Finding A Manufacturer, That's Right For YOU.
Finding the right suppliers to work with is an important part of setting up and growing your fashion brand.
I say finding the right manufacturer for you because each brand potentially has different criteria that’s important to you personally and for your product. What fits perfectly for one person, might not fit another. Just like clothes themselves. It can take a little time, but it’s good to do your research to get the best results. Here are some tips and prompts to help you on your way.
Where In The World.
Is there a country in particular that it feels important for you to manufacture? Do you want your factory to be local and easy to visit? Are you passionate about working with an overseas factory with a social mission? Location is a great place to start. Producing locally has plus points when starting out, but it can also be more expensive. Overall you want to pick a place that you will enjoy visiting and you can communicate well with the staff and get a beautiful finished product.
Pay Them A Visit.
I would always recommend visiting your chosen factory, it will help build a solid working relationship with the team and you can make sure you are happy with the quality of workmanship, and working conditions. Modern technology makes this part less daunting and can really helpful for setting up video calls for catch up meetings in-between visits. Include the visit into your start-up costs, by showing up it tells the factory you mean business and they will respect that. Make sure to ask plenty of questions while you have the opportunity.
Communication Is Key.
Whether you’re working with international or local suppliers, you need to work with people that you can communicate with ease, and be mindful that English might not always be other people first language. Make sure when discussing your ideas you're explaining yourself as clearly and concisely as possible. It’s your responsibility to be thorough in your instructions. Explain your story, communicate your requirements, and always make sure you’re fostering a strong and healthy relationship with your suppliers.
MOQ’s
This is an abbreviation you will hear often, it’s short for, Minimum order quantities. Simply, how many pieces per style are you looking to make? Some factories have large minimum quantities, if that’s not right for your needs, you’ll need to find a factory that’s happy to work with startups and small product runs at the beginning that can scale up when the time is right.
What’s Their Specialty?
Most factories have products they’re best set up to create, mainly divided by what fabrics they’re best at working with. Whether you’re working with woven, jersey/knit, sports fabrics, or denim, each type of product requires different machinery to get a professional finish. If you are looking to create a collection with varied product types, it is perfectly common that you may need to use a couple of manufacturers.
Who Else Do They Work With?
You will want to be able to view past production runs factories have done and knowing the type of customers they work with will give you a good gauge on whether they will also be a good fit for you. Asking to see examples of their previous work is always great to see and helps you visualise what your product will look like.
What Are There Ethical Credentials?
This is something you will want to know, not just for your own peace of mind but also to be able to be transparent with your customers. This is becoming increasingly important to brands that want to withstand the test of time and keep up with customers’ demands for ethical production. Are their areas where they can improve, that’s not always a negative, as long as your open about your aims to improve and grow together.
How To Start Looking.
Visit Trade Shows
Trade shows are a great place to start sourcing and talking to potential suppliers all in one place, they can be intensive days, so check out their brand directories and have a plan of who you want to speak to, you can even arrange appointments in advance. Suppliers are always happy to answer questions and chat about potential business on the day, so be prepared, create business cards and take lots of photos.
Online Directories.
Trade shows normally take place once a year, but if you’ve missed them don’t worry researching through directories can help you all year round.
Brand Recommendations.
This is completely down to each brand’s discretion if they are happy to share their supplier list. I am of the opinion that if you’ve found great suppliers you shouldn’t stunt their growth and keep them to yourself, but some brands can be quite sensitive about sharing information. Don’t be afraid to ask but do it in a respectful way (I would always recommend doing it by email) and create a relationship that is mutually beneficial, think about things you can do for them in return. Amazing things can happen when brands learn to collaborate but don’t be upset if you get a closed door, it was not meant to be.
Facebook Forums
I have found Facebook to be a surprisingly useful place over the years for connecting with new people and getting helpful recommendations. It is a great place for joining Facebook forums, there is a group for everything and connecting with like-minded people. Here are some links to ones that I have found particularly helpful:
Ethical Fashion Designers and Supporters
It all sounds intimidating but the fashion industry is a notoriously small world with people who most of the time are happy to help point you in the right direction. Just make sure you know what your asking for and don’t be too vague in your questioning. The more specific you can be the best results you’ll get.
How can I help? I am happy to set up a call to talk you through the process and understand how to work with your factory better. It is a daunting process and often a learning curve. I can talk you through the right questions to ask and how to get the best results for your products.
If that sounds interesting and you’d like to discuss further then send me an email at hello@lottiewoodsdesign.com and we can set up a call.
Love, Lottie xx