Sourcing inventory for very specific fashion brand

[RP93]

Hey guys,

I'm starting my own clothing business very shortly and have pretty much every single concept of the brand in my head and ready to get started. Obviously I'll need to locate the funding to execute the start-up but besides that, there's only one thing which is bugging me - which is coincidentally the thing I'm seeking help for.

Is there anyone out there who knows EXACTLY how to source clothing products for a specific vision & end goal? I've been directed to the importing from china etc threads on here and they all talk about finding factories that manufacture in Asia etc, but don't go into detail into how to get exactly what you want produced.

I have EXTREMELY specific ideas on what way I want the products to fit, feel and look. I've been told that first off heading to a pattern cutter is the right way to start, but I'm unsure. I'm aware I'll probably need to build good relationships to get my exact message across but I definitely don't see going onto AliBaba or somewhere like that and just picking somewhere that manufactures just general shit which by no means looks or resembles what I'm after.

Has anyone been in my position before perhaps and can offer some guidance? Please don't respond directing me to threads on here about importing and selecting manufacturers etc etc because chances are I've already encountered them.

ANY help whatsoever will be greatly appreciated.
Also please feel free to PM me with any advice or help.
Thanks in advance
Ryan

 

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[TJPB]

Howdy. An INSIDERS subscription would be well worth your $.

 

[JPHerrmann]

Hey RP93! Interesting venture you are working on. I have done quite a bit of research on similar markets in fashion industry, mostly just in branding conventional styles produced by suppliers. but, I see you want something very specific. My suggestion would be to find someone to make your "Prototype" Design. You're real goal with this product line should be to build a market share for your BRAND as fast as possible.

You should start by custom making the products here in america and sell them online (Chances are you will take a loss at first), but you will need to take losses initially to build a market share. Try talking to everyone and anyone you know and see if they know somebody doing something similar (In mens or women clothing) and ask them for advice.

Your success will heavily depend on your network, it truly is all about "Who you know". And focus on promoting your brand!!! #1 priority. Then when you build a market share and have the demand, you can outsource, thats most likely when you will become profitable.

Im sure you have a great idea! remember, if you thought of a great idea, chances are someone else has thought of it also.BUT, they never took the initiative to get that Idea to the customer. Anyone can have a great Idea, but it takes a truly determined business man to bring it to market.

Soo all in all,

Make your BRAND and "Prototype"

Network as much as you possibly can.

Produce the product here first,

Then outsource when you have a market.

Hope this helps, I wish you luck on your venture!

JPH

 

[RP93]

Howdy. An INSIDERS subscription would be well worth your $.

Could you elaborate on this by any chance? What it is, what's the benefits w/regards to my question?

Thanks buddy
Ryan

 

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[TJPB]

INSIDERS is a section of this forum that's for paying members. I believe you can do month to month or yearly. There are many detailed threads with a lot of good info. One of them being mine which is 500+ posts of building a fitness apparel brand.

 

[RP93]

INSIDERS is a section of this forum that's for paying members. I believe you can do month to month or yearly. There are many detailed threads with a lot of good info. One of them being mine which is 500+ posts of building a fitness apparel brand.

Done.

 

[Deleted17784]

Can you afford a trip to Thailand? There's several huge markets in Bangkok that specialize in wholesale clothing. Everything you can imagine is there. It's all made in Thailand too. I'd imagine you can find something close to what you want and then ask them to make some changes for you. Add your own labels etc.

Flying there and hanging out for a few weeks will allow you to network in person and actually hold different products in your hands. I think that would speed things along much faster then ordering samples, waiting, realizing they're shit, repeat until you find something that works. I see a lot of opportunity with exporting here but I don't know anything about fashion.

Worst case scenario you will have a great vacation! Good luck with your venture.

 

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[MoneyDoc]

There's a lot of manufacturers on asia that will do custom clothing for you but will require your design. So get someone to create your "prototype" first which you can show to the manufacturers. Also, try finding manufacturers from Bangladesh. They're much cheaper than the Chinese ones.

 

[RP93]

There's a lot of manufacturers on asia that will do custom clothing for you but will require your design. So get someone to create your "prototype" first which you can show to the manufacturers. Also, try finding manufacturers from Bangladesh. They're much cheaper than the Chinese ones.

Thanks for the reply.

Any idea where to look for finding someone to produce a prototype?

Thanks

 

[MoneyDoc]

Thanks for the reply.

Any idea where to look for finding someone to produce a prototype?

Thanks

Try fiverr bro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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[TJPB]

Try fiverr bro

Maybe if you're producing tee-shirts.

No, you don't want to "produce a prototype" first. You want to find a highly reputable apparel designer that can take your vision and turn it into tangible requirements and technical designs (tech pack).

Once you have that, you can then approach manufacturers that specialize in the type of apparel you've designed. They will prototype it for free in most cases or for a small fee that is reimbursed with your first order. Also, it's best to send "fit samples" as well.

Asia is great for apparel as there are many pro factories that know their stuff. Beware though, you will pay upwards of 30% import duties from most countries.

Also, if your plan is to build a brand, start there and then move onto designs.

 

[RP93]

Maybe if you're producing tee-shirts.

No, you don't want to "produce a prototype" first. You want to find a highly reputable apparel designer that can take your vision and turn it into tangible requirements and technical designs (tech pack).

Once you have that, you can then approach manufacturers that specialize in the type of apparel you've designed. They will prototype it for free in most cases or for a small fee that is reimbursed with your first order. Also, it's best to send "fit samples" as well.

Asia is great for apparel as there are many pro factories that know their stuff. Beware though, you will pay upwards of 30% import duties from most countries.

Also, if your plan is to build a brand, start there and then move onto designs.

Yeah you're right, a few designs on some pre-produced t-shirts is by no means what I'm after.

Have you any ideas on where to look for a designer? I'm not entirely sure if that's the direction I want to go though, I'm 100% sure I'd never find anyone who can live up to my expectations.

I really like what you're saying here though. Makes much more to-the-point sense than what I've been researching until now.

 

[TJPB]

It definitely isn't easy finding a good designer. But the issue is not so much their ability to design (most of them can do that), it's their ability to generate a pro tech-pack that includes everything a factory needs to produce prototypes. This is key as otherwise, you will be going back and forth trying to figure out what they need. Or, worse, they produce from the limited info and you end up with a product that is nothing like you were expecting.

I learned this the hard way as my first designer created awesome sketches with some tech info but it was no where near what the factory needed. I had to scrap the entire line and start new, in part, due to this.

 

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[RP93]

It definitely isn't easy finding a good designer. But the issue is not so much their ability to design (most of them can do that), it's their ability to generate a pro tech-pack that includes everything a factory needs to produce prototypes. This is key as otherwise, you will be going back and forth trying to figure out what they need. Or, worse, they produce from the limited info and you end up with a product that is nothing like you were expecting.

I learned this the hard way as my first designer created awesome sketches with some tech info but it was no where near what the factory needed. I had to scrap the entire line and start new, in part, due to this.

Ah, I see. This is awesome information. Really appreciate you detailing where you went wrong with your endeavours to guide me in the right direction.

If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about finding designers to generate those pro packs? And what exactly do they involve; i.e. are they just detailing what types of fabrics will be needed to pull off certain designs/sketches, or what?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give, really really appreciate it. Also, if you don't feel comfortable sharing anything via this thread please send it via PM.
Ryan