I'm pretty happy with it, i'm not gonna lie.... also i'm in the section of "BACK TO COOL" .....see sarcastic brother and friends who continuously mock my dance moves. I TOLD YOU. I AM COOL. I AM COOL. I AM COOL!!!!!!!
THANKS GRAZIA!
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Autumn / Winter 2010 trousers grace GRAZIA
Check out the Khaki wax cotton Joanna Maria trousers in this weeks GRAZIA
I'm pretty happy with it, i'm not gonna lie.... also i'm in the section of "BACK TO COOL" .....see sarcastic brother and friends who continuously mock my dance moves. I TOLD YOU. I AM COOL. I AM COOL. I AM COOL!!!!!!!
THANKS GRAZIA!
I'm pretty happy with it, i'm not gonna lie.... also i'm in the section of "BACK TO COOL" .....see sarcastic brother and friends who continuously mock my dance moves. I TOLD YOU. I AM COOL. I AM COOL. I AM COOL!!!!!!!
THANKS GRAZIA!
Friday, 20 August 2010
Shopping time!?!?!?!?
CHARLOTTE TAYLOR - Selected items only available to buy NOW at www.coggles.com
GO NOW - GOD SPEED AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!
GO NOW - GOD SPEED AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
CHARLOTTE TAYLOR - The website
Oh yes, oh yes it's here. Representing the business/ elegant/ slick side of the label (hopefully) I give you:
www.charlottetaylorltd.com
It is (going back to my youth) TOTALLY LUSH and I LOVE IT - I hope you do too.
It was designed and created by the wonderful and talented Matthew Blanchard of LUCID who again is TOTALLY LUSH and we thank him very much.
Cxx
www.charlottetaylorltd.com
It is (going back to my youth) TOTALLY LUSH and I LOVE IT - I hope you do too.
It was designed and created by the wonderful and talented Matthew Blanchard of LUCID who again is TOTALLY LUSH and we thank him very much.
Cxx
Monday, 9 August 2010
Hello...is there any one out there?!?!?
Show time
Ok so now I can actually talk about the show and what is going on I am having to try and control myself form having verbal diarrhea and inundating you with posts. So hear goes with numero uno:
I am looking for people to collaborate with for the up and coming show.
Firstly
We are looking for a shoe designer. We already have someone on board providing flats but are looking for some killer heels. Obviously I will promote the life out of your brand throughout the week etc...
Secondly
We're looking for the next Sir Mix Alot (a DJ) to mix a cool tune for the show.
Anyway get in touch if you are interested. Would Loooooovvvvvvveeeeeeee to hear from you.
Cxx
Ok so now I can actually talk about the show and what is going on I am having to try and control myself form having verbal diarrhea and inundating you with posts. So hear goes with numero uno:
I am looking for people to collaborate with for the up and coming show.
Firstly
We are looking for a shoe designer. We already have someone on board providing flats but are looking for some killer heels. Obviously I will promote the life out of your brand throughout the week etc...
Secondly
We're looking for the next Sir Mix Alot (a DJ) to mix a cool tune for the show.
Anyway get in touch if you are interested. Would Loooooovvvvvvveeeeeeee to hear from you.
Cxx
Friday, 6 August 2010
Ones to Watch
Ok so this is one of the reasons I have been so quiet recently.....
For Spring/ Summer 2011 CHARLOTTE TAYLOR will be showing at London Fashion week in association with Vauxhall Fashion scout as part of its "Ones To Watch" show!
We have not been able to tell anyone until Vogue.com announced it today. Take a look at their article and the other catwalkers.
Now I can EVENTUALLY untangle my knotted tongue and TELL THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!!
For Spring/ Summer 2011 CHARLOTTE TAYLOR will be showing at London Fashion week in association with Vauxhall Fashion scout as part of its "Ones To Watch" show!
We have not been able to tell anyone until Vogue.com announced it today. Take a look at their article and the other catwalkers.
Now I can EVENTUALLY untangle my knotted tongue and TELL THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!!
Monday, 26 July 2010
Charlotte Taylor AKA Wayne Rooney
GOAL SCORING - The importance of targets and goals; personal and in the business.
When I set out on my venture over a year ago, one of the first things that I sat down and wrote was my goals. I have found it very useful referring back to my initial goals, seeing how realistic they were and how many of them I have achieved so far. I need to work towards things, in my personal life and in my career. I NEED activity. I NEED to be interested or I get bored.
I have found that with running your own business or being self employed comes many more highs and many more lows. Goals keep you going through the low patches and keep you focused during the euphoric highs.
These are my initial goals from August 2010:
Business Goals
1.To get into one of the fashion shows that runs alongside London Fashion week in Feb 2010 - I exhibited with Vauxhall Fashion Scout Off Schedule at LFW.
2.To sell my collection to at least 20 boutiques in the UK, including at least one major London department store/ Boutique after the show in Feb 2010 - HA!! Slightly ambitious and totally unrealistic! I sold to two boutiques and this was considered a great achievement in my first season!
3.To obtain financial backing to fund the production of the first collection by the end of 2009 - achieved.
4.To create a business plan by the end of August 2009 - achieved (three 20 hour days - yuck)
5.To create a brand identity by the end of August 2009 - Achieved and on-going.
6.To have the website up and running by December 2009 - the website will be launched in the next week or so, watch this space!
Personal Goals
1.To compete in at least 4 charity sports events per year - I have done 2 so far this year and have 2 more scheduled in.
2.To stop smoking by July 2009 - January 2010 I quit and still gong strong if a little behind schedule.
3.To travel to a new country/ city every year - Venice this year. Wow.
4.To keep my weight below 9 stone - hmm no comment. Sometimes.....
5.To keep my fitness level high and increase distance covered every month - yes but I have a knee injury so not fit right now.
6.To have enough money to move out of home by the mid of 2010 - October 2010 is when the label moves to London. Exciting times.
Long(er) term Goals
1.To buy a Vintage Mercedes SL by 2011.
2.To buy a van by 2011 - Van will be coming in the next couple of months.
3.To buy a flat/ house by 2011.
Obviously as time moves on your goals change and I always make sure that I sit down with my manager and go through targets and goals, see which ones I have achieved and which ones I haven't and most importantly why. We then sit down and discuss where form here and how to push forward and grow. Momentum is key or the pendulum slows dooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn.
When I set out on my venture over a year ago, one of the first things that I sat down and wrote was my goals. I have found it very useful referring back to my initial goals, seeing how realistic they were and how many of them I have achieved so far. I need to work towards things, in my personal life and in my career. I NEED activity. I NEED to be interested or I get bored.
I have found that with running your own business or being self employed comes many more highs and many more lows. Goals keep you going through the low patches and keep you focused during the euphoric highs.
These are my initial goals from August 2010:
Business Goals
1.To get into one of the fashion shows that runs alongside London Fashion week in Feb 2010 - I exhibited with Vauxhall Fashion Scout Off Schedule at LFW.
2.To sell my collection to at least 20 boutiques in the UK, including at least one major London department store/ Boutique after the show in Feb 2010 - HA!! Slightly ambitious and totally unrealistic! I sold to two boutiques and this was considered a great achievement in my first season!
3.To obtain financial backing to fund the production of the first collection by the end of 2009 - achieved.
4.To create a business plan by the end of August 2009 - achieved (three 20 hour days - yuck)
5.To create a brand identity by the end of August 2009 - Achieved and on-going.
6.To have the website up and running by December 2009 - the website will be launched in the next week or so, watch this space!
Personal Goals
1.To compete in at least 4 charity sports events per year - I have done 2 so far this year and have 2 more scheduled in.
2.To stop smoking by July 2009 - January 2010 I quit and still gong strong if a little behind schedule.
3.To travel to a new country/ city every year - Venice this year. Wow.
4.To keep my weight below 9 stone - hmm no comment. Sometimes.....
5.To keep my fitness level high and increase distance covered every month - yes but I have a knee injury so not fit right now.
6.To have enough money to move out of home by the mid of 2010 - October 2010 is when the label moves to London. Exciting times.
Long(er) term Goals
1.To buy a Vintage Mercedes SL by 2011.
2.To buy a van by 2011 - Van will be coming in the next couple of months.
3.To buy a flat/ house by 2011.
Obviously as time moves on your goals change and I always make sure that I sit down with my manager and go through targets and goals, see which ones I have achieved and which ones I haven't and most importantly why. We then sit down and discuss where form here and how to push forward and grow. Momentum is key or the pendulum slows dooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
££££££££££££££££££
Money money money.......
Personally I have a love/ hate relationship with the stuff.
Being a creative arty farty type I have never been a materialistic one and seem to become less so as I age. Maybe it is because the bottomless pit that is my fashion business is draining my hard earned pennies away from me at a rate of knots or maybe it is because I am happy spending no money, eating the fruit and veg from our garden, fishing for mackerel on Pugwash (our put-put boat that dad lovingly restore for 5 years - divorce material) and making my own clothes.
Hmm I think it is a mixture but I need to make the business profitable if:
a) It is to continue
b) I want to move out of mum and dad's (again) before I turn 30
c) I want to remove the 's' from Hostel in my vacationing lifetime
d) My friends can stop receiving cushions covered with scraps of fabric from my latest collection as birthday/ Christmas/ wedding/ anniversary etc presents
e) I can buy my dad the Vintage Bentley I have been promising him since I was 10
So for A/W 2010 as it wraps up and my production arrives I begin to add up all the bills. To gage my costs at the beginning of production I did a plan where I priced every single thing that went into each garment so I could price them correctly and make a profit.
There are of course things that you don't account for for some reason or another and my conclusion has been that I need to reign in my costs and make more profit.
BUT how do I do this...?
I think that it has to go hand in hand with being clever about your product. As I previously said, it is so important to take on feedback and to know what sells. What does the customer want? What niche products can I sell that other designers have not thought of? or which designers are dominating the market with their clever promotional, quirky products?
Maximizing profit = increasing sales and decreasing costs...SIMPLE
I sound like one of those promotional "Positive mental attitude" tapes that my folks used to listen to when we were young...my apologies.
Decreasing costs
- Increasing orders means you can order in bulk, decreasing your costs. Careful not to go ahead of yourself though as you don't want to be left with unused stock.
- Be selective in what you do. Do you need a PR agent, a sales agent, to be in a showroom, to show in Paris and London and to have a mega glossy lookbook sent to hundreds of people. NO. I have been trying to weigh up in £££££'s whether for example, the £500 I spend on exhibiting my collection in a showroom or the extra £200 it will cost to print bound lookbooks will generate me that money back and more.
As many people have said to me on my journey so far.... Do not run before you can walk....If you spend all your money in season 1 and have a budget looking season 2 you'll look daft.
- Try and be clever with your pattern cutting. Minimize the amount of fabric in each garment. One size fits all means you don't have to get things graded. Genius.
- Interns are good, free labour and we all did and learnt from our experiences.
- Call in favours from friends. You never know someones great uncle might own a wool mill in Yorkshire who will give you Cashmere at cost...it can happen.
- Barter. Marrakesh in Morocco is good training ground.
I WILL grow and nurture my (CHARLOTTE TAYLOR fashion label) money tree and my dad will get his Bentley very soon. I promise pop.
Personally I have a love/ hate relationship with the stuff.
Being a creative arty farty type I have never been a materialistic one and seem to become less so as I age. Maybe it is because the bottomless pit that is my fashion business is draining my hard earned pennies away from me at a rate of knots or maybe it is because I am happy spending no money, eating the fruit and veg from our garden, fishing for mackerel on Pugwash (our put-put boat that dad lovingly restore for 5 years - divorce material) and making my own clothes.
Hmm I think it is a mixture but I need to make the business profitable if:
a) It is to continue
b) I want to move out of mum and dad's (again) before I turn 30
c) I want to remove the 's' from Hostel in my vacationing lifetime
d) My friends can stop receiving cushions covered with scraps of fabric from my latest collection as birthday/ Christmas/ wedding/ anniversary etc presents
e) I can buy my dad the Vintage Bentley I have been promising him since I was 10
So for A/W 2010 as it wraps up and my production arrives I begin to add up all the bills. To gage my costs at the beginning of production I did a plan where I priced every single thing that went into each garment so I could price them correctly and make a profit.
There are of course things that you don't account for for some reason or another and my conclusion has been that I need to reign in my costs and make more profit.
BUT how do I do this...?
I think that it has to go hand in hand with being clever about your product. As I previously said, it is so important to take on feedback and to know what sells. What does the customer want? What niche products can I sell that other designers have not thought of? or which designers are dominating the market with their clever promotional, quirky products?
Maximizing profit = increasing sales and decreasing costs...SIMPLE
I sound like one of those promotional "Positive mental attitude" tapes that my folks used to listen to when we were young...my apologies.
Decreasing costs
- Increasing orders means you can order in bulk, decreasing your costs. Careful not to go ahead of yourself though as you don't want to be left with unused stock.
- Be selective in what you do. Do you need a PR agent, a sales agent, to be in a showroom, to show in Paris and London and to have a mega glossy lookbook sent to hundreds of people. NO. I have been trying to weigh up in £££££'s whether for example, the £500 I spend on exhibiting my collection in a showroom or the extra £200 it will cost to print bound lookbooks will generate me that money back and more.
As many people have said to me on my journey so far.... Do not run before you can walk....If you spend all your money in season 1 and have a budget looking season 2 you'll look daft.
- Try and be clever with your pattern cutting. Minimize the amount of fabric in each garment. One size fits all means you don't have to get things graded. Genius.
- Interns are good, free labour and we all did and learnt from our experiences.
- Call in favours from friends. You never know someones great uncle might own a wool mill in Yorkshire who will give you Cashmere at cost...it can happen.
- Barter. Marrakesh in Morocco is good training ground.
I WILL grow and nurture my (CHARLOTTE TAYLOR fashion label) money tree and my dad will get his Bentley very soon. I promise pop.
Friday, 18 June 2010
Column inches
Time to look seriously into PR representation
So as the work load increases I have decided that I need to get in some outside, professional help with getting the label into magazines and publications. It is also a necessity due to my studio being on the Island, which in turn adds time to any samples being sent out/ returned.
Over the past few months I have been approached by a few PR agencies offering their services. Sometimes for free, sometimes not. I have asked people to come up with proposed ideas of how they would push the brand and sell it to magazines but so far I have not found my lobster. I figure why would I pay someone who is not passionate about the brand, someone who does not get what it is about to sell it when I can probably do a better job with 1/10 the amount of time. Hence I wait and the search continues.
My research so far has been through looking at who other young designers' use, looking at Mission Statements (although these are often wooly), client lists and trying to get a general feel of the company through its website. This all sounds a bit vague, but you have to start somewhere.
Felicities PR
This came to my attention as many of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout designers are here. Their website is under construction / revamp but their blog is going so take a look.
Some of their designers include:
Ada Zanditon, Alice Palmer and Viking Wong.
Contact: info@felicities.co.uk
Goodley PR
They represent William Tempest, Louis Gray, Antipodium and Holly Fulton amongst others.
Website is nice and you can get hold of them via email: info@goodleypr.com or phone: +44 (0)20 7493 9600
Blow PR
They have previously spoken at a Vauxhall Fashion Scout before.
Website: www.blow.co.uk
Contact: info@blow.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7436 9449
Clients:
Belle Sauvage, Georgia Hardage, Craig Lawrence, Gemma Slack
Luchford APM
Website: www.luchfordapm.com
Contact: kelly.luchford@luchfordapm.com
+44 (0)207 631 1000
Clients: Pringle, Graeme Black
I Public Relations
Website: www.ipublicrelations.co.uk
Contact: info@publicrelations.co.uk
+44 (0)207 390 272
Clients: Julien J Smith, Eudon Choi
So now to make appointments to see them and see if we are MFEO (made for each other FYI (for you information)). Also many of these agencies will not take youngsters like me on so the courting works both ways...
So as the work load increases I have decided that I need to get in some outside, professional help with getting the label into magazines and publications. It is also a necessity due to my studio being on the Island, which in turn adds time to any samples being sent out/ returned.
Over the past few months I have been approached by a few PR agencies offering their services. Sometimes for free, sometimes not. I have asked people to come up with proposed ideas of how they would push the brand and sell it to magazines but so far I have not found my lobster. I figure why would I pay someone who is not passionate about the brand, someone who does not get what it is about to sell it when I can probably do a better job with 1/10 the amount of time. Hence I wait and the search continues.
My research so far has been through looking at who other young designers' use, looking at Mission Statements (although these are often wooly), client lists and trying to get a general feel of the company through its website. This all sounds a bit vague, but you have to start somewhere.
Felicities PR
This came to my attention as many of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout designers are here. Their website is under construction / revamp but their blog is going so take a look.
Some of their designers include:
Ada Zanditon, Alice Palmer and Viking Wong.
Contact: info@felicities.co.uk
Goodley PR
They represent William Tempest, Louis Gray, Antipodium and Holly Fulton amongst others.
Website is nice and you can get hold of them via email: info@goodleypr.com or phone: +44 (0)20 7493 9600
Blow PR
They have previously spoken at a Vauxhall Fashion Scout before.
Website: www.blow.co.uk
Contact: info@blow.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7436 9449
Clients:
Belle Sauvage, Georgia Hardage, Craig Lawrence, Gemma Slack
Luchford APM
Website: www.luchfordapm.com
Contact: kelly.luchford@luchfordapm.com
+44 (0)207 631 1000
Clients: Pringle, Graeme Black
I Public Relations
Website: www.ipublicrelations.co.uk
Contact: info@publicrelations.co.uk
+44 (0)207 390 272
Clients: Julien J Smith, Eudon Choi
So now to make appointments to see them and see if we are MFEO (made for each other FYI (for you information)). Also many of these agencies will not take youngsters like me on so the courting works both ways...
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
www.feedbackimplementation.com
Listening, learning, absorbing, implementing, developing and growing from advice, tips, errors made and knowledge learned from season 1.
So you work day in day out, sweating and dribbling over sewing machines into the depths of the moonlit hours putting every ounce of effort and creative "flair" you possess into your collection and business. How are you ever going to be able to accept criticism on your "baby" when every stitch tells a story and every zip, button and press stud has a name...each jab feels like a personal vendetta.. how can they be so rude?
"What do you mean they don't like Penguins!! who doesn't like Penguins? eh?! what?! humph..."
So as an adult (technically) this "rejection" thing is something that I have to deal with and take it on the chin. It is also important that I take whatever criticisms that have been thrown my way on board and see if by developing the label in a different way or removing certain aspects I can use the comments in a constructive way and improve as a result of them.
I am always actively asking people their opinions and it's tough to get honest opinions as no one who is remotely nice is going to turn around and say "Charlotte, seriously, don't know why you bothered..." Well, lets hope not, hey.
Here are a few honest feedback sources I have found:
- I have a few friends who I know I can always rely on for an honest opinion. They're the ones that tell me I look rough when I clearly do, would NEVER tell me I look good unless I did and frankly just say it like it is. Us Northern lasses do NOT beat around the bush.
- My dad. Although not into his fashion will always give me an honest opinion, sometimes too honest. Last season I came down in one of my creations and he was beside himself he hated it so much. "errrrrggggghhhh that's DISgusting Charlotte - yuck, really don't like that one...no no...horrible. Take it off Charlotte...now"..."ok dad I GET THE PICTURE!" Honest but harsh.
- You guys. It has been really useful to see feedback from the collection on the blog and on other blogs and websites. I am definitely going to get an honest post from someone else's article on a blog and it is instant, priceless feedback.
- Other designers. You can get a good idea from other designers as they won't approach you and say they like your stuff unless they REALLY mean it.
- Vauxhall Fashion Scout (or the like) Once you build up a relationship with organizations like this it is useful to know their honest feedback on what they thought went well and how they think you could grow in seasons to come. They should be honest with you as they'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they told you it was wonderful and fabulous and were secretly cringing in the corner.
- Clients and potential clients. When people are looking at you collection they are usually in a team and will discuss with their colleague what they think. Try and get them to elaborate and ask them what they would change and how they would improve it from a buyers perspective.
Key comments and feedback I got were:
1. More pockets. Everyone loves a pocket.
2. Less selection. I had too many pieces for a premiere collection (30 ish items) but this has been debated.
3. Good use of zips. Clients have liked that I use expensive, quality zips and finishings as it gives a polished look.
4. Unusual mix of fabrics.
5. Great print. A strong part of the collection. Maybe look to develop more prints in the future.
- Press. Obviously. If they want to shoot your stuff and write about it then it has to be a good sign, right? If they don't, not so much.
- Mentors, business advisers etc. They can give you advice on your products effectiveness in terms of business, development and profitability.
So moving forward, designing SS'11 has become an even more considered practice. I have always designed for a customer in mind, but its the insider tips and criticism that can set you apart. Buyers know what their customers want so rinse their knowledge and rack their brains and listen, learn and move forward.
So you work day in day out, sweating and dribbling over sewing machines into the depths of the moonlit hours putting every ounce of effort and creative "flair" you possess into your collection and business. How are you ever going to be able to accept criticism on your "baby" when every stitch tells a story and every zip, button and press stud has a name...each jab feels like a personal vendetta.. how can they be so rude?
"What do you mean they don't like Penguins!! who doesn't like Penguins? eh?! what?! humph..."
So as an adult (technically) this "rejection" thing is something that I have to deal with and take it on the chin. It is also important that I take whatever criticisms that have been thrown my way on board and see if by developing the label in a different way or removing certain aspects I can use the comments in a constructive way and improve as a result of them.
I am always actively asking people their opinions and it's tough to get honest opinions as no one who is remotely nice is going to turn around and say "Charlotte, seriously, don't know why you bothered..." Well, lets hope not, hey.
Here are a few honest feedback sources I have found:
- I have a few friends who I know I can always rely on for an honest opinion. They're the ones that tell me I look rough when I clearly do, would NEVER tell me I look good unless I did and frankly just say it like it is. Us Northern lasses do NOT beat around the bush.
- My dad. Although not into his fashion will always give me an honest opinion, sometimes too honest. Last season I came down in one of my creations and he was beside himself he hated it so much. "errrrrggggghhhh that's DISgusting Charlotte - yuck, really don't like that one...no no...horrible. Take it off Charlotte...now"..."ok dad I GET THE PICTURE!" Honest but harsh.
- You guys. It has been really useful to see feedback from the collection on the blog and on other blogs and websites. I am definitely going to get an honest post from someone else's article on a blog and it is instant, priceless feedback.
- Other designers. You can get a good idea from other designers as they won't approach you and say they like your stuff unless they REALLY mean it.
- Vauxhall Fashion Scout (or the like) Once you build up a relationship with organizations like this it is useful to know their honest feedback on what they thought went well and how they think you could grow in seasons to come. They should be honest with you as they'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they told you it was wonderful and fabulous and were secretly cringing in the corner.
- Clients and potential clients. When people are looking at you collection they are usually in a team and will discuss with their colleague what they think. Try and get them to elaborate and ask them what they would change and how they would improve it from a buyers perspective.
Key comments and feedback I got were:
1. More pockets. Everyone loves a pocket.
2. Less selection. I had too many pieces for a premiere collection (30 ish items) but this has been debated.
3. Good use of zips. Clients have liked that I use expensive, quality zips and finishings as it gives a polished look.
4. Unusual mix of fabrics.
5. Great print. A strong part of the collection. Maybe look to develop more prints in the future.
- Press. Obviously. If they want to shoot your stuff and write about it then it has to be a good sign, right? If they don't, not so much.
- Mentors, business advisers etc. They can give you advice on your products effectiveness in terms of business, development and profitability.
So moving forward, designing SS'11 has become an even more considered practice. I have always designed for a customer in mind, but its the insider tips and criticism that can set you apart. Buyers know what their customers want so rinse their knowledge and rack their brains and listen, learn and move forward.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Lets get inspired encore...
An insight into where the ideas for SS'11 are coming from this season
Old School Robots
Because you wind them up and they do funny stuff
Because they have fab details, contours and interconnecting bits and bobs
Because they all tell a story and have a history
Because they dance with me and Burt my dancing donkey
Copper and copper formations
Because there is a huge copper sculpture in a naff hair salon on my road and bizarrely I kinda love it
Because the shades and formations of copper are truly breathtaking
Boat and sail construction and materials
Because I live on an island and have grown up a water baby
Because the complex construction and materials used in boat building is a true art and utterly inspirational
Because my buddy is a sail maker and has the coolest workshop in workshop history
Again team, it's all about interaction over here and if you feel you can add to the inspiration mixing pot then fire your images over my way and ill pop them up...
Old School Robots
Because you wind them up and they do funny stuff
Because they have fab details, contours and interconnecting bits and bobs
Because they all tell a story and have a history
Because they dance with me and Burt my dancing donkey
Copper and copper formations
Because there is a huge copper sculpture in a naff hair salon on my road and bizarrely I kinda love it
Because the shades and formations of copper are truly breathtaking
Boat and sail construction and materials
Because I live on an island and have grown up a water baby
Because the complex construction and materials used in boat building is a true art and utterly inspirational
Because my buddy is a sail maker and has the coolest workshop in workshop history
Again team, it's all about interaction over here and if you feel you can add to the inspiration mixing pot then fire your images over my way and ill pop them up...
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Sharing the love
Some more contacts from other designers
So here is some of the information that has been sent to me so far. I will add it all to the menus at the side of the blog for you all to reference. Unless stated they have been recommended by people who have worked with each company. I have included notes on each accordingly.
If anyone else has more info they feel like sharing then please send it over and ill pop it up, but for now a MASSIVE thanks to all who wrote in. You are all super stars!
Fabric Printers
Print Unlimited
- ok prices, good result, and quick delivery
Factories / Production / Sampling
1. Acton Cut (sent to me direct from the factory)
Pattern Making / sampling / design development / production
Previous clients: Stewart Parvin, Richard Nicoll, Jonathon Saunders, Peter Jenson
Contact Details: acton-cut@hotmail.co.uk, 020 3110 0127, 45 Churchfield rd, London, W3 6AY
2.I did my sampling with two workshops. I think it's a good idea not to put all your eggs in one basket! The first was with Nailya at www.plussamples.co.uk contact details are nailya nailya@plussamples.co.uk and the second was Kosa at The Workshop which is through fashion enter www.fashion-enter.com
The above 2 companies who did my sampling however will do production. Kosa only in the UK and Nailya in the UK and Lithuania.
3. Ribbon Textiles (Sent direct from factory)
4. 24 Seven Talent (sent direct from company)
London Based. Represent freelance Technical candidates: Sample Machinists, Pattern Cutters and Sample Cutters.
We are an out wear, denim and leather goods production company based in Istanbul - Turkey. We produce high end shoes, handbags, belts, small leather goods, documents bags/ messenger bags beside our high end denim and out fit productions.
Fabrics
1. I found everyone through going to Premiere Vision. It was the best trip I did and you only really need to go once to get your contacts. Most places will do small orders. Textiles Forums are also a great event to go to. The fabric place I use the most is Solsissbucol.
Apsara Silks (sent direct from the manufacturer)
Apsara Silks is a leading Silk Mill in India
Here we are capable of digitally printing on any Silk/ Wool & blends and can give you up to 16 Million colours a meter with no restriction on pattern sizes and shapes. Our In-house designing team is capable to deliver you sampling yardages in as less as four days.
We also manufacture high quality printed scarves
Packaging etc
1.Adastra Labels
Printers who specialise in labels, carrier bags, packaging etc for fashion designers.
2. Woven Labels Uk
UK based Label manufacturers.
So here is some of the information that has been sent to me so far. I will add it all to the menus at the side of the blog for you all to reference. Unless stated they have been recommended by people who have worked with each company. I have included notes on each accordingly.
If anyone else has more info they feel like sharing then please send it over and ill pop it up, but for now a MASSIVE thanks to all who wrote in. You are all super stars!
Fabric Printers
Print Unlimited
- ok prices, good result, and quick delivery
Factories / Production / Sampling
1. Acton Cut (sent to me direct from the factory)
Pattern Making / sampling / design development / production
Previous clients: Stewart Parvin, Richard Nicoll, Jonathon Saunders, Peter Jenson
Contact Details: acton-cut@hotmail.co.uk, 020 3110 0127, 45 Churchfield rd, London, W3 6AY
2.I did my sampling with two workshops. I think it's a good idea not to put all your eggs in one basket! The first was with Nailya at www.plussamples.co.uk contact details are nailya nailya@plussamples.co.uk and the second was Kosa at The Workshop which is through fashion enter www.fashion-enter.com
The above 2 companies who did my sampling however will do production. Kosa only in the UK and Nailya in the UK and Lithuania.
3. Ribbon Textiles (Sent direct from factory)
4. 24 Seven Talent (sent direct from company)
London Based. Represent freelance Technical candidates: Sample Machinists, Pattern Cutters and Sample Cutters.
We are an out wear, denim and leather goods production company based in Istanbul - Turkey. We produce high end shoes, handbags, belts, small leather goods, documents bags/ messenger bags beside our high end denim and out fit productions.
Fabrics
1. I found everyone through going to Premiere Vision. It was the best trip I did and you only really need to go once to get your contacts. Most places will do small orders. Textiles Forums are also a great event to go to. The fabric place I use the most is Solsissbucol.
Apsara Silks (sent direct from the manufacturer)
Apsara Silks is a leading Silk Mill in India
Here we are capable of digitally printing on any Silk/ Wool & blends and can give you up to 16 Million colours a meter with no restriction on pattern sizes and shapes. Our In-house designing team is capable to deliver you sampling yardages in as less as four days.
We also manufacture high quality printed scarves
Packaging etc
1.Adastra Labels
Printers who specialise in labels, carrier bags, packaging etc for fashion designers.
2. Woven Labels Uk
UK based Label manufacturers.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Calling all felow designers...
So it has be increasingly apparent that many people / designers struggle to find appropriate fabric wholesalers, manufacturers, graders, pleaters, printers and dyers etc and there are few resources that provide this information easily (as previously discussed).
The only forums I am aware of are:
www.fabricly.com
and
www.fashioncapital.co.uk
So I am here to ask today for you all out there to help everyone else. If you know of a good fabric wholesaler, manufacturer, grader, pleater, printer or dyer then please email me and ill put in on the blog.
As I am sure you are all aware a recommendation is worth its money in gold. If you can let us know what they do / produce that would be awesome and ill place the info on-line asap.
Happy sharing campers..
The only forums I am aware of are:
www.fabricly.com
and
www.fashioncapital.co.uk
So I am here to ask today for you all out there to help everyone else. If you know of a good fabric wholesaler, manufacturer, grader, pleater, printer or dyer then please email me and ill put in on the blog.
As I am sure you are all aware a recommendation is worth its money in gold. If you can let us know what they do / produce that would be awesome and ill place the info on-line asap.
Happy sharing campers..
Monday, 10 May 2010
Reality Bites...
The Reality of producing a collection
So... like our adorable, smiling, fluff ball, goof of a Labrador who much to his quivering, knee shaking, unmanly dismay was taken by surprise this evening and bitten flush on his bare backside by some mean mongrel from down the road, I too have had my fair share of unwelcome surprises over the past few months.
How can you expect the unexpected...?
The most difficult thing for me so far has been juggling all aspects of the business.
Sales, PR, Marketing, Production...all equally time consuming and important whilst designing a new collection. I'm not gonna lie, it's tough. I have double the work load that I had designing the first time round and that was hard enough!
For me one of the biggest challenges is time management. I need to oversee production but I need to be designing at the same time....do I use a factory in London or abroad to save money and gain knowledge of dealing with factories or do I use a local seamstress and pay more but be able to monitor everything whilst being close to the studio increasing time spent designing...? hmmm tricky...
What type of production/ factory is right for you?
As far as I can see I had 4 options:
1. In house - hire someone in to produce the collection from your studio.
Good
- Can oversee closely progress and monitor at all times
- Time not wasted traveling to and from factory
- Good use of local workforce
Bad
- Expensive
- May not have the quality of a factory and the quality control
- Slow
- If they have a problem/ quit you are stuck
2. Small Units - I inquired at a local business that produces clothes for high West End Shows to see if they would be suitable to manufacture the collection.
Good
- Small workforce and team means that you are not such a small fish in a big pond
- Quality control in place
- Experience dealing with small factory/ unit
- Save time if local
Bad
- Might not prioritize you if they get a big job on, leaving you behind schedule.
- Expensive
3. Factory in the UK - I have been mainly looking in London Suburbs as there are more here and of good quality. They are also relatively near.
Good
- Great quality
- They know what they are doing and can help you with finishing options etc
- Quicker
- Less hassle and risk than overseeing In-House production
Bad
- More expensive than oversees
- Don't really like doing smaller runs and they really bump up their prices.
- You are not a priority.
- Time consuming if the factory is far away from you.
4. Oversees Factory - I haven't really looked into this as much as it is not really an option for me being a one man band I can't monitor it from afar without digging into valuable designing time.
Good
- More cost effective
- Fast turn-around on larger quantities
- Often will do multiple tasks. i.e source fabrics and trims, grading, manufacture and distribute.
Bad
- Finding the right factory is difficult.
- Language barriers
- If things go wrong or you need to get something to the factory it takes a lot longer.
- People like brands to made in the UK and in an ethical way.
I had an email from the head designer of a small British brand asking me advice on their production. It seems they are struggling with their options too...below they detail their issues for us...
"Initially I sourced a CMT in * which seemed like the perfect solution as we are round the corner in * so I could drive down there easily. However, we found that despite their initial enthusiasm and warmth, they were really difficult to work with. They insisted that I simplified my designs and patterns and their finish was appalling. Despite pressure from me, the garments looked terrible – overlocking was unfinished so the garments would tear away at the sideseams, huge chunks would be cut from the insides and you could tell they had been rushed through. We continually had to send stuff back and were already receiving it hugely behind deadline.
We found that because of the small size of our quantities (150 per style, in some cases across two fabrics) they just didn’t take us seriously. Even though the docket was placed on time, we were dropped behind companies with more clout in their schedule. The final straw came this season when they cut one of our skirts on the wrong grainline and a whole batch of tops on the wrong side of the fabric and denied that there was a right side and wrong side to the fabric. I felt utterly deflated as all my hard work cutting patterns, sourcing fabrics from warehouses locally and ensuring the collection would arrive in time to stock our boutique seemed to have got us nowhere. In addition, they were really threatening in phone calls, to the extent where other people in the office could hear their shouting down the phone! We’ve just found it an impossible struggle.
We are thinking of taking the step next season of employing a production machinist in-house to produce the garments. For this we would create smaller quantities (which isn’t a problem) but over a greater number of styles. This means I can be more creative with my designing and can have a more direct control over the quality of the finished product. We will need to increase our prices slightly, but by stressing the fact that we manufacture the garments ourselves, we are hoping to get away with this."
So... like our adorable, smiling, fluff ball, goof of a Labrador who much to his quivering, knee shaking, unmanly dismay was taken by surprise this evening and bitten flush on his bare backside by some mean mongrel from down the road, I too have had my fair share of unwelcome surprises over the past few months.
How can you expect the unexpected...?
The most difficult thing for me so far has been juggling all aspects of the business.
Sales, PR, Marketing, Production...all equally time consuming and important whilst designing a new collection. I'm not gonna lie, it's tough. I have double the work load that I had designing the first time round and that was hard enough!
For me one of the biggest challenges is time management. I need to oversee production but I need to be designing at the same time....do I use a factory in London or abroad to save money and gain knowledge of dealing with factories or do I use a local seamstress and pay more but be able to monitor everything whilst being close to the studio increasing time spent designing...? hmmm tricky...
What type of production/ factory is right for you?
As far as I can see I had 4 options:
1. In house - hire someone in to produce the collection from your studio.
Good
- Can oversee closely progress and monitor at all times
- Time not wasted traveling to and from factory
- Good use of local workforce
Bad
- Expensive
- May not have the quality of a factory and the quality control
- Slow
- If they have a problem/ quit you are stuck
2. Small Units - I inquired at a local business that produces clothes for high West End Shows to see if they would be suitable to manufacture the collection.
Good
- Small workforce and team means that you are not such a small fish in a big pond
- Quality control in place
- Experience dealing with small factory/ unit
- Save time if local
Bad
- Might not prioritize you if they get a big job on, leaving you behind schedule.
- Expensive
3. Factory in the UK - I have been mainly looking in London Suburbs as there are more here and of good quality. They are also relatively near.
Good
- Great quality
- They know what they are doing and can help you with finishing options etc
- Quicker
- Less hassle and risk than overseeing In-House production
Bad
- More expensive than oversees
- Don't really like doing smaller runs and they really bump up their prices.
- You are not a priority.
- Time consuming if the factory is far away from you.
4. Oversees Factory - I haven't really looked into this as much as it is not really an option for me being a one man band I can't monitor it from afar without digging into valuable designing time.
Good
- More cost effective
- Fast turn-around on larger quantities
- Often will do multiple tasks. i.e source fabrics and trims, grading, manufacture and distribute.
Bad
- Finding the right factory is difficult.
- Language barriers
- If things go wrong or you need to get something to the factory it takes a lot longer.
- People like brands to made in the UK and in an ethical way.
I had an email from the head designer of a small British brand asking me advice on their production. It seems they are struggling with their options too...below they detail their issues for us...
"Initially I sourced a CMT in * which seemed like the perfect solution as we are round the corner in * so I could drive down there easily. However, we found that despite their initial enthusiasm and warmth, they were really difficult to work with. They insisted that I simplified my designs and patterns and their finish was appalling. Despite pressure from me, the garments looked terrible – overlocking was unfinished so the garments would tear away at the sideseams, huge chunks would be cut from the insides and you could tell they had been rushed through. We continually had to send stuff back and were already receiving it hugely behind deadline.
We found that because of the small size of our quantities (150 per style, in some cases across two fabrics) they just didn’t take us seriously. Even though the docket was placed on time, we were dropped behind companies with more clout in their schedule. The final straw came this season when they cut one of our skirts on the wrong grainline and a whole batch of tops on the wrong side of the fabric and denied that there was a right side and wrong side to the fabric. I felt utterly deflated as all my hard work cutting patterns, sourcing fabrics from warehouses locally and ensuring the collection would arrive in time to stock our boutique seemed to have got us nowhere. In addition, they were really threatening in phone calls, to the extent where other people in the office could hear their shouting down the phone! We’ve just found it an impossible struggle.
We are thinking of taking the step next season of employing a production machinist in-house to produce the garments. For this we would create smaller quantities (which isn’t a problem) but over a greater number of styles. This means I can be more creative with my designing and can have a more direct control over the quality of the finished product. We will need to increase our prices slightly, but by stressing the fact that we manufacture the garments ourselves, we are hoping to get away with this."
Monday, 26 April 2010
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Shop Charlotte
Where CHARLOTTE TAYLOR will be stocked this season..
September 2009 - Charlotte and Brian (AKA Mr Mentorvator) discuss cash flow plans.
Charlotte:
"So Brian, they say that designers in their first season do not usually manage to sell as boutiques will not take the risk..."
Brian:
"Well sod that"
Charlotte:
"Agreed. Sod that."
CHARLOTTE TAYLOR AW10 will be sold through:
www.coggles.com
and
www.youngbritishdesigners.com
The limited part of the collection will also be sold through my new website - www.charlottetaylorltd.com, which will launch in the next few months.
I will also be holding a couple of tea and cake parties in London to view the collection after its launch in September.
Only a limited amount of stock will be manufactured this season and it will all be produced in the UK.
Exciting times!
September 2009 - Charlotte and Brian (AKA Mr Mentorvator) discuss cash flow plans.
Charlotte:
"So Brian, they say that designers in their first season do not usually manage to sell as boutiques will not take the risk..."
Brian:
"Well sod that"
Charlotte:
"Agreed. Sod that."
CHARLOTTE TAYLOR AW10 will be sold through:
www.coggles.com
and
www.youngbritishdesigners.com
The limited part of the collection will also be sold through my new website - www.charlottetaylorltd.com, which will launch in the next few months.
I will also be holding a couple of tea and cake parties in London to view the collection after its launch in September.
Only a limited amount of stock will be manufactured this season and it will all be produced in the UK.
Exciting times!
Thursday, 1 April 2010
VFS - Manufacturing and Production
Vauxhall Fashion Scout Salon
I arrived at VFS a tad disheveled having had spent the day visiting different factories around London in my car; getting lost for the most-part (to be informed at the end of the day by my bro that there was a TomTom under my seat…grrrrrr) and on weathered industrial estates and in old school builders cafes drinking eye-poppingly strong tea from a bottomless mug for 50p.
I had in my mind already confirmed the manufacturers that I was going to use but in recent weeks a gut feeling had risen and prompted me to suss out a few alternative options. It is not as easy as you think to find a decent factory (I will go into this more later) and I began by emailing all of my contacts in the industry to see if any recommendations were thrown forward. I also googled etc and searched the web. I found and arranged meetings with three factories that I thought were suitable and took my samples to each of them in turn. It is of course important to meet the proprietors, to see their standard of work, to talk cost estimates, timings etc. I actually really liked all three and am weighing up the options and seeing more factories next week.
At VFS I bumped into Dean Quinn and Henry Brown (of Felicity Brown) friends of mine from the VFS Exhibition and it was lovely to all catch up, compare notes and share info and stories. I brought Percy Pigs and VFS provided the wine and nibbles. Tick box. Tick Box.
Our speakers for the evening were:
David Jones: Luxury Freelance Fashion Consultant
David Jones worked for Aquascutum for 20 years before being headhunted by Wallis and becoming the Manufacturing Director. David launched his freelance career 12 years later and quickly snapped up clients John Galliano and Matthew Williamson. David has also spent time as the President of the Clothing and Footwear Institute, now the Textiles Institute.
Allan Scott: New Planet Fashions
New Planet Fashions is a London based production service specialising in sampling and small to large production runs. With 10 years in the business, Allan’s clients include Victoria Beckham, Preen, Jonathan Saunders, Hannah Marshall, Erdem, Osman Yousefzada and Roland Mouret.
Anna Brett: Image Studio Production, Managing Director
Image Studio Production is a high end manufacturing studio specialising in patterns, toiles, samples and production with no minimum orders. Winning the Topshop Award for Garment Product Innovation, Anna went onto work with the likes of Peter Pilotto, William Tempest, Vivienne Westwood and Marios Schwab. Image Studio Production also offers a make service for graduate collections.
Emma Davidson: Denza International, Recruitment Consultant and Finance Manager
Emma specialises in business and personal accounting, VAT returns, budgeting for business planning and being able to explain in human language what an account means! Her experience also extends into licensing, production and buying and marketing.
Emma Crosby: London a la Mode, Vauxhall Fashion Scout London Exhibition & Paris Showroom
Responsible for the launch of Miss Sixty and Fornarina to the UK, Emma now manages the buyer relations and sales for pop-up event London a la Mode, offering new designers a selling opportunity before, during and after Fashion Week. Recently Emma became the Sales Manager for our very own VFS London Exhibition and Paris Showroom. Emma specializes in brokering relationships with designers and buyers, forecasting and account management.
This salon had more of a discussion feel to it and all the speakers seemed to bounce off and interact with each other and the designers as opposed to the more formal Q and A format previously seen.
So in the wake of London Fashion Week as previously mentioned the hard work really begins. Getting your sales is one challenge but then conducting the production and manufacturing orchestra is another and it is not for the light hearted. I think the clearest message that came across from the VFS Salon was be organized, be professional, be passionate about your product and above all be polite; respect your manufacturers – they have a wealth of experience. Listen and learn from them.
How to find sampling and production units in the UK?
- Not easy as there are very few forums for this. I am going to start a section on this blog dedicated to sharing details of suppliers, manufacturers etc so if you can add to it please email me and I will put it up so everyone can benefit.
- Word of mouth
- Fashion Capital
- Internet
How to choose the right production house for you?
- Do you like the owners/ directors etc as you will be working with them a lot?
- Are they good enough standard or too good? Discuss you price points with them and have an idea of what you want to be paying for each style, negotiations are of course possible but if they will manufacture a dress for £65 and you are wholesaling it at £60 you need to look elsewhere obviously.
- Do they have time to fit you in and can they manufacture your collection to meet your deadline?
- Ask to see examples of work they have done before and ask how much they charge for it and the quantities they produced. If they are doing large-scale production cost will of course go down.
- Talk to them about what the next steps would be with them (this really helped me). Most factories will insist on making a sample with them before production goes ahead to sieve out imperfections and assess potential problems before patterns go off to the graders. From these samples they can then give you an exact price for production (they will give you an estimate before sampling).
Production steps
1. Find a few factories and go visit them with your samples
2. Pick a factory to work with
3. Take your samples in again and go through each piece. You need to treat them like a 2 yr old. Everything needs to be explained. Technical drawings for each style and the different colour-ways they come in with fabric swatches and examples of the trimmings/ buttons/ zips etc. You will then need to go over you sample and discuss the finishing. If your samples are perfect then great but some of mine I want to change slightly. Point out and document types of seams, finishing’s, positionings etc
4. Order all fabrics and trimmings in, in time for production. You don’t want them to be late and for you to miss your slot.
5. Sign off the samples when they are perfect.
6. An exact price will then be set and you will usually pay a deposit at this stage with the balance on delivery.
7. Deliver all fabric/ trimmings etc.
8. Production goes ahead.
9. Spend as much time in the factory monitoring production as you can. Things can go wrong and for the money you will be paying you want everything to be perfect.
We talked PR and making money too but i'm waffling on now so will leave that until the next blog...
I arrived at VFS a tad disheveled having had spent the day visiting different factories around London in my car; getting lost for the most-part (to be informed at the end of the day by my bro that there was a TomTom under my seat…grrrrrr) and on weathered industrial estates and in old school builders cafes drinking eye-poppingly strong tea from a bottomless mug for 50p.
I had in my mind already confirmed the manufacturers that I was going to use but in recent weeks a gut feeling had risen and prompted me to suss out a few alternative options. It is not as easy as you think to find a decent factory (I will go into this more later) and I began by emailing all of my contacts in the industry to see if any recommendations were thrown forward. I also googled etc and searched the web. I found and arranged meetings with three factories that I thought were suitable and took my samples to each of them in turn. It is of course important to meet the proprietors, to see their standard of work, to talk cost estimates, timings etc. I actually really liked all three and am weighing up the options and seeing more factories next week.
At VFS I bumped into Dean Quinn and Henry Brown (of Felicity Brown) friends of mine from the VFS Exhibition and it was lovely to all catch up, compare notes and share info and stories. I brought Percy Pigs and VFS provided the wine and nibbles. Tick box. Tick Box.
Our speakers for the evening were:
David Jones: Luxury Freelance Fashion Consultant
David Jones worked for Aquascutum for 20 years before being headhunted by Wallis and becoming the Manufacturing Director. David launched his freelance career 12 years later and quickly snapped up clients John Galliano and Matthew Williamson. David has also spent time as the President of the Clothing and Footwear Institute, now the Textiles Institute.
Allan Scott: New Planet Fashions
New Planet Fashions is a London based production service specialising in sampling and small to large production runs. With 10 years in the business, Allan’s clients include Victoria Beckham, Preen, Jonathan Saunders, Hannah Marshall, Erdem, Osman Yousefzada and Roland Mouret.
Anna Brett: Image Studio Production, Managing Director
Image Studio Production is a high end manufacturing studio specialising in patterns, toiles, samples and production with no minimum orders. Winning the Topshop Award for Garment Product Innovation, Anna went onto work with the likes of Peter Pilotto, William Tempest, Vivienne Westwood and Marios Schwab. Image Studio Production also offers a make service for graduate collections.
Emma Davidson: Denza International, Recruitment Consultant and Finance Manager
Emma specialises in business and personal accounting, VAT returns, budgeting for business planning and being able to explain in human language what an account means! Her experience also extends into licensing, production and buying and marketing.
Emma Crosby: London a la Mode, Vauxhall Fashion Scout London Exhibition & Paris Showroom
Responsible for the launch of Miss Sixty and Fornarina to the UK, Emma now manages the buyer relations and sales for pop-up event London a la Mode, offering new designers a selling opportunity before, during and after Fashion Week. Recently Emma became the Sales Manager for our very own VFS London Exhibition and Paris Showroom. Emma specializes in brokering relationships with designers and buyers, forecasting and account management.
This salon had more of a discussion feel to it and all the speakers seemed to bounce off and interact with each other and the designers as opposed to the more formal Q and A format previously seen.
So in the wake of London Fashion Week as previously mentioned the hard work really begins. Getting your sales is one challenge but then conducting the production and manufacturing orchestra is another and it is not for the light hearted. I think the clearest message that came across from the VFS Salon was be organized, be professional, be passionate about your product and above all be polite; respect your manufacturers – they have a wealth of experience. Listen and learn from them.
How to find sampling and production units in the UK?
- Not easy as there are very few forums for this. I am going to start a section on this blog dedicated to sharing details of suppliers, manufacturers etc so if you can add to it please email me and I will put it up so everyone can benefit.
- Word of mouth
- Fashion Capital
- Internet
How to choose the right production house for you?
- Do you like the owners/ directors etc as you will be working with them a lot?
- Are they good enough standard or too good? Discuss you price points with them and have an idea of what you want to be paying for each style, negotiations are of course possible but if they will manufacture a dress for £65 and you are wholesaling it at £60 you need to look elsewhere obviously.
- Do they have time to fit you in and can they manufacture your collection to meet your deadline?
- Ask to see examples of work they have done before and ask how much they charge for it and the quantities they produced. If they are doing large-scale production cost will of course go down.
- Talk to them about what the next steps would be with them (this really helped me). Most factories will insist on making a sample with them before production goes ahead to sieve out imperfections and assess potential problems before patterns go off to the graders. From these samples they can then give you an exact price for production (they will give you an estimate before sampling).
Production steps
1. Find a few factories and go visit them with your samples
2. Pick a factory to work with
3. Take your samples in again and go through each piece. You need to treat them like a 2 yr old. Everything needs to be explained. Technical drawings for each style and the different colour-ways they come in with fabric swatches and examples of the trimmings/ buttons/ zips etc. You will then need to go over you sample and discuss the finishing. If your samples are perfect then great but some of mine I want to change slightly. Point out and document types of seams, finishing’s, positionings etc
4. Order all fabrics and trimmings in, in time for production. You don’t want them to be late and for you to miss your slot.
5. Sign off the samples when they are perfect.
6. An exact price will then be set and you will usually pay a deposit at this stage with the balance on delivery.
7. Deliver all fabric/ trimmings etc.
8. Production goes ahead.
9. Spend as much time in the factory monitoring production as you can. Things can go wrong and for the money you will be paying you want everything to be perfect.
We talked PR and making money too but i'm waffling on now so will leave that until the next blog...
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