help source the fabric to be used to make the final, finished garment.

The process begins by talking to the designer and looking at the designs. The first step is to narrow down the wide range of possible choices to a few types of fabric.

If the design requires a certain type of pattern, then the pattern itself can determine the type of fabric required for production; for jeans designers, the choice is pre-determined – you’ll be using some form of denim.

Sometimes a designer comes to us with a specific type of fabric in mind, other times they need help determining which materials will work best for their design and ask us to make suggestions. For example, a dress designer might already have silk in mind for the final garment because he envisions a certain flow or form.

After taking these basic requirements into consideration the next step is selecting the specific fabric for production. This is where things can get tricky and why it’s important to have a competent, reliable manufacturing partner that can help you identify the fabric that will maintain the right balance between quality and cost effectiveness. A good garment manufacturing consultant will know how to select the fabric with the best “working characteristics”, which are two-fold:

the ability of the fabric to be worked and manipulated without degrading or tearing; and

the cost effectiveness of the fabric in terms of quantity: that is, can you get more finished product out of less fabric?

When considering fabric options, keep in mind that not all materials are appropriate for all garments and that the fabric used in your manufacturing will greatly influence the look of the final product.