Category: Fashion

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

First, What Exactly Is Green Friday?

Green Friday, also known as the anti-Black Friday movement, was born out with the goal of raising awareness about the impacts of our shopping habits. Especially around the holidays. No one really knows who started this alternative shopping day. But, it is believed it could be an offshoot of Buy Nothing Day. Which began in Canada in the early ’90s.

Because the Green Friday movement is a pretty loose and decentralized concept, everyone has their own take on how to participate. But, the one thing everyone agrees on, is that the purpose of the day is to reflect on what and why you are buying. And, to try and make better purchasing decisions that support small brands and good causes instead of large corporations. In recent years, this alternative shopping holiday is gaining more and more popularity with the topic of climate change being at the forefront of many shoppers’ minds.

The Worst Q4 Advice I Ever Heard? Don’t Discount Your Products

IMO. The people giving this advice almost never have had their own brand. So, their strategies tend to be more apple pie in the sky, than based on real-world data and application. Generally, I find that the people giving out the advice to never discount during Green Friday or Black Friday are part of the fake it till you make it crowd. AKA will tell brands anything they want to hear in order to get them to sign up for their services.

So, let’s talk about why this advice is so bad.

Yes, I know. Small brands, you want to believe so badly that with some magical secrets you can sell your products exclusively at full price. But for the success of your business, I really need you to hear me out.

The first thing we need to do is look at shopper psychology.

Getting a deal is no longer considered “budget” like it was back in the late 90s and early aughts. Today, getting the best deal for something is savvy. It shows you are an educated shopper.

Just take a look at the website Wirecutter, run by The New York Times. It is basically the bible for learning how to get the most bang for your buck when purchasing anything and everything from a toaster for your kitchen, to the best winter jacket for your pooch.

We Have All Been Conditioned To Believe Getting A Good Deal Shows How Smart We Are

So, the first step here in your Green Friday holiday retail recovery plan is to come to grips with the fact that consumers don’t just want, but expect deals.

Again for the people in the back. At this point in time, no one pays full price anymore. Entire businesses are built around helping customers get the best deals ever. From companies like Misfits Market, which sells not so perfect, but still nutritional and delicious produce for cheap, to Scott’s Cheap Flights, where you can find some of the best travel tips around – there are more and more services that are helping people save money while still maintaining a certain level of quality.

And, the list goes on and on, there is Honey, Groupon, Rakuten, and so, so many more.

And, Getting a Sale Isn’t Only Savvy, It’s Fun – So Fun It Can Be Addictive

Don’t believe me? Check out this article in Elle about the science of shopping.

“As usual, the brain chemical to credit or blame for our pleasure—in this case, the pleasure of shopping—is dopamine. The neurotransmitter surges when you’re considering buying something new—anticipating a reward, in other words. Sales, by the way, give us an even harder kick.”

Lastly, I Want You To Consider The Current Economic Climate

With inflation rising by the day. Consumers are becoming more and more frugal with where they are spending. If there is a choice between your product, and another brand making something kinda similar, but for a cheaper price or having a limited-time sale, they will almost always choose the other brand that is discounted.

Even Luxury Brands Go On Sale These Days

Now whenever I hear one of these consultants say, never put your goods on sale, the next thing out of their mouths is almost always this… “brands like Chanel and Gucci never put their items on sale, and that is why they are able to command such high prices and have a luxury and high-end reputation.”

Wrong.

Very, very wrong.

While you won’t see Chanel or Gucci or almost any other luxury brand on sale in a department store. These brands do offer their goods at a discount in a few ways.

The first is private sample sales. Exclusive shopping events for VIP shoppers. Where customers who spend big bucks year-round can be rewarded for their loyalty.

The second is outlet stores. Tucked away in the far corners of middle America, yes, you can get deeply discounted designer goods that you would never see in a department store.

So, to say you shouldn’t discount your product because luxury brands don’t do it, is not accurate. They just do it in an exclusive or geographically inconvenient way.

The other thing is. And, I know this is going to anger some of you, but hey, it needs to be said… reality check, you aren’t Chanel, you aren’t Versace, you aren’t a legacy brand, you are not a household name. You are most likely a small brand, that not too many people know about, or for that matter trust.

These luxury houses were not built overnight. They took decades of strategic marketing, elite brand partnerships, and often years in the red losing money to establish.

You can’t compare yourself and your brand to them. Doing this is business suicide.

‘But, Sales Will Dilute My Brand Value‘

Nope.

Wrong again. Seriously, stop listening to these internet quacks. I just told you even luxury brands do it.

But, if you are running new special promos and sales every day, then yes, you will train your customers to only shop during sale times. And, by the way, this can be an incredibly successful business strategy, if done correctly, (which I will talk about in just one minute).

But, if you have 1 or 2 very carefully planned and thoughtfully executed sales campaigns per year – your customers won’t see it as a cheap marketing tactic, but more as customer appreciation. And, kind of like you are doing them a favor.

Basically, you are saying to them, hey, thanks for supporting my brand, and as a thank you, here are a couple of dollars off for a very limited time only. Act now, or lose the discount forever.

The trick here is to limit those sales times and really stick to them. If every month you are like, guess what, I have this super exclusive discount, well no one is going to think it exclusive anymore.

The Discount-All-The-Time Sales Strategy That Actually Works

Now, some brands actually want to run sales all year round. Because they want to be constantly tapping into that feel-good dopamine and creating a sales rush for their customers.

But, what you need to understand about these brands that are basically always on sale, is that they plan for the sales in their margins.

If a $100 shirt goes on sale for 50% off, this is planned for. So when the company is calculating their prices and margins they will use $50 as the retail price of the shirt, not $100. This is because they know they are never actually going to sell the shirt for $100. They are just letting their customer believe they sold it at one point for $100 and now they are getting a deal at $50.

Tricky, and kind of unethical, right? But, this is the reality of how the business of fashion works.

So, How Can A Conscious Brand Compete In A System That Has Been Trained Shoppers To Hunt For Deals

Yes. But the first thing you need to remember is that all sales are planned for, and should always be pre-built into your margins. Sales are a strategy, not a Hail Mary for a slow season.

Conscious Shoppers, This Part It For You Too

Remember at the start of this post when I told you I would explain why the holidays is the worst time to shop – even if you think you are getting a deal? It’s time to talk about that now.

For small business owners and fashion startups, this industry insider information is also going to nail in the importance of using sales as a strategy, not an emergency reaction.

The key here is to understand how brands traditionally plan their Q4 price strategies.

The secret is, big brands aren’t playing the game fair – Black Friday isn’t always a good deal. While conscious brands are being encouraged not to discount, they are simultaneously competing with an extremely sophisticated and manipulated sales strategy implemented by the rest of the industry.

Not discounting is like showing up to a game of basketball with Michale Jordan in high heels. You are already at a disadvantage and are just hurting yourself even more by your own bad decisions.

What You Need To Know About Black Friday “Deals”

If you pay careful attention to retailers (especially online retailers) you will see that prices start to creep up in October, and peak around the second week of December.

Most consumers don’t realize what is happening because over the course of months brands are only adding a few cents a day. But, those few cents can take a product that would normally sell at any other time of year for around $22, all the way up to $35 during the holidays.

Then when they hit you with their 25% off holiday discount that makes you think you are getting a great deal, you are actually paying more money than you would for the non-discounted deal.

Here’s the math, 25% of $35 is an $8.75 discount, which means you are paying $26.26 instead of $22. And the crazy part is, you leave thinking you were the one who got the deal.

Retailers are able to get away with this because most customers are not tracking prices day today, and do not notice the slow price increases during the pre-holiday season.

So, that is one of the ways big retailers are able to give deep discounts, without necessarily affecting their bottom line.

Crazy right?

With All Of These Black Friday Tricks And Games You Might Be Feeling Lost About Green Friday

But, don’t worry. I have some real strategies for you to crush it.

Tell Your Story Better

Recently I found some old screenshots of the virtue + vice website when it went live all those years ago. And, boy is it embarrassing.

At the time I was so proud of the website. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would build my own site, and the fact that I did, wow was I beyond proud. But, while it was amazing for my personal skill set, it didn’t look that great to everyone else. Thankfully I had some brutally honest friends who set me straight, and encouraged me to keep working and keep upgrading the site to what it is today!

But, what really stands out on that old website is the copy. It literally sounded like a robot chain-smoking its way through business school wrote it.

It took me years to find my voice.

At first, I was afraid (I was petrified… seriously). What if people didn’t like the real me? What if my ‘this is how it is’ personality was too much for people? But, what I realized was the more I started to show who I was behind the screen, the more my business grew.

And in the right ways – because all of my clients and students are awesome.

And, that’s because they are able to relate to what and how I am saying.

Now, I am a terrible writer (thank goodness for Grammarly). So, don’t expect any copywriting posts from me, that is not a skill I can teach.

What I can do is point you to some experts. Marie Forleo runs a course called the Copy Cure, I have not taken the paid course, but I did take her week-long freebie course, and wow, was it good! At the very least, sign up for that.

Also, I have a writing coach. Marissa LaRocca. Marissa is amazing and has very reasonable rates. I highly recommend Marissa to anyone looking to bump up their writing skills to the next level (or even just for a little writing encouragement).

Remember, when you learn to communicate clearly, and in a way that resonates with your customers, your business, and sales, will grow exponentially. This is a fact.

Talk To Your Customers, And Listen To Them

Are you pricing them out? You might have a huge loyal following of people that love what you do. But, they might not be able to buy from you simply because they can’t afford it.

That once-a-year Green Friday sale (the one that you might have been so worried would dilute your brand value). It might be the shopping event they look forward to all year so they can finally buy a piece from your collection.

The only way to find out if this is the case is to reach out and start chatting with your social media following and email list. Seriously, Just ask them!

If you do find out that your price point is a bit too high, it might be time to work your numbers and try a redesign.

Can you offer a similar product and a lower price point? Maybe it doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles, but it’s still a thoughtful product that your audience will love, and will be able to afford.

One of the easiest ways to create lower-priced purchase items is by making something called a transaction builder. If you want to learn more, I get more into how to create a transaction builder to boost sales, here.

If You Are A Shopper That Wants To Support Small Brands on Green Friday

Please remember. Yea, you could get a similar dress from Target for much less. But, the reason small brands’ prices are so much higher is that their costs are so much higher. Target is buying their fabric for under a dollar a meter, and some small brands spend $20 or even more per meter on the perfect textiles that are adding value to the lives of all the people throughout their entire supply chain.

Unfortunately, supporting a small conscious business does come with a cost.

But, I promise you this. When you buy from a small brand, almost every order they an email alert for is a small celebration. When you buy from big brands, no one there cares about your purchase – you are just an invoice number.

Got Questions About Price Strategy, Sales, or Green Friday Shopping?

Let me hear them in the comments!

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

What I realized after I hung up the phone was this conversation was the most perfect example of what not to do when designing a clothing line. And my aggravation could be turned into a post for your fashion startup benefit!

So, here is how this post is going to go. First, I am going to break down what this brand wanted from me and why it was so misguided. Then, I am going to share what you could, and probably should, be doing instead.

Because, the solution here is not for you to abandon your dream of starting a clothing line (even if it’s just an eco friendly t shirt). My goal is to help you make it the best darn line possible.

Let’s go.

They Wanted The Most Eco Fibers

Saying I want the most eco friendly sustainable fabrics ever, is like saying I want to sprout wings and fly, and also be able to breathe underwater. It’s a pipe dream. It’s never going to happen.

There is no stamp of approval, universally accepted, most eco fiber ever. And if anyone tells you otherwise, I can confidentially say they are lying to you.

Here’s why. Well, actually, 3 whys – there are 3 reasons a universal perfect fiber does not, and probably will never exist.

One. Nothing In This World Is Perfect.

Just like how we all know that behind the seemingly perfect Instagram lives of influencers lies a skilled photoshop-er. Brands that claim to be “the most” anything is relying on tricky wording, good PR teams, and a little bit of greenwashing.

The first thing we need to do is come to grips with the fact that anything we do will have a ripple effect on the planet. Unless your brand is teach people how to live remotely off the land, nothing you do will be perfect. And, that’s ok. The goal here is to do the best you can. And, I am going to get more into that when we talk about reason 3.

Two. The Rules Are Constantly Changing.

For years, the Higgs Index used “science” and was the gold standard of what was sustainable and what wasn’t. But, in 2020 “Figures from the all-new fibre scoring tool show the environmental impact of polyester according to the MSI has fallen from 44 to 36 – making it by far and away the most sustainable fibre on the planet.”

And, this sounds kind of crazy – because for the past decade we have been conditioned by the media to believe that polyester is basically the epitome of pure evil in the fashion world.

The same type of story has happened with cotton. The media blasted brands that were using 100% organic cotton, for the fiber being for being destructive and thirsty. Which, wasn’t the full story.

And, the list of misrepresented fibers, (including recycled polyester, that isn’t actually cleaning up the ocean in any way) goes on and on.

Brands jump from one trendy “it” fiber of the season to the next. Constantly trying to “win” at the sustainability game where the rules are constantly changing.

It’s exhausting. And, to be candid, isn’t helping anyone – including the planet.

And, this brings me to reason 3.

Three. Sustainability Is Personal, Not Universal.

Now, this is the one I get the most push back on. Because we all have opinions, and we all think our opinions or right (hey, it’s just human nature). But, please give me a minute to explain.

Like I said in reason 1 we can’t be totally perfect – that is in a macro sense. What we can do, however, is be perfect in a micro sense. When we know what is important to us, whether it’s renewable energy, all-natural products, or labor issues, then we can create a strategic plan to go after those goals specifically.

Let’s look at my favorite example of vegan pleather vs real animals hides. Vegans insist that pleather is the more moral option, while hardcore zero-waste advocates believe wearing real leather that is a byproduct of the meat industry is the way to go.

The reality is both sides are right, and both sides are kind of wrong. Because, you will never be able to please both sides.

And, the reality is, when it comes to sustainable and ethical practices you can’t please everyone. I am going to say it one last time, there isn’t some magical fiber that solves all the world’s problems. Like I said early everything has a ripple effect and creates an impact.

And right here is the key ingredient to startup fashion success.

By picking something very micro, new brands can become almost perfect at that one cause, and build an amazing and loyal following. When brands try to be eco, sustainable, ethical, conscious, basically everything to everyone – it all just kind of ends up feeling like greenwashing.

They Wanted To Make Locally With India Prices

This isn’t the first time I got this request. And, I like to call it “The Fashion Nova Effect”.

The conversation always goes more or less the same way.

Me “so, what is your target costing looking like?”

Them “well we want to make in India or China, but shipping all the way to the US causes so much pollution, so ideally we would like to make in the USA for the same prices as Asia and eliminate the transportation emissions.”

(Riiight… let me get my magic want out).

You can’t have you cake and eat it to. It’s just not possible.

Well, it kind of is. Because companies like Fashion Nova are pumping out garbage fashion domestically in LA that they are able to sell for something like $10.

Now, While It’s Possible, It’s Really Not Ethical. At All.

This topic reminds me of this other really slimy client I once had – I actually ended up firing him as a client. He was one of those guys that thought he was smarter than everyone in the room. Full of toxic masculinity and mansplaining… I’m sure you know the type. He always wanted to do business on the phone instead of by email so he could claim I said something different than I had. After the first few times, I caught onto his game and banned him from calling me – everything would have to be done with a paper trail. When I did that it made him furious.

Anyway, this guy really wanted to work with my factory because it had a good reputation and paid everyone fairly. But, he insisted we do it at the Fashion Nova price. I was like, my man, the reason we have a good reputation and can pay everyone fairly is because we charge more than an LA sweatshop (because that is essentially what those places are).

He wanted to pay Fashion Nova prices and call it “empowerment” – to this day I still think about publicly calling him out – basically, he used my good reputation to con a huge influencer into working with him, then pulled the order from me to go for a cheaper LA factory with completely unethical prices.

Anyway… Ethical fashion made with fair wages in America costs more money. Period. Full stop.

So, if making locally is important to you, and so is fair wages – be prepared to pay a lot more. If you don’t have the budget for that, it’s ok to make things overseas.

But when you make it overseas you are left with the emissions piece of the puzzle. This leads me to our next topic.

They Wanted Zero Emissions Without Doing The Work

Finally, we decided that making in India or China was the right move for them because of their budgeting constraints. Then, they started building this whole campaign around carbon credits. And wanted to be applauded as a zero-emissions industry leader for their carbon offsetting purchases.

Now, I don’t know how much you know about buying emissions credits, and hey, I guess it’s better than nothing. But, the reality of the program is that it’s a cheap shortcut, that often doesn’t actually do much of anything.

There have even been quite a few recent articles talking about how the programs are very grey, no one really knows where all the money is going, and there is no concrete proof they are working to help clean up the planet.

To me buying carbon credits is the equivalent of every kid getting a trophy. It doesn’t matter what you are actually doing, how toxic your company really is – as long as you’re trying (read, spending money for someone else to clean up your mess), that’s good enough.

If you are interested in learning more about carbon credits and how they aren’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, read on here.

Basically, my point is, sure try.

But, Let’s Not Pretend Companies That Buy Carbon Credits Are Doing More Than They Really Are.

So, what can you do instead?

The reality is you will always be creating pollution in business, even in digital businesses. And, for me, personally, I don’t think the solution is carbon credits.

How about creating your own program? Or, investing your profits into people who are doing good things. For example, with your profits, you could create a community garden that not only produces food for those in need but also helps to requester soil through regenerative farming.

If you don’t know what regenerative farming is, you must check it out! It’s really cool. If you are into organic cotton or GOTS certified organics, this is next level! It is one of the only methods that is actually proven to be able to help reverse climate change!

What I am saying is, don’t pay someone to do the work for you, and hope they do what they say they are going to do. Instead, create your own impact. When you do this, not only are you creating real change the world needs, but you are also helping to build a loyal community around your brand.

Do You Really Care About Reducing Your Foot Print? Then Stop Reinventing The Wheel!

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into developing a custom garment. Here is generally how the process goes.

A brand buys shirts and materials that they like and want to replicate, but maybe change just a little bit (think something like, I love this t shirt I have had for 10 years but wish the sleeves were 2” shorter, and it was made of cotton instead of poly).

They then send the materials and garments to fabric suppliers and factories.

The factory then sends them back counter swatches and samples.

There are then rounds of approvals like lab dips, strike-offs, and fit samples that all get sent back and forth multiple times.

All of these processes waste resources, money, and also, it’s a ton of shipping.

Why not just use an eco friendly t shirt that was already created and is sitting in a warehouse, probably, relatively, near your home…

Welcome To The World Of Blanks.

Which is just what they sound like. Blank garments that you can print your custom designs on.

The market for blanks is seriously over-saturated, and you can find basically anything you are looking for. It’s all already been made. Including organic basics, like certified organic cotton, made in fair trade factories where workers make a living wage.

Here are a few brands I recommend.

They Wanted to Ignore The Inconvenient Truth That Recycling Uses Resources

I blame elementary school for this one. For some reason, we were all taught that recycling was this magical system. A place where if we just took 3 extra seconds to separate our plastics from our metals from our papers – we could toss all our garbage there, and something new, and shinny, and just as good, would pop out on the other end.

Well, now I know this was very false.

And, it’s important to understand just how false this belief is, because many brands are trying to use recycling as a loop whole to create a fully circular cradle-to-cradle product.

The person on the phone with me kept saying they wanted to create a cradle to cradle product, and when I started talking about what that actually entails they were like… nope, we will just give our customers info on where to send their old clothes to have them recycled or, in their case, most likely down cycled and turned into insulation.

Garment Recycling Is Not The Solution You Slap On At The End Of Your Supply Chain When You Realize That Designing And Producing A Truly Circular Product Will Be Too Expensive, Or Too Hard To Figure Out.

Instead, recycling should be used as a last resort. When you exhaust and try all other systems and options, but nothing else works.

So, if circularity is important to you. That means you need to carefully and consciously design your product from the fiber up. Taking into account where every single component comes from and where it returns to.

If recycling is a band-aid to fix holes in your system, then you’re not doing the circular sustainable fashion thing right.

Again, if you are choosing to help your customers recycle because hey, it’s better than nothing. Well then, that’s ok too. But, let’s not pretend like it’s a groundbreaking innovative new process.

Want to learn more about recycling? Check out this article Everything American’s Think They Know About Recycling Is Probably Wrong…

For me, the most interesting takeaway was that waste management is a business. And, because of that the cost of recycling is high, and will probably remain high. Maybe even get higher as more and more brands want to add waste to their brand stories.

So, What You Could Make Instead?

Right now, you might be thinking, what’s the point!? Nothing I do will be good enough. But, I am here to tell you – all hope is not lost.

First, Let’s All Agree, No More Logo Ts

Instead of slapping a logo on a tee or beanie, focus on creating a thoughtful design.

When brands logo-ize gear the goal is almost always to gain brand recognition. It is to turn their customers into walking billboards and to have them then spread the news of their brand.

Instead of your goal to be logos everywhere, really think about making conscious designs. Because, at the end of the day that is what people want.

The reality is that most of the clothing in landfills, or that used to get shipped to Africa and Haiti was branded gear that no one wanted in the first place.

If you want to learn more about just how wasteful tees are check out this article about secondhand in Haiti.

This article is an oldie, but still relevant today.

Also, did you know that before the super bowl and other supporting events 2 sets of branded gear are made each with one team winning. That is how you are able to buy your super bowl winner t shirt 5 minutes after the game. The losing team’s “winner shirts” then get sent to a developing country as donations.

Lastly, check out this post from virtue and vice about breast cancer awareness shirts – many of the people that are making these charity shirts are the very people that need that charity money the most.

Think Outside The Branded Eco Friendly T Shirt Box

Now, if you are making a cool design that you know people would want to wear – I say go for it. This advice is not for you. But, if you just want to put your logo on everything, keep reading.

Who says you need to be making tshirts, there are lots of ways of promoting your brand that isn’t an eco friendly t shirt or hoody… how about one of these?

Patches and Pins

Here are a few pros of making patches and pins instead of garments. One, they are small and lightweight, meaning your emissions from shipping (and also your costs) will be much lower.

Two, you are helping people DIY and upcycle their own stuff at home that they might have thrown away. For example, a shirt with a stain could easily be covered up by one of your fashionable and stylish patches.

Digital Products

While digital products do have their own carbon footprint, they tend to have a lower one than apparel. Instead of making a branded eco friendly t shirt, maybe you could create a printable recycling cheat sheet for people to hang in their homes. Or, something else that creatively ties back to your brand and your values.

If You Must Make Branded Products, Please Be Thoughtful
Make something people really need. Enough with the reusable tote bags. I have literally drawers full of them. Most people don’t need anymore.

Instead, go back to your target customer and what their problems are. Maybe you can create something that is branded that they really need.

For example. I work with lots of fashion brands. And the one thing I noticed I always needed was a measuring tape. So, I created some branded measuring tapes for my holiday client gifts.

I still get the same advertising benefits of a branded shirt or tote bag, but this is something that my clients actually need and will really use.

So, Does The World Need Another Eco Friendly T Shirt?

Well, that depends.

My final thoughts. If you are making something cool, that is art, and that is unique. Yes. Go for it! If you just want to turn your customers into an advertisement for your brand by putting your logo on everything and anything – it might be time to re-think your strategy and values.

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

FINANCIALS

Let’s get the money questions out of the way first. Because for most of us, that is one of the scariest parts.

I Have A Great Idea; How Do I Find Investors?

Wow. Slow down!

I was chatting with a friend who works for a VC firm. And I asked her, what should my LMCL students be doing to get pitch ready? And, what she said kind of shocked me.

“Tell them not even to bother reaching out until they have proof of concept, meaning at least 1 season of sales that prove their idea is profitable.”

What she basically said was, no one is going to invest in just an idea.

The movies make it all look so easy. The main character has an idea, no one believes in them, but they believe in themselves. Then, suddenly, boom – there is a chance encounter with a rich stranger who falls in love with their blind passion. And ends up taking a chance on a quirky idea… the screen fades to black as they both become rich and famous beyond their wildest dreams.

Here is the tough love you might need – I need you to wake up. This story isn’t real life.

Yea, I guess in some world, that could happen to you. But the reality is, it probably won’t. Finding an investor is hard work. And, when you finally find someone interested in what you do, charming them won’t be enough.

You need to show them the numbers. And, this is precisely where most founders end up going wrong.

They think that if they have a compelling and unique enough story, that’s all they need to get people on board and giving them money.

It’s not.

You need data to prove you have a plan to make money – and not only pay that investor back but also make them even more money in profits in the long run.

And, to do this, you do need some initial money to get started. The good news? You don’t need a lot, and if your product is really good, I’ve got a trick to raise funds for your line before you ever even place your production order.

How Much Money Do I Need To Get My Fashion Company Started? I Am Worried That Because I Don’t Have $50,000 Or More To Invest, I Will Not Be Able To Launch My Company.

No! You don’t need a lot of money to get started. I was actually able to help one of my LMCL students launch with only $2500.

Now, let me be clear, that was no easy feat. We strategized, bootstrapped, and were super careful about spending. But we got it done!

Can you launch a 30 piece custom capsule collection for $2500? No. But, you can launch one well research product that sells out instantly. And then, use those profits to reinvest into a bigger collection for season two and keep growing from there.

For some reason, new founders get it stuck in their heads that they need to launch these extensive collections to be taken seriously. And, this is so, so wrong. All you need is one perfect product.

Seriously.

Think about brands like Spanx, Crocs, Moleskin, and Hunter Boot. They all launched with just one excellent product, grew a loyal following, and expanded their brand from there.

Remember how I was talking about those unrealistic movie plot dreams a few minutes ago? Too many founders believe that success looks like a massive company with 50+ employees in a high-rise building – with a Devil Wears Prada meets Project Runway vibe. Please, toss that thought away because I know lots of founded solopreneurs that make more than enough money to support them and their families. And remember, growth happens slowly. Starting a brand is a marathon, not a sprint.

SKILLS

Do I Need To Know How To Draw Or Sew?

No. And, I am literally living proof of that! Let me tell you a quick story…

When I worked in fast fashion, one person from each department was supposed to travel overseas to factories. I lead the product development and sourcing team, so for my department, that person was me. Now, a designer, and also a tech person (people who write specs and draft paper patterns) were also supposed to join me. The problem was, all of the top management had “deathly fears of flying,” and my boss didn’t trust the more junior members of the team to go.

So, basically, overnight, I had to become a designer and pattern maker. Both of which I had exactly zero skills for.

But, I am a pretty resourceful gal. I would learn as much as I could from the designers and tech team while I was in NY, and when I got on the plane, I learned everything else on the spot. By the end of my four years, I got pretty dam good at doing jobs I initially knew nothing about.

In LMCL, I teach the methods and skill sets I developed to produce 1000’s of styles a season without any design experience.

The method is a little complex and too much to get into now. But, I can promise you this. It requires absolutely no drawing, sewing, or design experience whatsoever. So, if not knowing how to do these things has prevented you from starting a clothing company. Don’t let it. You can do this (and do it really well) without any type of formal training!

I Don’t Believe You. All The Successful Brands I Look At Have Full Collections. No One Is Going To Take Me Seriously If I only Sell A Few Pieces.

Like I said earlier, you definitely do not need a completely ready for fashion week runway collection to launch a successful brand! But let’s dive in a bit more.

Most new brands want to launch a 30 piece collection because, for some reason, they think they need to provide an entire outfit for their customer. Jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket, maybe a cami to go under the top – and all in multiple colors.

New brands feel like they need to sell an entire look – but the reality is, customers just don’t shop that way.

You don’t need to offer every wardrobe solution to your customer. Because, today, most of us mix and match from tons of different stores. We don’t buy a complete outfit from one brand.

Still don’t believe me?

I dare you to look down at the outfit you are wearing right now. I am willing to bet you are wearing more than one brand. And, I doubt you said to yourself, I can’t buy this top from this brand if I don’t also buy underwear, pants, socks, and a hat.

I need you to make a mindset shift right now.

Instead of creating all these different components for one outfit, think more about price points. It’s not about giving someone a complete outfit to wear out of the house. It’s about giving them different spending options.

The point is, more isn’t always better. What’s important is good merchandising—knowing the exact right mix of products to market. Most fashion retailers have entire merchandising teams. They are responsible for analyzing data, including past sales and current fashion trends, and then telling the designers exactly what they should be designing more of.

Curious about what I mean? Check out this blog post on how to merchandise your sustainable fashion line like a pro.

How Do I Find Supply Chain Partners?

The advice I am about to give you is going to require a leap of faith. But, I need you to trust me.

Interestingly, there are a few other women who do what I do – help startup fashion brands. While we don’t always agree on everything, we all do agree on this…

Our supplier lists will do you absolutely no good if you don’t understand how this industry actually works. And, no – having a tech pack is not all you need.

Some (read, many) of my suppliers have requested that I not refer fashion startup businesses to them. And that is because they just don’t have the time to teach you how this industry works. They only want to take on serious clients who have taken LMCL and understand the ins and outs of the fashion industry.

Quick storytime.

I have an LMCL graduate who really wanted to work with this factory where her competitor was working. But basically, when she approached them, they were like; sorry, not sorry, we are not interested.

So, she took LMCL with the sole purpose of access to my list. What she learned along the way was that she was completely and totally unprepared.

About three months into the course, she approached the factory again after getting organized and doing the work the right way. This time they were so impressed with how professional she had become that they agreed to take a risk helping her small brand (which, by the way, her orders were way below their standard MOQ).

That’s what I call a fashion startup success!

I know in many businesses, it’s all about the list (especially email marketing). But, for sourcing and manufacturing, I can promise you this – you could have every single one of your competitor’s contacts. But if you don’t know the rules of the fashion game, you will be sent back to go without collecting $200 (actually, you might have even wasted thousands).

Now, you are probably thinking, but Melanie, you never answered my question. How do I find suppliers? And to answer that, I am going to say, when you have done all the research and all the fashion startup work correctly – this is no longer a question. If you think you are totally ready and are asking for supplier lists, take a pause. That is a red flag that you are doing something wrong.

I Think I Have A Good Idea, But So Many Brands Fail, How Do I “Make It”?

Starting a brand usually begins like this – we see a new brand that we like, or maybe an old Facebook friend just started a company, and we think – if they can do it, why can’t I?

But then, somewhere along the fashion startup journey, our mindset shifts, and we start to think – omg, I can’t do this, why did I ever think I could?

And that is the moment that separates brands that make it, and brands that don’t.

The trick here is to go back to your brand’s core—that very micro reason for why you are doing this.

Here is the best advice I can give you. If you take anything away from this article, please let it be this.

You and your brand don’t have to be for everyone. So, when you are building your brand, really focus is on one type of person you want to attract, their specific struggles, and their needs. So often, fashion startup brands want to be everything to everyone because they want to get every possible sale possible.

And, this is a terrible mistake.

I had a student who wanted to make dresses for women. Ok, cool. But when I started asking her about who would be buying the dresses, she didn’t know. She was like, well, I want them to appeal to 30 somethings, but also 60 somethings because sometimes my mom wears my clothes, but also high schoolers, because sometimes I notice that my style is on trend with younger people.

This type of multiple personality branding is a fashion startup recipe for disaster. Because think about it, the way you speak to a 16-year-old, 30-year-old, and 60 year old is totally different. And here is what ends up happening.

The 16-year-old thinks the brand is for oldies; the older person thinks the brand is too young and hip; and the 30 something is like, what is this even?

Focusing on one person and dedicating your entire brand experience to that person will create a brand that will succeed because your customer will think that you literally made it just for them.

Doing this target customer work correctly is the equivalent of becoming one of those people who walk into a room, and everyone notices them because they are so confident. They don’t even have to say anything; you can just feel it. And that’s exactly what a brand hat “makes it” does.

SELF DOUBTS

I Thought I Designed The Perfect Collection Until Someone Said “This Isn’t My Style” Now I Am Rethinking Everything

Somewhere along the way, someone is going to be like, “it’s just not my style.”

And your first reaction is going to be to panic.

Don’t panic. That’s ok.

Remember what I just said a few minutes ago. You aren’t for everyone. If that person is not your target customer, it doesn’t matter. Some of my best-selling styles some of my friends were like, I would never wear that… you should design this instead. And I was like, great, thank you for your input.

But, I never took their advice.

Because I knew they were not the people buying my clothes, so it didn’t matter if they liked them or not.

It’s important to listen to what others think about your brand and to be able to get constructive criticism to make it better. Because we can and should always be working on becoming the best version of ourselves. But it’s also important to know the difference between who you should be listening to and who you should be ignoring.

Please don’t waste your time trying to convince people who will never buy your clothes why they are so great. Instead, spend your time talking to your target customers.

How Much Time Do I Need To Launch A Brand?

Here is where I need to give you a bit of bad news. It’s going to take longer than you think. The biggest complaint I get during registration for LMCL is that the course is too long, and they want to launch in a shorter amount of time. To date, the fasted LMCL student launch I have had has been four months (and she was an influencer and had a head start building an engaged audience).

Now, get this.

When I talk to students after they graduate LMCL, many of them wish the course was even longer.

Do. Not. Rush. This. Process.

There are very few things guaranteed in life, but I can promise you this. If you rush the fashion startup process, you will ultimately end up wasting time and money. Go slow.

The realistic minimum to launch is six months. And, many of my students end up taking even longer because they want to make sure they get everything right and don’t end up wasting their hard-earned money on mistakes.

Should I Get A Fashion Startup Business Partner?

Many fashion startup founders want to get a business partner because they want that support system. They don’t want to feel like they are plunging into the unknown world of fashion startups alone.

But, if you are scared of flying solo – that is not a reason to get a business partner. Business partners can become tricky. It’s not just you making decisions; now you have someone else that needs to agree with you too.

If you have been thinking about bringing on a partner, maybe instead, you should think about joining a support group.

In LMCL, I have quite a few different groups. First, we have the cohort group chat. Everyone that is taking the course at the same time is in this group. Second, we have the graduates group, which is everyone that has graduated from the LMCL. The last group we have is the optional accountability groups. Groups of 4-5 people that meet independently and help motivate one another to meet deadlines in a safe and intimate space for sharing ideas, venting, asking for help, or basically anything.

When you have groups like that, you don’t need a business partner anymore.

Can You Sign My NDA?

Would you please stop this nonsense? No, no one in this industry will sign your NDA as you attempt to knock of Zara samples.

Asking for this shows how green you are. And when you show you’re green, you get taken advantage of (read higher prices).

Now, this is not legal advice. But here is what I recommend.

If you really think you have a super unique idea, go out and get a patent. The patent will then help to protect you from others stealing your idea.

If you are making custom prints – get a copyright for them.

Do the paperwork (and pay the fees) to protect your original work legally.

And, I can tell you this. Every single person who has asked me to sign their NDA, nothing they were sharing with me was original – it was all stuff I had seen 20 times before. This then led me to conclude that they had no idea what they were really doing. And, more often than not, I ended up passing on working with them.

A copy and paste, downloaded from the internet NDA, is usually a huge red flag for suppliers.

How Do I Find Customers When Influencers and Facebook Are Too Expensive?

SEO! SEO! One more time for the people in the back… SEO!

Your marketing plan should include a many prong approach. But, I can not say enough how blogging is forever helpful to getting organic traffic to your website.

If you are interested in getting started building your website traffic for your online fashion brand, check out this post.

What Are The Steps To Starting A Clothing Line?

That is an entire post on its own. Check out this article about all the steps in starting your brand. Then take a look at the LMCL courseto see if you want added support. LMCL is like a fashion career crash course mixed with a mentorship.

Speaking Of LMCL, How Many Of Your Students Are Successful?

I will be honest, not everyone makes it to the end and launches their line by the end of the six months. Life happens, and sometimes plans get put on hold. No one know’s what life is going to bring our way.

But, there is one metric that stands out to me.

The students that take the time to show up to office hours every week and clear their calendars to watch the lessons and do the homework; are the ones that always end up launching the quickest.

So, don’t worry about what other people are doing. Worry about yourself. If you decide to take LMCL, make sure you can dedicate at the very bare minimum at least 3 hours a week to your brand. One hour for watching the lesson and doing the homework, one hour for office hours, and one hour for independent work getting everything else done. While 3 hours is the minimum commitment to get you going, I would say 5-8 hours per week is a good average of the time students spend on their brands.

Do you have more questions about fashion startup life? Ask them in the comments!

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

I got to chat with Mattia the Head Of Communication + Photography and learn even more about the company and all of its offerings. And, just to be clear, I was not paid or incentivized to write about Manteco in any way. I just think they are a cool company, doing cool things, and helping small brands. If you know me, then you know that getting featured on the virtue + vice blog is almost impossible – I’m here to bring you the facts, not promotions. I have covered recycled polyester made from old plastic bottles, and now I am super excited to share about another type of fiber recycling being done by an amazing company.

Manteco History

Manteco started recycling wool, back in the 1940s. That’s over 80 years ago!

Wow.

This is one of the craziest things to me about some eco fabrics. While they are finally just starting to hit the mainstream, some of them, like Manteco, have been around for decades. And, like with khadi, I am a huge fan of old-school manufacturing techniques. Because I think the future of the industry lies in the past.

Back when Manteco first got started, it was much harder to get raw materials like wool. So the company was created as a workaround to the limited materials they had access to. Manteco started using the old jackets, pants, and uniforms that were left behind by the US Army in Prato and turning them into new yarns. (At that time Manteco was only producing recycled yarns, not textiles).

You might be having a bit of a Deja Vu feeling right now. I wrote an article about zero-waste in India that also has a similar sentiment. That’s because many of the most eco options we have are quite old school, and were born out of our ancestor’s lack of resources.

Fast Forward To Today

Manteco processes 5-6 million kg of fibers per year to be spun into yarns and then woven and knit into fabrics.

These fabrics are made from two different types of raw materials. The first is post-consumer wool sources, like old worn wool garments. And, the second is. pre-consumer wool waste that is a by-product from the manufacturing process and also unsold garments.

How New Fabrics Are Made From Old Customer’s Garments

Breaking Them Down

First, they sort the old clothes by color and fiber composition. Then, everything is shred. The machine looks like a large conveyer belt. And, as the sweaters move through the system they are torn apart until they are broken back down into only fibers.

The cool thing about Manteco’s system is that they only use mechanical actions to break down the fibers.

A lot of new recycling companies today (especially cotton recycling companies) will break down the garments using chemicals – in their systems cotton goes in, but new rayon comes out. With Manteco there is no chemical change. So, whatever goes into the system wool, cashmere, etc, comes out on the other end.

Creating Colors

Once the garments have been reduced to only fibers, new colors are created. Again, no chemical dyes are used in this process. Instead, different fibers colors are mixed together (just like paint) to create a totally new color through the recycling process.

Manteco has created more than 1000 different colors, each with its own unique “recipe”. And, they are so good at this color mixing, they are even able to match customers custom colors.

Getting the perfect mix of different fiber color blends can be difficult. So, to make sure they get it right, first they test the recipe with 50 grams of fibers. Once they have it perfect, they are then able to multiply the ratios and create larger quantities that are thousands of kilos.

Yarns

At this point, we have a big tangled mess of fibers. And, the first step to making yarn is getting all the fibers to face in the same direction. For this, a carding machine is used. It kind of looks like two big brushes that comb one another. As the fibers pass through they rearrange to all face the same direction.

During this time they also check the final fabric color by felting the fibers, this gives an idea of what the fibers will eventually look like in fabric form.

Once all of the fibers are into formation, they are brought to the spinning mill that will pull, twist, and turn them into yarns.

Weaving

The yarns are then sent to a coning mill. Where, just like it sounds, they are wound onto paper cones. During this time there is also a quality check to make sure all of the yarns are uniform and of good quality.

Cones are then sent to the warping mill. At the warping mill, the yarns are wound onto loom beams, and these beams will eventually become the warp of the fabric.

The beams are then sent to the weaving mill, where they are placed on a loom. And the weaving process can begin by inserting the weft or fill yarns.

The weave construction of the fabric is totally customizable and can be made to whatever specific requirements a customer needs.

Finishing

When the weaving process is done, you are left with a greige fabric. To be used, a greige fabric usually needs to be processed.

Traditionally textile finishing is one of the least eco-friendly processes in the fabric supply chain. That is because fabrics are often treated with a cocktail of (sometimes carcinogenic) chemicals to do everything from making them feel softer, to preventing mold during the shipping process.

But, with Manteco, there are no chemical processes. Only mechanical.

During these final finishing stages, the final look of the fabric can be altered. There are pile effects, shaggy looks, brushed fabrics, beaver fabrics, etc, even boiled wool.

It is all customizable depending on what the customer wants.

Only The Best Quality

The last step is a quality check. After the fabric is inspected internally, a small cutting is sent to the customer for approval. If everything looks good, then it is shipped to the customer to be made into apparel.

Industry Waste

Did you know that there is waste across all of the wool supply chain? At every step I just described above, we lose some of the fibers. Normally those fibers would end up in the trash.

But, not with Manteco.

Instead, Manteco works with a company that helps them to recover what would have been lost fibers during production processes. And those waste fibers are then upcycled into recycled wool yarns.

This recovered wool fiber waste from the supply chain is no small amount. Up to 10% of all the raw materials processed are re-recovered and used in the yarns instead of being thrown away! T

The process is estimated to save over 200k kg of wool fibers every year. That is seriously a lot of sweaters that can be made just from factory waste!

A Few Sustainable Bonuses

Solar Energy

“Our headquarters and all our warehouses are completely powered by solar panels, thus allowing us to be fully self-sufficient in terms of electricity.”

Water Purification

“Water purification is the process of removing chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from wastewater, in order for it to be reused.

GIDA SPA was created in 1981 and manages wastewater treatment plants for the industrial aqueduct network of Manteco System. Through the research and the application of innovative solutions and energy efficiency, the water used in our textile production processes is properly treated, and put back into the industrial system in the most environmentally responsible way.”

Eco-Conscious Packaging

“We know that packaging has a big impact on the planet, so when we ship our fabrics, we carefully protect them with packaging made with recycled plastic. When samples are shipped they are shipped in pouchettes that are made from upcycled high-end fabrics. And, lastly, the company uses QR codes to fabric information instead of paper printouts.”

Being A Textile Sleuth, I Had A Few Questions About Their Recycled Wool…

With the second-hand and clothing resale markets booming, is there a shortage of garments to upcycle?

“No. Even though recycling and also second-hand shopping is becoming more popular there is still no shortage of raw materials.”

Now, my two cents is, this kind of had me feeling conflicted. I wanted to be like yay, so happy for you that you can keep doing this amazing process. But, I was also like, wow, just how much waste do we produce as a planet that it seems like there is a never-ending supply of second-hand materials?

You gave me a ton of info about woven fabrics, is there any chance you do knits too?

“Yes. We make knits like jersey fabric also.”

Ok, this all sounds amazing, and I know a ton of small brands that would love to start using recycled wool in their lines. Any chance you are open to low MOQ orders?

“Yes. We hold stock inventory this way small brands can buy small MOQs. We have a big stock fabrics warehouse where we keep all the qualities that are ready for immediate sampling. These fabrics are perfect for young designers and small brands to use.

And, we have another warehouse that is just for schools and universities. The Monteco Academy gives webinars and organizes factory visits for field trips and is very involved in education. We even have a special warehouse for only students that has more than 1500 types of fabrics.”

I have to ask. Because I know it’s going to be on all my clients’ minds… Is recycled wool lower quality than virgin wool products?

“When you shred the garments the fibers will be a little shorter, and shorter fibers are considered lower quality.

This is a fact, and there is just no way around this.

But if you invest in technology and doing studies on how to make the process as least destructive as possible then you can still get a high-quality fabric. That is why the way we shred the garments is a secret. Through the decades we have also been able to improve the spinning and finishing process. With all of the improvements through the supply chain, we are at the point where we can create recycled wool fabrics that are as beautiful as virgin ones.

It’s important to remember that the length of the recycled fibers is also dependent on the fibers that we put into the system. So the longer and higher quality fibers that go in, the better quality fabric we are able to make with them.”

There is a fine line between upcycling and downcycling. What are you doing?

“We are upcycling. Taking waste and making it into something great. A luxury quality textile. Our goal is to try and make recycled wool and other recycled fabrics as beautiful as virgin material fabrics.

With downcycling companies are making that waste into things like nonwoven fabrics (felt), stuffing, padding, insulation, etc.”

Last question. What is one misconception about recycled wool that you would like to set straight?

Most people think that colors are limited. But, we have gotten so good at creating colors we can even match to Pantones!

What do you think?

Leave me your comments below.

And, small startup brands, if you are interested in giving new life to textiles waste, and incorporating recycled wool or other fibers for your garments or accessories? Well then, definitely take a look at Manteco’s product range of available stock fabrics that are ready for you to use immediately with low MOQs!

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

The world of fashion news is chaotic. There is this oversimplistic world of publications like Fashionista where a credible news source is anyone with over 100k followers on Instagram.

The consequence of journalists getting quotes from people with the most likes instead of credible experts is that you, the consumer, end up getting left in the dark about what it is you are actually supporting when you buy something new. Whether it is polyester clothing, or something else.

That’s why it’s so important for me to take you on A Look Behind The Seams of the fashion industry. I want you to see the full picture, not just a snapshot.

The History Of Poly

Have You Heard Of Polymer Science?

To understand where polyester comes from, first, we need to take a quick peek into the world of polymer science.

Whenever I hear the world polymer science I always think about the character Rusty Cartwright from the early 2000’s cult tv show Greek. Ok, maybe I am dating myself here. He was a polymer science major. And, what the show made very clear, in just about every episode, was that it was basically the hardest major at the college.

Anyway, polymer science is a really serious discipline. And, it requires an insane knowledge of science, specifically chemistry.

Not only are polymer scientists responsible for creating polyester. They are also responsible for other materials. Polymers can be plastics like kevlar (think, bulletproof vests), and Teflon (stick-free pans). Or, they can be all natural like rubber or even wood.

“By definition, polymers are large molecules made by bonding (chemically linking) a series of building blocks. The word polymer comes from the Greek words for “many parts.” Each of those parts is what scientists call a monomer (which in Greek means “one part”). Think of a polymer as a chain, with each of its links a monomer. Those monomers can be simple — just an atom or two or three — or they might be complicated ring-shaped structures containing a dozen or more atoms.”

Fiber Invention History Is Like A Really Messy Family Tree (With Multiple Divorces)

Ok, now that we understand the type of seriously smart people who are responsible for plastic innovation (because that is what the invention of polyester really was – the development of a new type of plastic), we can dive into the history.

Dr. Wallace Carothers was a leading scientist at DuPont. And, is credited with inventing nylon. But, what much of modern textile history forgets, is that he laid the groundwork for polyester. The legend goes that DuPont made a strategic decision at the time to push forward with nylon research and abandon polyester.

Polyester was then picked up by J.R. Whinfield and J.T. Dickson both of Calico Printers Association in England. While polyester was able to be successfully produced, again it took second stage to nylon.

That is because during this time of textile innovation WWII was also happening. And, nylon, was a quick easy way to replace silk parachutes, and ultimately helped us to win the war. So, polyester was ignored for a while.

Now, I have Been Calling It Polyester But, During This Time, Polyester Did Not Go By The Name We All Know It As Today

It was around 1953, and the UK company Imperial Chemical Industries bought the British patent from Calico for the chemical technology and called the fibers produced Terylene. And, in the United States DuPont bought back the chemical patent and manufactured it under the name Dacron.

Kind of ironic right? DuPont had to buy back the patent for a fiber they basically created.

By 1958 Eastman Chemical Products created their own polyester called Kodel. And, the way they got around the patents was that they produced them using a slightly different method than Terylene and Dacron.

After that, in 1960 Imperial Chemical Industries (UK), teamed up with Celanese Corporation of America to produce yet another type of polyester – Fortrel.

And, finally, Beaunit released their version of poly, Vycron.

By the 1990s (when many of us reading this were alive, I know I was) there were a total of 13 companies that were making different versions of poly in the United States. They were – Albany International, Allied Fibers, Ametek, BASF Fibers, du Pont, Eastman Chemical Products, Firestone Fibers, Fuilford Fibers Division, Hoechst Calenese, Johnson Filaments, Monofilaments, Inc. Shakespear, and Wellant Industries.

Isn’t that wild to think about? Only 30 years ago this country was a top producer of polyester! And, now we make none of it.

A Look Behind The Seams

Now that we know the soap opera level history of polyester production and all its patents, let’s talk about how it is actually made.

There are two common chemical mixes for polyester. The first is dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene. And, the second is terephthalic acid and other dihydric alcohols. Add a lot of heat to the mix, and a byproduct of the reaction is methanol.

Methanol is what is most problematic in this equation, not necessarily the dependence on petroleum (read crude oil and fossil fuel).

According to the CDC “​​Methanol may cause birth defects of the central nervous system in humans. Chronic poisoning from repeated exposure to methanol vapor may produce inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis), recurrent headaches, giddiness, insomnia, stomach disturbances, and visual failure.”

The heated mixture is then filtered to remove any impurities. And then, the pure mixture passes through a spinnerette (basically a really tiny showerhead). When the liquid comes out of the other end it is cooled in the air forming a fiber.

It sounds pretty simple, right? And, it kind of is. The only problem is the byproducts of the process are pretty toxic, as I mentioned just a second ago. And, for some reason, no one is talking about it.

A few months ago I got in a disagreement with a rando in a sustainable fashion Facebook group that I am a part of. I was talking about how I didn’t think that polyester deserved the terrible reputation the media gave it, and I had a few facts to back up my opinion… More on those in a second.

I went into the conversation thinking she was just another consumer with misinformation. So, why not hit her with some science? Because that’s what this topic is really all about, textile science.

But, what I soon realized was that she had a hemp bathing suit company. Meaning, she had an agenda, to push her wares on people.

Now, I am sure she meant well. Even though she basically called me an earth-destroying goblin for even suggesting hemp was not the most sustainable choice.

Now, this girl was a bit unhinged – why does a civilized disagreement always need to result in name-calling on the internet? But, it did get me thinking about a major problem with startup supply chains and information.

Brands, or soon to be brands, you can’t believe everything you are told.

Even from your suppliers. Even, if you really want to believe it.

Because, the truth is, suppliers are often going to tell you what it is that they think you want to hear.

The biggest example of this is all of the banana and lotus silk in India. It’s all fake. Everyone that works in the industry knows it, but every day there is yet another wide-eye, a little too trusting newbie brand believing what anyone will tell them.

So, let’s get to the real facts.

Color

Natural polyester fibers are slightly transparent and off-white. And, hemp fibers can range from cream to brown.

There are two advantages to adding color to polyester over hemp.

The first one might be a little obvious, especially if you are an artist or know a little about color mixing.

Polyester creates a better base than natural hemp. Think about it this way. If you wanted to paint your walls bright yellow. Would you start with a brown base, or a white one? A white one, because the brown would most likely show through the yellow paint and create a dirty-looking color.

So, to dye hemp effectively first you need to process it with a semi-bleach treatment. To get it closer to a white color.

The whole extra step of preparing hemp for dying involves tons of water, chemicals, and heat (read energy). Not exactly eco, right? For those of you keeping count. That’s one point for polyester.

The second thing we need to talk about when it comes to color is the dyeable color range. Synthetic fibers get their color with disperse dyes. And, hemp generally uses reactive dyes.

Here’s what they mean…

Disperse dyes require a crazy amount of heat to push the color into the fibers. But, once the colors are in there, they are pretty stuck. That is why polyester fabrics dyed with disperse dyes tend to have good very good colorfastness. Colorfastness is the industry way of saying how well color sticks onto a fabric. Generally, disperse dyes go well with polyester fibers, and other fibers with a petroleum base. They don’t play well with plant fibers like cotton, or rayon. And, another benefit to disperse dyes is that you can literally hit any shade under the sun.

Reactive dyes work by creating a covalent bond (yes, I know, more science) with the fiber. These dyes are as simple as RIT dye that you can buy off of Amazon and use in your own bathtub. But, with a little extra heat, they do tend to perform better. These are easy to use, but they only really work on cellulosic fibers like cotton, rayons, and of course hemp. The downside to these easy peasy dyes is that they have a limited color range. Super brights like neons are impossible to achieve. And, reactive dyes are not as colorfast, meaning they fade easier than disperse dyes.

So, based on color performance, what is the better option to use?

Poly will leave you with a brighter longer lasting color. But, if you are looking to lower your footprint, and use less electricity/heat, or even dye at home, hemp might be the way to go.

Remember, I am never going to tell you this is right and this is wrong. All I can do for you is tell you the facts, and let you make your own decisions.

Tenacity Properties

In the textile industry, tenacity is a term we use to describe the strength of a fiber. A common unit of measure to describe the strength of a fiber is g/d or grams of breaking force per denier (denier is how we measure the width of a synthetic yarn). Generally, the stronger the fiber the better, because that means the fabrics and garments should be strong too.

Polyester, depending on what type you use has a tenacity of 2.5-9.5 g/d. That is a huge range. But, most apparel uses polyester that has a tenacity of 4.5g/d.

In comparison, hemp has a tenacity of 5.8-6.8 g/d. So, while we can manufacturer polyesters that are stronger than hemp, generally, in most of the apparel in our closets the hemp we find is stronger than the polyester.

This seams promising for our perfect swimsuit doesn’t it?

But, The Next Thing We Need To Ask Is. How Strong Is The Fiber When It Is Wet?

Many fibers (like cotton) become weaker when they are wet. And swimsuits are meant for the water, so this is important to think about.

Quick side note. Fiber strength when wet is part of the reason why laundering clothes will make them wear out quicker. They are in an already weakened state, being bashed around a washing machine.

Anyway. Polyester keeps about the same amount of strength when wet. But, get this. Hemp actually gets stronger when wet.

So, for a bathing suit this is actually starting to sound like the perfect fiber option, strong, and then ever stronger when wet!

But, there hold off on making any decisions, there are a few more things we need to think about.

Moisture Regain + Saturation Regain

Moisture regain is the percent of moisture in a fiber under normal conditions. Saturation regain is the percent of moisture absorbed by a fiber with 95-100% humidity.

And, FYI, 100% humidity means that the air is totally saturated with water, and even just the littlest bit more humidity will push it over the edge and create rain.

So, what does this have to do with picking the perfect textile for a swimsuit?

Polyester has very low moisture regain at only about 0.4% and 0.6-0.8% for saturation regain. This means polyester does not really like water, and it’s very quick drying.

But on the negative side, very dry fibers tend to build up a lot of static electricity. Basically poly is not your friend if you are trying to create long flowy gowns for the desert. The try conditions will make the fabric crumple right up and the fabric sticks to itself.

But, this is perfect for a swimsuit. For comfort, when you go swimming you don’t want your bathing suit to absorb a lot of water, because when it does it becomes heavy, stretches out, and is not just uncomfortable, but also a hazard to swim in.

For Comparison…

Hemp has a moisture regain of 12% and saturation regain of 30%. Hemp really likes water, and it will absorb a lot of moisture.

Loving to absorb water is part of what makes hemp so comfortable to wear in hot climates, it is able to absorb sweat from the body creating a cooling sensation. Where polyester in the heat literally feels like you are wearing a plastic bag (because you technically are).

So, while hemp is great for a hike through the jungle. It’s not very comfortable to swim in. And, once you get it wet, be prepared to be damp for a while.

For this reason, if you are planning to swim in your swimsuit (did you know some companies are making swimsuits for fashion only that can’t get wet) polyester is probably a better choice over hemp.

Sun Resistance

Swimsuits are meant to be worn in the warm weather, and part of swimsuit culture is being a beach bum – always out in the sun.

Polyester has very good sun resistance in and so does hemp.

Now, when you think of sun resistance you might actually be getting the concept confused with colorfastness. Colorfastness means how much color will fade in the sun. Sun resistance, measure if a fabric will degrade from sun exposure.

Many natural fibers tend to start to break down when they are left in the sun for prolonged periods of time. Luckily, hemp is not one of those types of natural fibers.

Biological Factors

What about pests and mold?

Insects and microorganisms don’t really like to eat polyester (part of the reason it lasts so long in the landfill).

And, another benefit of poly is that mold does not really affect it. Even if the fabric does grow mold, it will rarely affect the strength of the garment. All you need to do is clean the mold off (in Goa we just throw our clothes in the sun and the UV light will kill it), and it’s basically as good as new.

Hemp isn’t as resilient to pests, but overall compared to a lot of other natural cellulosic fibers pests don’t really love it.

But, hemp does create a nice habitat for mold to grow.

So, if you are thinking about using hemp for a swimsuit, that could be a problem. Mold loves moist environments, and a swimsuit that naturally has trouble drying out creates the perfect place for mold to grow.

When it comes to keeping your swim gear mold-free, I think polyester has an advantage.

Microplasticity

Microplasticity basically means that you can mold the fabric by melting it down and then re-setting it in a shape. An example of this technique in use are pleats and permanent presses. Now, I am not sure where that would come in helpful designing a swimsuit, but it’s a cool textile function to know about.

So What Would You Make A Swimsuit Out Of?

By now I hope you are starting to realize, fibers are not one size fits all.

When you are designing something it is important to look at the end-use. Not, just the fibers pros and cons in a vacuum. Some fibers are better for certain products (like poly for swim). While others are better in different categories (like hemp for denim).

A Few More Things I Think You Should Know About Polyester

How Polyester Has Improved Through The Years

HIGGS Index Says It’s More Sustaianble Than Silk And Other Natural Fibers

The HIGG Index (an offshoot of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) ranks the environmental impact of everything fashion. And, is basically the gold standard for both small and large brands alike.

If you didn’t hear, some of the craziest conscious fashion news of 2020, was the HIGGs Index proclaiming as polyester one of the most sustainable fibers to use.

What?

“Figures from the all-new fibre scoring tool show the environmental impact of polyester according to the MSI has fallen from 44 to 36 – making it by far and away the most sustainable fibre on the planet. Meanwhile, Higg’s completely unwarranted attack on the silk industry (and other natural fibres) continues – silk’s impact per kilo has risen from 681 to 1086 per kilo.”

Unpacking the HIGG index will need to be a post for another day. But I encourage you to start doing your own research into what they are saying about polyester.

So, Is Recycled Polyester More Eco-Friendly?

Yes and no. Like I am constantly preaching, the answers to fast fashion problems are not black and white.

While it’s great that polyester can be made from old plastic, like from water bottles, fishing nets, and industrial waste. The process to make new fibers isn’t exactly chemical-free.

Check out this article from Plastics Recycling Updates –

“Methanolysis is a process through which scrap PET is heated and treated with methanol. The process breaks down the plastic into its component monomers, dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), and mixing ethylene glycol (EG), which are purified and used to make new plastic. Eastman calls its technology “polyester renewal technology.”

So, dangerous methanol is still part of the equation.

You can also check out this blog post I wrote a while back about how plastic recycling is not going to save fast fashions problems.

Not All Polys Are The Same, There Are Actually Many Different Qualities Depending On Use

What is polyester material like? When polyesters first hit the market, they were round, bouncy, and created very distinct-looking fabrics. Today they come in all shapes and sizes. From brushed knits that are super cozy to fabrics that are almost identical to silk, to high-performing outdoor apparel.

Microplastics (ps…I was the first to report on this, before any MSM)

Speaking of all polyesters being different, listen to this.

I know the confused media has taught us all to believe that all polyesters are evil because they release microplastics. But, the actual reality is that they all don’t. Some fabrics release them, and some hardly do.

So how do you know which are polluting the oceans, and which are ok to buy? Well, that’s the hard part.

IMO, it should be the job of companies to do the necessary testing to find out if the polys they are using are contributing to damaging the oceans, or if they are using safe polyesters.

There is actually a test by the AATCC to find this out (although it does cost a pretty penny).

Finally, Let’s Have An Open Discussion

There are no wrong answers here.

Here are my two cents. It’s important to consider the end-use of the garment. Yes, polyester is often used to cheapen products and increase bottom lines. But, sometimes when used correctly, like in the case of swim, or performance apparel. Or, if it is being used to add a little bit of strength it helps make cotton clothes last longer, it really could be the best, dare I say, more sustainable option.

I think it’s important to look holistically at the garment design, and also what is important to you, and then decide if using polyester really is, that bad.

Tell me what you think!

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

What Is A Cut And Sew Manufacturer?

A Quick Definition

Learning all of the vocab of the apparel industry can feel impossible – but, don’t worry I am here to help. In this case, cut and sew manufacturing is actually pretty simple and exactly what it sounds like. Cut and sew manufacturing is the process of taking a garment pattern, tracing it onto fabric, cutting the fabric, and then sewing the custom-cut pieces into a garment.

Easier said than done…

When you are looking for cut and sew services here is a hint, try also searching for sewing contractors. These are companies that are basically either their own independent factory or have a network of factories that can help you sew apparel.

But, aren’t all clothes made this way?

Actually no.

What Can’t A Cut And Sew Manufacturer Help You With?

While cut and sew manufacturers are a great place to start making your custom clothing runs, sadly they can’t help you with everything that you might want to make.

If you plan on making seamless knits, full fashion knits, or shoes + accessories, you will need to find someone else that has those special capabilities.

Because a lot of startups don’t realize they are making styles that fall into one of the three categories, I am going to quickly go ever them.

Seamless Knits

Again, these are exactly what they sound like. A garment that does not have any sewn seams. An example would be a sweater that was knit with two needles – like, made the old-fashioned way. But, now there are machines that can do this, and they are much more efficient. And, the technology has progressed so it’s not just sweaters it’s things like athletic bras, and yoga pants.

Full Fashion Knits

Full fashion knits are kind of like seamless knits, but they do have some seams. Generally, panels of the pattern are made on the knitting machine. Then, a special machine links the pieces together. Notice, I didn’t say sew here. The linking process is more like using yarn (instead of thread) to loop the panels together.

What is important to remember with seamless and full fashion knits is that we skip the textile phase. The garment comes straight from the yarn. There is no fabric to cut and then sew.

Shoes + Accessories

Shoes and accessories require their own set of different machines. Especially leather products. You need really strong needles and machines to sew through layers of leather. That is why, generally, a regular cut and sew factory is not the place for shoes or accessories.

What Is The Number One Pro Of Using A Cut And Sew Manufacturing Service?

Low MOQs!

Or, lowish MOQs (minimum order quantities). The problem with seamless and full fashion knits is that the MOQs for these types of designs tend to have extremely high minimums. And high minimums are generally what small startups want to avoid.

With, cut and sew, if you find the right suppliers, you can get super low minimums and make as little as 1 piece of a style.

Full Package vs Nominated Supplier

These are two terms that you will hear thrown around a lot. And, newbies never know what they mean.

Full Package

Full package means that your clothing manufacturer will do everything for you. They will make your pattern, source your fabric, and even buy the poly bags and boxes to ship in.

Basically they will take care of and source everything that has to do with your product.

Nominated Supplier

A nominated supplier is a supplier that you found yourself. And then, you tell the factory that you want them to buy fabric, or labels + tags, or buttons, or whatever from that person.

For help with sourcing, check out this post.

A Look Behind The Seams Of How A Cut And Sew Factory Operates

There are four main areas of a cut and sew factory or sample room. Well, there are actually a ton of mini-steps happening in between, but there is a lot of information in this article, so we are going to keep it simple for now.

A production order will go through four zones of a factory they are – fabric inspection, cutting, sewing, and quality assurance.

Fabric Inspection

This is a really important step in the process, that some small sampling rooms tend to skip. What happens in this step is all of your fabric is unrolled and checked for any defects.

Now, the fabric mill should have also checked for any damages before sending the fabric to the factory. But, it is also important to double-check when the factory receives the fabric. Because the mill could have not done a great job inspecting. Or, there could have been damage from the shipping process.

Cutting

With small sample runs each layer of fabric is cut individually with a giant pair of scissors. But, when you are making hundreds, or even thousands of pieces, the factory will stack the fabric up, and use a chain saw to cut all of the layers. Yes, I said chain saw.

Sewing

In a small sample room, generally, only one person will sew your entire garment.

But in a larger factory, one person might only be in charge of sewing on the right sleeve, and another person the collar. That is because, to be more efficient, in larger factories, sewers need to be highly specalized. So, they become perfect at one task, by doing it over and over again.

Quality Assurance

This is another step that is super important. Quality assurance is the final step. This is where the facotry checks the final garments. They look for things like loose yarns, good quality stitching, and even things like a broken sewing needs that might have gotten stuck in the seams.

How To Find + Vet A Cut And Sew Manufacturer That Is Right For Your Brand

My number one tip? Don’t just settle for the first person that will take on your order. I know it can be tempting to just go with the first person who doesn’t say, “sorry your order is too small for us”.

But…

Do Yourself A Favor. And, Shop Around.

Get a few quotes, and make sure you are comfortable with the vibe of the person you are working with.

I have said it before, and I will say it again (like the true manufacturing broken record I have become). Working with a supply chain partner isn’t just about hiring someone. It’s hiring someone that is going to be crucial member on your team.

Look At The Current Product Range

The other thing you want to spend a lot of time doing when hiring a cut and sew factory is taking a good look at the current product range. For example, if everything they are making for current clients is in the world of athleisure, then raincoats might not be the best fit.

Ask About The Machines

This goes back to the type of product. Some types of products require special machines. An example of this is swimsuits. Your factory should have something called a flatlock machine. This machine will help keep the seams extra stretchy and prevent them from ripping.

Get References

Oh, hey it’s me, borken record, here again. On this blog, I have probably said this 20+ times. But, just in case you are new here, or forgot – always, always, geta reference.

Some Work Might Need To Be Out Sourced

Think things like embroidery, sublimation printing, screen printing, or even making buttonholes. All of this type of work might need to be outsourced to other industry specialists.

Kind of crazy, right? There are people in this industry who have entire (successful) businesses only making buttons holes.

When you start working with a factory, always remember to get clear on what they are doing in house, and what they will be subcontracting out.

And, As Always…

Please let me hear your thoughts in the comments section!

so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE

Yes, The Industry Is Greedy, But, Not All The Time…

I was inspired to write this post because I have been seeing a lot of people complaining online about having trouble finding manufacturing partners with low minimum orders. And, they always jump to the conclusion. That if they can’t get the small orders they need then the factory must be part of the fast-fashion problem. And, this is very, very false. First of all, 500 pieces is not a fast-fashion quantity, 500,000 pieces is.

So, to really understand why factories require higher MOQs than you might be comfortable with, you need to understand how the manufacturing process works. Here we go.

How Factories Work

The thing first you need to understand about working in apparel manufacturing is that everything is a chain reaction. And, when one part of the system has been affected all parts of the system are affected. For example, when your buttons are held up and late to be delivered, it’s not as simple as just sewing the whole shirt, and then putting the buttons on later. It all needs to be done inflow, together.

It drives factories crazy when newbie brands are like “well you have 95% of what you need can’t you just start with that?”

No, Karen, no.

And, I’ll tell you why. Working that way is extremely inefficient, and factories make their money by learning to be as efficient as possible.

And understanding this is the key to starting to understand why MOQ can be so high.

Learn To Think About The Hidden Work

Here is another very common startup question. “I can meet the MOQ of 500 pieces if you let me split it between 5 different colors. Can’t we just make 100 pieces of each color? It’s all the same pattern.”

Well, let’s look at the order of 5 different colors of all the same style from a factory micro level. In reality, it is like ordering 5 totally different styles. That is because the processes need to happen separately for each color. It’s 5 dye formulas, 5 dye baths, 5 different lab tip approvals, 5 times through the dying and finishing machines. Basically, 5 times the time to produce!

And, here is just one more example (out of so many) where factories lose time just by making just one more color!

For each color, you want to make the factory needs to literally take out all of the sewing threads in the machines, and then put new ones in to match the next color. It might not sound like a lot of work, but I promise you it is.

Factories Become More Efficient With Time

The other reason factories like bigger orders are because they give them time to get good at what they are making. They can increase their productivity, and increase their margins.

If you give them an order for only 50 pieces, by the time the sewers really get into making it and start to get efficient and better with practice, the order is done. But, when they have an order of 1000 pieces it’s a little different. On the first day, their sewers might only be able to make 10 pieces. Them, maybe on day five 15, and towards the end of the order 20 per day.

Aside from efficiency, sewers actually like this type of work. It is less stressful for them when they can just tap into their muscle memory and don’t have to learn the little intricacies of a new design every few days.

And, It’s Also Kinda Personal

Now, from an efficiency standpoint, I think it’s pretty obvious why factories might not want to take on low MOQ orders. But, there is one more reason. And, it’s kind of personal. (Remember, it’s never my style to tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear).

When you approach a factory as a startup asking for super low MOQs, it means they will need to train you. And, training a new client takes time. Thanks to youtube and TikTok, we all are all kind of under the false illusion that we can learn to do anything online. But, right now we need to push our egos aside and listen to the factory’s perspective.

No matter how many youtube videos you watch, or books you read – there is nothing like real-world experience. The world of fashion is chaotic. That is part of the reason it’s so exciting to work in. Even after working in this business for over a decade I am still constantly learning new things.

Because things are going wrong what feels like all the time, factories want to mitigate their risks however they can. So, that often means passing up on those low MOQ startup orders.

Even if you have your tech pack, and think you look all professional and are ready to go – you’re not. This past week alone I spoke with 2 sourcing agents who have a strict policy on not working with startup brands. And they both said it was because startups waste their time. But… they have agreed to work with my LMCL students. That is because they know they have been well trained on how the industry works. And, they won’t have to dedicate their time to teaching them the right way to do things.

Remember, When You Start Sampling, Even Though You Are Paying The Factory – They Are Basically Working For Free

Those sampling charges often barely cover the time and (wo)manpower it takes to create your samples. So, the more time they need to teach you how to be a good client, the more free work they are basically doing.

Factories (unless they are specifically set up to specialize in low MOQ orders), don’t actually start to make money until you place your bulk order).

And, I want you to keep this in mind when chatting with your factory partner.

Think of all the little questions and all the little mistakes. They might not seem like a big deal from your perspective but are huge time, resources, and money wasters for the factory. A brand forgetting 1 seemingly small detail in a tech pack or pattern could add hours to a sewer’s work.

What You Can Do If You Don’t Meet A Factory MOQ

Get Professional

Before you reach out to a factory. Take the time to learn how to do it the right way. And, please be careful of who you get advice from. Here is a tip, make sure they have actually worked in the industry.

The Rules Aren’t Set In Stone

Ok, here is something else that no one in this industry would ever actually say directly to a small startup. But, I will let you in on this little secret.

We bend the rules for people we like.

This is a lesson I learned while in fast fashion. I spent a lot of time overseas working with factories directly and building relationships. And, those relationships are what “made miracles happen”. I was able to get things rushed when no one else could. Not, even the owner and president of the company. And, the only reason I was able to was because the factory reps liked me. And, wanted to help me – so my projects would get squeezed to the front of the line and prioritized.

I have lots of clients that don’t meet our formal MOQ’s but, I like them. I want to work with them and bend the rules.

Why do I like them?

To be succinct, because they are chill. They work hard. Don’t have a lot of ego. Take the time to put together all their materials in a way that is easy for me and the factory to understand. And, in general, they are just very easy to work with.

As far as I see it, when a brand takes the time to learn this industry and is really trying – I want to help them, so bend the rules a little.

The best advice I can give you starting out when you have low MOQs is to be gracious of other people’s time.

As I just explained for most of this blog post – factories don’t make much money on sampling or these small MOQ orders. So, always remember to be constantly thanking your supply chain partners, and letting them know how much you appreciate them taking a chance on you.

Now, Let’s Talk About The Low MOQ Clothing Manufacturer Niche

As more and more people start quitting their jobs to chase their dreams of starting their own companies (which by the way I support one thousand percent), I am seeing more small mini-factories pop up that cater to small MOQ orders.

While at first, this solution sounds like a dream, it does come with its own set of unique pros and cons. So, let’s dig in.

The Pros To Working With A Factory That Specializes in Startups

Well, low MOQs. Duh, lol.

These studios that allow small quantity orders are great for small brands who don’t have huge budgets (yet) to commit to ordering large quantities of garments. We also call companies that specialize in this type of work custom clothing manufacturers.

But, while this sounds great, there is a major downside to custom clothing manufacturing.

The Con Of Working With A Low MOQ Clothing Manufacturer- Higher Prices

When you work with these small quantity clothing factories that specalize in the world of low MOQ clothing manufacturing you will find the pricing is really high. And, many small businesses don’t budget accordingly for that when they start to work on their clothing line.

Here is the truth, creating an affordable sustainable brand that only produces 10 of each style and retails at $50 is impossible – unless you want to lose money. Because, your cost might be $50 or, even more just to produce the garment!

So, if you are going to go the low MOQ route, what you must remember is you are going to need to increase your retail price point to turn a profit.

One Last Tip – Where To Find A Low MOQ Clothing Manufacturer

Look on the outskirts of manufacturing hubs. A great example of this is Hong Kong.

Today, there is not much mass garment manufacturing left on the island. There just isn’t enough space for large factories. Not to mention the rents there are way too high to make it cost-effective. But, thanks to their proximity to China, Hong Kong is able to reap the benefits of China’s highly organized supply chain systems, and create small sewing units (many tailored for tourists and small local businesses).

Other hubs to start your search are LA and NYC in the United States and Jaipur in India.

I hope this helped!

While building your fashion empire, there are going to be pros and cons to every decision you make. There is no right and wrong. Stop asking, what should I do to be a perfect brand? Instead, focus on education and learning each type of process. Then make the decision that is best for you and your brand. Let me know in the comments – do you plan to work with a low MOQ clothing manufacturer?