Garment Production for Fashion Start-ups: Overseas Apparel Production Series, #1
By Chris Walker
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About this ebook
Working with sewing factories in Vietnam requires steps like choosing your fabric, trims and accessories which I cover in detail. I explain how to get samples made and negotiate price. I give you insider tips about using tech packs and bonding with factory staff. I prepare you for production steps and shipping options you will need to produce apparel in Vietnam.
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Garment Production for Fashion Start-ups - Chris Walker
Garment Production
For Fashion Start-ups with
Chris Walker
Chris WalkerCopyright © 2019 by Chris Walker
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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My Best Advice
Here is a simple action plan to start your Vietnamese production as smoothly as possible. I am assuming you haven’t documented your designs and have not found a reliable factory.
Hire a tech pack freelancer to create your tech pack(s).
Communicate the big picture by listing your preferred purchase order quantities.
Email your tech pack and preferred purchase order to Vietnamese factories and follow up aggressively.
All the big names like Mango, Zara and Forever 21 use tech packs when producing garments in foreign countries - it is an industry standard practice. A tech pack is a technical document that describes all the details of your garment. You will spend at least $500 per tech pack, but in the end, you will save $1,000s. Don’t waste your time or the factory’s time contacting them without tech packs. To create a tech pack correctly requires training and experience in garment technology. In another chapter I describe in detail what goes into tech packs. Below I introduce you to fashion incubators and freelancers who can help you create tech packs. Trust me on this point, hire a freelancer, then your chance of getting it done right the first time is high. The quickest way to get accurate quotes and samples made is by having perfect tech packs prepared in advance. The only missing piece of information will be quantities. This is why I suggest step two, communicate your quantities.
Communicate the big picture by listing your preferred purchase order quantities. Show the quantities broken down by style, fabric, color and artwork. This is important because the price is based on quantity and factories have minimums they must meet for knitting, weaving, dyeing, printing and embellishing which I describe later. If the quantities are too low then factories can not offer cheap prices. Also, if your quantities don’t meet their minimum’s then they will tell you right away and save you time and money.
communicate the big picture
Modify this form to match your collection details and communicate the big picture.
The third step is to contact factories. There are three ways to contact factories in Vietnam. You can find them on websites like Alibaba.com, Globalsources.com, and Foursource.com. You can contact Vietnamese garment associations like Vitas, Vinatex and Agtek. Or, you can meet factories at trade shows like Sourcing at Magic, Globalsources Fair, or Canton Fair. Once you have the factory contact details, email them your tech pack(s) and preferred purchase order quantities. I recommend you attend trade shows to meet the factories in person. See the samples they have at the show, get an idea on pricing and show them your tech packs to confirm they can produce what you want in the quantities you want.
Follow up aggressively with the factories that meet your requirements. Push them to get quotes within two weeks. Compare the prices and customer service levels you get from each factory. Then, when the feeling is right, travel to Vietnam to visit the factories. Work face-to-face with them as they make a counter sample, then negotiate the final price per piece. Be prepared to make a deposit, usually 20%, and approve pre-production samples.
Here is a list of fashion incubators and freelancers around the world. They can either make tech packs for you or introduce you to garment technicians who can.
Shanghai, China
Fashion Ex
www.fashionex.global
Vincent Djen
Traunstein, Germany
Vaw Studio 100
www.vaw-studio100.com
Veronika (Vroni) Anna Weidinger
Malgersdorf, Germany
Schneideri Winkler
www.schneiderei-winkler.de
Anneliese Winkler
Los Angeles, USA
TechPacks.co
www.techpacks.co
Belinda Jacobs
Indie Source
www.indiesource.com
Jesse Dombrowiak
Fashion for Profit
www.fashionforprofit.com
Frances Harder
Designer Consulting Co-op
www.designerconsultingcoop.com
Jamie Provencio
Miami, USA
Apparel Design House
www.appareldesignhousecom
Travis Smith
Portland, USA
Portland Apparel Lab
www.portlandapparellab.com
Dawn Moothart
Portland Sewing
www.portlandfashioninstitute.com
Sharon Blair
Langley, USA
Mag Pie Trends
www.magpietrends.com
Margaret King
Albequerque, USA
Albuquerque Sewing Factory
www.fashion-incubator.com
Kathleen Fasanella
If you know of any other freelance garment production consultants, then please email their contact information so I can include them in future editions.
Table of Contents
My Best Advice
Three Friends and an American
Introduction
Dedication
Garment Industry Abbreviations
Meet Factories’ Minimum Order Quantities
Choose Your Fabric in Advance
Understand Your Printing Options
Know Your Trims
Know Your Accessories
Prepare Your Tech Packs in Advance
Expect Samples to be Made for You
Dedicate Time and Money Finding the Right Factory
Consider Packing Options
Bond with the Factory
Know Your Negotiation Strategy
Be Familiar with Production Steps
Plan to Manage Quality Control
Be Familiar with Shipping Documents
Contact a Freight Forwarding Company
Calculate Your Import Tax
Bonus Insider Tips and Referrals
Take Aways
About the Author
What’s the Next Step?
Three Friends and an American
It always seems impossible until it is done.
- Quote by Kaye Ann Hosack - Co Founder of Three Friends
What follows is a true story of a company called Three Friends who started a children’s clothing brand without ever having produced overseas. They started their dream in February 2015 and launched their first collection in August 2015.
Kaye tells the story how Three Friends got started in Vietnam thanks to an American in Vietnam:
Starting with a dream to build our own brand, I charged full speed ahead into the unknown. My friends and I wrote a business plan and began searching for a manufacturer in the US.
I contacted several manufacturers and was surprised by the high cost and extra work I needed to do because US manufacturers had many limitations. For example, our fabric needed all-over-printing before cutting. The US sewing factories I contacted did not have this option. When I understood made-in-USA limitations I realized why so many fashion brands turn to overseas manufacturing. I finally accepted the fact that I would not be able to produce locally. I researched online and found that Vietnam and India are known for their work in knits.
I searched the internet looking for an agent or direct contact with a factory in Vietnam or India. I sent out inquiries through emails and waited. I received several responses, but nothing felt right. I found an agent of Indian manufacturers, but the agent quickly realized that I was a beginner and lost interest in me. I emailed several factories in Vietnam. One replied promptly and spoke English. This is how I met Chris. He quickly answered all my preliminary questions and gave me a sense of hope that things might work out with the factory he worked for.
I truly knew nothing about the manufacturing side of the garment business, not to mention how to do business in Vietnam. I worked through my list of questions and concerns with Chris. He set my mind at ease. He educated me about the manufacturing process. He confirmed my fears, yet explained how to overcome them.