Indiesource

How your products look along with how they feel are two of the major driving factors behind your clothing brand. But before your customers can feel your products and try them on, the appearance of your designs must first attract them. That’s where the look book comes in. A look book is essentially a high-quality catalog for your brand showing off your clothes’ best sides and making a striking first impression on potential buyers.

Working with the best clothing manufacturers is crucial to building out your fashion line. And the best among them, such as full-service clothing manufacturers Indie Source, will also help you develop a stellar marketing plan and look book. This is essential to getting your brand in front of people and driving sales. Here are a few tips to either improve your existing look book or to create your first one.

Choose a Format That Fits Your Brand

There are a few different formats that look books utilize, and part of that can depend on the audience your look book is being created for. For brands selling directly to retailers and specialty stores, for instance, the look book will most certainly include wholesale pricing and styling numbers. A look book made for direct to consumer only brands, however, won’t include these details, but will still serve as a great way to show potential customers how the styles merchandise together and tell a cohesive story.

Some look books are purely digital for online use only while others are printed on glossy paper in a hardback book. Some choose a minimalist approach showing only the products without descriptions, and others have paragraphs describing the clothing, the materials, and the experience of wearing it. The choice is yours, but consider how you’d like to brand your clothing line first and choose a layout and format that speaks to your target audience, be it retailers and specialty stores or direct to consumers.

Separate Your Brand

In the fashion world, brands are everything. Consider that you can buy a plain black T-shirt from hundreds of brands. When products become commodities, it’s the brand and the shopper’s connection to the brand that will drive the sale. Besides showing your products in the best light, your look book is your tool to differentiate your brand from competitors.

Let Your Products Speak for Themselves

Your look book should have your products front and center, but consider who will wear your clothes and when. With real people placed in real-world environments in your look book, you’re helping potential buyers picture how they (or their customers) can wear your clothes, and they'll start to build a connection with your brand. How your models are posing and the settings of your shots will vary depending on your brand, so make sure that you've ironed out your branding beforehand and have a clear vision.

Work with the Experts

The quality of your look book directly reflects the quality of your brand to buyers and customers. For this reason, you should work with professionals in every step of creation. This means you should hire professional photographers, models, designers, and anyone else needed to create a premium look book.

This process can be time-consuming as you work with multiple people and companies, but you can get high-quality work and guidance from experienced professionals in one place from full-service US clothing manufacturers like Indie Source. They’ll help you not only design and produce your clothing line but will also help in the marketing phases and assist you in creating the best look book for your brand.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA as they offer full-service clothing manufacturing to help you go from idea to finished product. They work with a variety of people and brands from individuals with an idea who are new to the fashion industry to established brands. Either way, you'll receive their full attention as you create your product line together. From development to manufacturing through the marketing phase, you can count on Indie Source to help guide you on the best path forward. The company is based in the fashion district of downtown LA and has an experienced team of designers, domestic manufacturing partners, and in-house fashion marketing experts to help you bring your vision to life.

Learn more about Indie Source’s innovative approach to domestic manufacturing at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2Io22Ib

You'd be hard-pressed to find an industry more driven by trends than the apparel market. Every year something new is in and something old is out, and it's up to brands to predict these trends accurately and swiftly, or they could miss out on capitalizing on the latest and greatest.

Keeping up with fashion trends can be challenging for brands and manufacturers for a variety of reasons, the most evident being the rate at which these trends come and go. The thing is, understanding what your customers are looking for months in advance will allow you time to produce a line and get it on shelves fast. Here are a few tips to help you stay ahead of the curve and design and deliver products that stay on top of trends.

Leverage Data Analytics

If you want to stay on top of the trends, you need to have a pulse on what your target customers are looking for and what they want to purchase in the coming months. To do this, your data analytics system should cover multiple channels and be highly targeted. You should know or identify exactly who you're designing products for and then you can start looking at what this segment is most interested in.

While in the past learning this information was challenging, the digital age makes it simple as long as you’re plugged in and paying attention. Utilize data from your social media channels to see what your target audience is talking about, what they’re wearing, and what they’re searching for from the clothing industry as a whole.

Be Agile

While knowing what your customers want and predicting the next trend is important, if you aren’t able to produce your goods quickly, you could miss the boat. Working with domestic US clothing manufacturers with short lead times and quick manufacturing processes will help you get your products out there just in time to capitalize on the trend.

Make Your Brand an Experience

Understanding the current market and producing garments is only part of the equation. Even with the best products you still need to compel your target customers to purchase from you and not a competitor. To do this, you need a strong brand that highlights the consumer experience.

Your e-commerce platform should be optimized for shoppers with an integrated social media and marketing strategy that drives visits to your online store. People should care about your brand and connect with it either online, in-store, or both. Whether you have an existing brand or are just starting up, investing in your brand and marketing channels can be just as important as the products themselves.

Work with a Full-Service Clothing Manufacturer

It’s possible to create a trendy short-run product line while working with separate manufacturing partners and handling the marketing and digital integration with another firm or on your own. But, working with full-service clothing manufacturers like Indie Source makes the entire process seamless and saves you time, headaches, and costs. Instead of having to find and negotiate with suppliers, designers, and manufacturers individually, you can go to one place and work with experts in the fashion industry from start to finish.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA as they offer full-service clothing manufacturing to help you go from idea to finished product. They work with a variety of people and brands from individuals with an idea who are new to the fashion industry to established brands. Either way, you'll receive their full attention as you create your product line together. From development to manufacturing through the marketing phase, you can count on Indie Source to help guide you on the best path forward. The company is based in the fashion district of downtown LA and has an experienced team of designers, domestic manufacturing partners, and in-house fashion marketing experts to help you bring your vision to life.

Learn more about Indie Source’s innovative approach to domestic manufacturing at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2GawBj4

Starting any business or brand can be a risky endeavor, but it can pay off big time if you plan carefully, work with the right people, and have a little bit of luck (or positive press) on your side. The thing is, far too often people jump in feet first and make common mistakes that can cost them time, money, or even prevent their brand from launching.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common mistakes startup fashion brands make, why they can hurt your brand, and how to avoid them.

Relying Solely on Overseas Suppliers and Manufacturers

Many big brands work with companies overseas to produce their goods. The thing is, it takes a lot of time, years even, to create strong relationships with reliable suppliers and to negotiate price points down—which typically involves mass orders of thousands of units. In addition to this, overseas manufacturers don’t have to adhere to the stricter labor and environmental standards that US clothing manufacturers do. And while you might benefit from cheaper labor costs, manufacturing in countries without the human and environmental regulations like found in the US then puts your company in a bit of a moral dilemma. Not to mention that overseas manufacturers often require large minimum orders and high tariffs, and many typically won’t give you your patterns or sourcing mill details. So if you ever have to move manufacturers you’ll be back to square one.

Fortunately, it is entirely possible to work with US clothing manufacturers as a startup clothing brand. Indie Source, for example,offers full-service manufacturing and consultancy services for both new and established brands. You can leverage their network of suppliers and manufacturers based on your budget without dealing with the hurdles or headaches of going overseas.

Not Investing in Promotion

Branding and promotion are perhaps just as important as the quality of your products. Although consumers want to feel your products, as clothing is essentially a commodity for many, it’s the brand that will engage them the most. Consumers have thousands of options on the market for everything from T-shirts to pants—why should they choose yours?

Make sure that you have all of your fashion promotional materials including lookbooks, model shots, and standalone images, and that you’ve identified the correct channels to distribute them for your demographic. To help with this, you should consult with a team of fashion experts that know how to build and market your brand to the customers you are trying to reach.

Underestimating the Process

Thanks to the internet and its endless amount of information, it may seem like anyone can launch or figure out anything nowadays. With that in mind, there isn’t a 10-step guide online that will cover all of the tiny details that can determine the success or failure of a startup clothing brand. Much of this understanding comes from experience. So if you’re choosing to go at it alone, thinking that you can launch a brand as a side hustle, you're setting yourself up for a rude awakening—especially if you’re new to the industry.

From mapping a budget and negotiating with clothing manufacturers to testing materials, creating lookbooks, and shipping your products to retailers, there are a lot of steps and variables in the clothing design, manufacturing, and marketing processes.

To overcome this, you can hire a team of employees or freelancers with experience in the fashion world. But unless you have unlimited capital and support from investors, paying salaries for a team or hefty freelance fees might not be an option (you’ll also have to find said experts first).

A wise alternative is to opt for a full package, domestic clothing manufacturer that has a team already in place with fashion experience and knowledge you can utilize to help drive your fashion startup forward. The best clothing manufacturers will help you with every step along the way from design and manufacturing to marketing sales.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is one of the top full-service clothing manufacturers in the USA as well as a fashion consultancy for new and established brands. Whether you have experience in the fashion world or have an idea to create your own label but are unsure how to start, they’re here to help. Indie Source has a dedicated team to help you develop your brand, manufacturing partners to produce high-quality products, and a marketing team that will help you create a strategy to promote your new line. Based in the Los Angeles fashion district, you can trust their experience and in-house team to bring your vision to life.

To learn more about Indie Source, visit Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/fN4xVV

A pop-up shop is essentially a short-term retail location where brands and businesses sell a (sometimes exclusive) run of products typically for as long as a week or as short as a day. In recent years, major fashion brands, artists, and others have used pop-up shops to drive attention and sales for their brand with great success.

With that in mind, if you're a smaller clothing brand or are just starting your line, are there benefits to launching your own pop-up shop? The answer: absolutely. Here are a few reasons why emerging and established clothing brands alike should consider it.

Reach New Customers

Pop-up shops are a fantastic tool for generating buzz and getting people talking about your brand. There are tons of websites and blogs online dedicated to finding pop-ups in major cities, and if you market your pop-up well, you can get the attention of bloggers, journalists, and spark a social media wildfire. This can't happen on its own, so make sure you're working with the best full-service clothing manufacturers that will help create digital assets for your brand and provide you with advice for marketing your brand and pop-up shop.

Create Excitement Around Your Brand

People love flash sales and limited-time offers. It creates a "fear of missing out" type of urgency, and when the rules of supply and demand come into play, consumers will take action. As it’s only open for a short while, a pop-up shop can drive excitement toward your brand as it creates a short shopping event—driving customers to make a purchase before the shop closes. With the right marketing behind the pop-up to raise awareness beforehand, you could potentially see a line around the block of eager fashion fans ready to buy up everything you have in stock.

Limited Financial Risk

A part of the appeal of opening a pop-up shop is the limited financial risk. Because it’s temporary, you can avoid paying for a long-term lease in an expensive area and can instead rent a space for a day to a week in well-known shopping districts with tons of foot traffic. Additionally, if you aren’t quite ready to invest in a large order of merchandise, you can test the market by working with US clothing manufacturers to produce a smaller order of your merch to test the demand. If it’s a success, you can scale your line.

If you find that consumers aren’t responding well, then you can go back to the drawing board or modify your product with money still in your pockets for the next test. Ensure you’re working with a full-service apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy so they can offer support for your brand every step of the way. Having design, manufacturing, and marketing handled by one experienced full package manufacturer will also save time if you ever need to reassess your product.

Create a One-Two Online-Retail Punch

Many clothing consumers like to try on the product prior to purchase or before ordering it online. People often want to touch the material and experience the product firsthand to make sure that it meets their standards and fits well. Even so, selling online offers convenience for the retailer and consumer. So to compete, consider opening a pop-up shop as well as selling items online. This lets you to sell your products on the web to a wide market while also allowing you to engage with customers offline for the perfect one-two punch. Even if potential customers don’t make a purchase at the pop-up shop, with a memorable experience and quality products, you can point them to your online shop where they can make a purchase later down the road.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is one of the top full-service clothing manufacturers in the USA as well as a fashion consultancy for new and established brands. Whether you have experience in the fashion world or have an idea to create your own label but are unsure how to start, they’re here to help. Indie Source has a dedicated team to help you develop your brand, manufacturing partners to produce high-quality products, and a marketing team that will help you create a strategy to promote your new line. Based in the Los Angeles fashion district, you can trust their experience and in-house team to bring your vision to life.

To learn more about Indie Source, visit Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/jQgidz

When searching for clothing manufacturers in the USA, some may assume that they are all the same and the process is as simple as placing an order and paying the bill. While you can go about it this way, it rarely works out well in the long run. Building a strong relationship with the company that will produce your clothing is crucial in ensuring that your true vision comes to life and that you can sustainably grow the brand over time.

Creating a Clothing Line Shouldn’t Just Be Transactional

While purchasing clothes off the rack is a simple transaction, when it comes to designing and manufacturing your clothes, your collaboration with the manufacturer should go deeper than paying the bill. The apparel market is complex, and if you're new to the clothing industry, you'll find that it's challenging to determine the right designs to move forward with, the correct fabric types for the style, your budget, and a variety of other details.

When you have strong relationships with clothing manufacturers, you’ll have more control over the end product, and they’ll help you along the way. Also, once the relationship is established, the manufacturer will be more willing to work with you on changes to the product as the industry and your vision change.

The Stronger the Relationship, the More They’ll Care About Your Product

Think about the personal relationships you have in your life; if your best friend of 10 years needed a ride from the airport, you’d drop everything to help them, but a complete stranger? You might not be so eager. The same is true in business.

When you work with an apparel manufacturer for a while, they'll start to learn more about your goals and vision for the product line. The best manufacturers will even work with you from the start, helping your line grow from an idea to a finished product. With a better understanding of your goals from the beginning, a clothing manufacturer can more clearly see what you require out of the final product and leverage their experience to consistently deliver on your requirements.

Relationships Are Crucial for Scalability

Unless you want to limit your brand to only exclusive runs, your end goal is most likely to expand it and start shipping more units to retailers or directly to customers. To do this, you need to scale over time, something that’s easier to do when you work with the same clothing manufacturer. It’s also much more feasible when you work with a full-service apparel manufacturer who can help in the design, production, and marketing phases of your line and subsequent expansion.

With a strong relationship with your clothing manufacturer, scaling your product can be as simple as investing more in the product line. The manufacturer already knows how to produce your products and what it takes to make each piece, so they can adjust their plans accordingly. If you were jumping between different suppliers and manufacturers, you’d start at square one each time and would have to go through the prototype and testing process yet again.

The Importance of the Manufacturer’s Relationships

Finally, it's important to discuss the relationships that your manufacturer has with its suppliers, fabric mills, workforce, etc. You want to choose a clothing manufacturer that has taken the time to establish mutually successful relationships with their partners. It's important to ask about this from the start so you can know going in that the quality of your products will remain constant, using the same materials and craftsmanship throughout the line.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is among the top full-service US clothing manufacturers. They are a one-stop shop for new and established clothing brands and have experienced design, manufacturing, and marketing experts ready to help you every step of the way. Whether you are looking for a clothing manufacturer for your next line or have an idea but don’t know where to start, Indie Source will help bring your vision to life.

To find out more about Indie Source, visit Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/R8bimN

Working with clothing manufacturers either overseas or in the US presents its challenges. And, just like how you carefully try on clothes before you make your final purchasing decision, you need to select which manufacturer will produce your clothing line carefully and deliver the quality you’re looking for. As you start your search and get into contact with clothing manufacturers, keep these questions in mind to help identify if they will be a good fit for your brand.

1. Who do they work with?

Knowing the brands that clothing manufacturers currently work with can give you a feeling for the quality of their production. If they work with big-name brands that you're familiar with, it says a lot about their quality of work. These relationships can also provide insight into their reputation within the industry and more.

2. Will they work with your budget?

As with any manufacturing endeavor, budgets start as immovable constraints placed on the project. But once the needle hits the fabric—especially if there are any snags in production—the final cost to manufacture can add up to be surprisingly high. For this reason, it's crucial that you discuss your budget with the clothing manufacturer and make sure that they can realistically stay within it.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that sometimes determining the final actual cost to produce the product isn’t always possible until you receive a prototype. Or at the very least, it might be easier to determine once a sample is made. Then the manufacturer can provide a more up-to-date estimate of the cost to produce based on how long it took, the materials used, and other factors.

The best clothing manufacturers in the USA will work with you before production to help identify target manufacturing costs. They’ll take the time to give you an accurate estimate at the start rather than a flexible ballpark figure. You want your clothing manufacturer to be realistic and carry out every step of the process with a goal to hit costs.

3. Do they have experts on hand?

If you’re new to the clothing industry, you’ll likely need guidance as you get started. From designing the products to choosing the right materials and even how to promote them, finding and selecting consultants on your own can take time and their fees can be expensive.

To help guide the way, you should look fora clothing manufacturing company that has a team of experts willing to work with you throughout the entire process. From conception to selecting the materials, and even marketing your new brand, having industry experts with experience will go a long way in ensuring your line is successful and scalable for the future. Most clothing manufacturers don’t offer this array of services, so be sure to look for an innovative company that serves as a full-service apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy.

4. What won’t they do?

It’s easy to think that all manufacturers offer the same services, work with similar materials, and create all styles of clothing, but you’d be surprised by the number of things a prospective clothing manufacturer won’t or can’t do. In many cases, if they can’t do something, they’ll outsource it to someone else. You should avoid this as it complicates your supply chain and increases costs. Instead, look for manufacturers that do everything in-house and offer additional services like branding and marketing, so you only have to work with one company to launch your clothing line from start to finish, saving you time, money, and a whole lot of stress.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is among the top full-service US clothing manufacturers. They are a one-stop shop for new and established clothing brands and have experienced design, manufacturing, and marketing experts ready to help you every step of the way. Whether you are looking for a clothing manufacturer for your next line or have an idea but don’t know where to start, Indie Source will help bring your vision to life.

To find out more about Indie Source, visit Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/k2Hazj

The fashion industry generates immeasurable benefits for the economy and society at large. From job creation to economic productivity to artistic empowerment, fashion has long been valued as a mainstay of any society.

In this day and age, however, consumers and businesses alike are interested in the environmental impacts of clothing manufacturing, and for good reason. Fortunately, consumer demands and corporate conscience are driving more sustainable business operations, and it is now easier than ever to build more eco-friendly practices into your partnership with clothing manufacturers.

Manufacture Locally

Manufacturing your clothing line domestically is one of the best ways to ensure a more environmentally conscious process, since US clothing manufacturers are held to higher environmental standards than foreign operations.

Domestic manufacturers must adhere to rules and regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency that govern many aspects of manufacturing, including wastewater compliance, chemical disposal, air pollution, and others.

Incorporate Recycled Materials

In the age of “fast fashion,” where unwanted, lightly-used clothing gets discarded with ease, the fashion industry is looking for ways to reuse, repurpose, and recycle textile fibers and materials. Finding a way to incorporate recycled materials can dramatically reduce the need to extract and produce new raw materials. This can also reduce the chemicals and water used to create new fabrics, which can range from bleaches and solvents to dyes and acids.

Source Sustainable Products

If recycled materials aren’t possible, consider opting for alternative, eco-friendly options such as bamboo material, natural wool, and chemical-free dyes. For example, bamboo is sometimes used as an alternative to cotton since it requires minimal water to grow and can regrow after harvesting, reducing water use and deforestation. There are various ways to process bamboo into a raw material, so be aware of eco-friendly versus non-eco-friendly methods.

Natural Dyes

It may not work for every clothing manufacturing operation, but natural dyes have been around for centuries and are a viable, eco-friendly way to dye certain fabrics. Plus, natural dyes from fruits and vegetables will not require the same harsh solvents as traditional dyes, thereby reducing harmful wastewater and pollution.

Incorporating more sustainable processes into your clothing line may not always be easy, but studies have shown that consumers are increasingly demanding and will pay a premium for environmentally and socially conscious products. If it’s feasible, consider ways that these sustainable practices can help boost your fashion line, both in terms of operations and branding.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is a full-service apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy for upcoming and established brands. Based in Los Angeles, Indie Source is changing the way apparel comes to market by offering in-house experts across the development, production, digital design, and consultation phases. They are among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA and can help bring your vision to life with professional support throughout design, manufacturing, and marketing.

Learn more about manufacturing opportunities at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/ZX4gG8

One may sometimes hear that US manufacturing is a vestige of a bygone era. That American companies can’t compete with the cost of foreign labor and cheaper raw materials, resulting in an off shoring of jobs to countries like India and China.

For many years, this was the overall trend in manufacturing. An estimated 5 million US manufacturing jobs were sent overseas between 2001 and 2011, with a third of them going to China alone, according to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Looking back even further, Forbes estimates that the number of American factory workers fell from approximately 30% of the total population in 1950 to approximately 8.5% in 2017.

This trend has plagued every manufacturing industry, from automobiles to telecom to clothing manufacturers, but many experts are starting to see a change on the horizon. For example, the Kellogg School explains that labor costs are beginning to rise globally, thanks in part to a burgeoning middle class in countries like China and India. For example, wages have nearly doubled in China since 2008, and an estimated 17% of manufacturing executives reported that they are starting to bring manufacturing operations back to the United States, according to the Kellogg School.

Still, there are pros and cons associated with both domestic and international manufacturing. So what are some distinguishing factors between the two?

Domestic Manufacturing

US clothing manufacturers tend to adhere to stricter labor and environmental standards, which can increase production and manufacturing costs. While these guidelines can be an asset for the overall identity and quality of your brand, they can make sourcing with a domestic manufacturer more expensive than producing in countries without these human and environmental regulations. This then becomes a moral dilemma for each company to make.

However, domestic manufacturers tend to offer quick response and turnaround times, which can be an asset when bringing goods to market and when a specific deadline needs to be met. Local manufacturers might also offer greater flexibility when it comes to last-minute changes, and the stricter labor and intellectual property laws can yield higher quality products while protecting proprietary designs.

International Manufacturers

Overseas production can generally produce products at a lower unit costs but may require a higher minimum order. However, unit costs are only one part of the overall production cost and there are additional costs to keep in mind. First, given the location, there will be additional shipping costs associated with the transportation of materials and resources needed. This can increase the overall price tag and slow down everything from sample review to final production.

Second, international manufacturers might require some additional administrative overhead and correspondence since the supplier and manufacturer aren’t local. Third, the cost of transporting goods across the globe, as well as high tariffs, might negate some of the cost savings associated with lower wages.

As well, overseas manufacturers do not typically give you your patterns or sourcing mill information. What this means is if you're ever in a position where you need to move manufacturers, you have to start all over with development. Instead, if you start in US and build a foundation here, you can always scale out and move to another country later with your assets in hand.

Trade-Offs

It can be challenging to weigh all of the factors associated with clothing manufacturing. On one hand, initial cost savings could result in increased shipping costs at the end of production. On the other hand, the extra manufacturing savings could free up money for further research and development.

In the absence of a clear cost-benefit analysis, a best practice is to find reputable clothing manufacturers, either through word of mouth or through a vendor, and pick one that clearly outlines costs, timelines, and deliverables that are favorable to you and your emerging product.

US clothing manufacturer Indie Source offers a highly personalized full-service approach to clothing manufacturing. They prioritize determining a clear budget with fashion entrepreneurs and keeping target manufacturing costs in mind throughout the process. Indie Source also draws on their network of more than 50 mills, importers, and converters to acquire approved materials in bulk for volume manufacturing.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is a full-service apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy for new and established brands. Based in Los Angeles’ fashion district, Indie Source is changing the way apparel comes to market by offering in-house experts across the development, production, digital design, and consultation phases. The innovative company is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA and can help bring your vision to life with professional support throughout design, manufacturing, and marketing.

Learn more about manufacturing opportunities at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/68sgNm

The United States is home to the largest apparel market in the world, according to Statista. In 2016, store-based retail was valued at approximately $292 billion US dollars and is projected to reach $390 billion by 2025.

Women’s apparel and girls’ apparel hit $117 billion in the United States in 2017, according to Statista, while the market for men’s and boys’ apparel was roughly $87 billion.

The US apparel market is notoriously frenetic, with brands, retailers, and marketers all trying to adapt to or drive consumer trends or create a shopping experience that will attract and retain customers.

If you’re one of the many US designers or clothing manufacturers looking to kick-start a fashion line, it’s important to pay attention to market trends and top-selling products, including popular fabrics and designs.

Global Sources tracks trends in fashion apparel and products, and found that as of September 2018, customers inquired about the following products:

1. Men’s round-neck T-shirts

2. Women’s leggings

3. Baby clothing sets

4. Lingerie

5. Shift dresses

6. Yoga wear

7. Men’s short-sleeved polo shirts

8. Men’s casual jackets

9. Evening dresses

10. Men’s long-sleeved casual shirts

A few clothing items made a first-time appearance on the list as well, such as men’s casual jackets, flower girl dresses, women’s jumpsuits, and cocktail dresses, as well as breathable, waterproof fabrics. New products can add insights into consumer spending habits and emerging trends and can be a valuable source of information to new designers.

Given the competitive nature of the fashion industry, designers should heed these trends when creating a new line and select the best US clothing manufacturers. While keeping tabs on emerging trends can aid in the development of a top-selling fashion line, fashion designers have the added challenge of designing and developing, manufacturing, and marketing their line on time and under budget.

Traditionally, designers develop their own specifications, source and test materials, coordinate with domestic or foreign manufacturers, test samples, and revise product designs, either solo or with several contracted vendors. This process can be effective, but invariably takes a lot of time and resources.

There is a new model emerging in the fashion industry, however, that offers one-stop consolidated services across design and development, manufacturing, and marketing sales.

Under this full-service approach to clothing manufacturing, experts with experience help entrepreneur designers from the design phase all the way through marketing sales. To start, developers work with you to create a budget, identify and test materials, and develop samples. Then, still working with the same company, you’ll transition into manufacturing and actually see your idea become a product. This stage includes everything from marking, grading, and cutting to sewing and finalizing fine details.

Finally, after design and manufacturing, this new model helps you market your ideas and create a professional, online presence. Whether you need look books, graphic designs, or a social media campaign, you will have the support of in-house experts who have seen your fashion line from inception to completion.

Whether you’re ready to kick-start your new fashion line based on emerging product trends or you’re looking to utilize popular fabrics to gain traction in the market, make sure solidify your advantage in this ultra-competitive industry by ensuring that you have a good manufacturing strategy underpinning your quality design ideas.

About Indie Source

Indie Source is a full service apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy for new and established brands. Based in Los Angeles’ fashion district, Indie Source is changing the way apparel comes to market by offering in-house experts across the development, production, digital design, and consultation phases. The innovative company is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA and can help bring your vision to life with professional support throughout design, manufacturing, and marketing.

Learn more about manufacturing opportunities at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/fE69zs

It’s hard to overstate how complex starting a clothing line can be. In addition to the requisite funds needed, new fashion entrepreneurs should be prepared to enlist the support of designers, sourcing specialists, and clothing manufacturers to make their clothing concept become a reality.

This traditional model requires a painstaking amount of time coordinating with different contacts and specialists, sourcing and testing materials, and waiting to receive and review samples and prototypes. At best, designers are left working long, tireless hours to get their creative designs finished on time. At worst, a nascent brand becomes bogged down by delays, do-overs, and cost overruns.

The good news is that a new apparel manufacturing model is looking to up-end this old process through a more personalized in-house approach. Brands like Indie Source are replacing dusty warehouses and distributed communication with clean, collaborative spaces and a team of project managers, sourcing specialists, pattern makers, and sample makers under one roof.

But what exactly does this new model look like?

The new approach to clothing manufacturing offers in-house expertise and consultancy services focusing on design, development, sourcing, manufacturing, printing, and marketing.

This operation falls into three primary groups:

In-House Design and Development

A full-service model offers a team of product designers to help with every stage of development. This includes project planning, sourcing materials, pattern making, sample making, and revisions.

The design stage can often be the most complex, particularly if you don’t have a strong background in fashion design or merchandising. Instead of navigating these complexities on your own, a full-service model will help you establish all the details up front so you can move into production confidently.

One key area that is often overlooked is the value of focusing on costs very early on in the process. Fortunately, by working with experts with experience in taking numerous brands from start to finish, you can sidestep some of the issues many face in trying to get their clothing line to market. In fact, part of Indie Source’s initial kickoff meeting with clients is to help them identify their target manufacturing costs. From there every other step is carried out with a clear budget and target in mind. Development is done with a goal to hit costs. Fabric is sourced accordingly and the quantity produced is modified as needed in order to hit these targets.

Keep in mind each brand will have different priorities when starting. For some, ordering low volume to start prevents risk in case their items do not sell. For others, they are looking to scale and are able to do more units and lower their per unit price. This financial planning is something that other shops do not offer—it's very aligned with Indie Source’s mission to create successful fashion brands.

Manufacturing

Once your samples are ready, you typically start reaching out to either foreign or US clothing manufacturers to produce the clothing to specified standards and quantities. This often requires vetting manufacturers using an agent or word of mouth to ensure they meet your quality and labor standards as well as delivery needs.

Nothing can unravel a new clothing line faster than poor quality and production delays, so building a relationship with your clothing manufacturer is crucial. Typically, the onus is on the new clothing developer to coordinate things like service contracts, pricing agreements, production lead times, terms and conditions, etc. It can be done, but it requires a lot of time.

A full-service model simplifies this process by manufacturing your order on-site. Since designers, developers, and producers are on-site, they can transition your designs seamlessly to the manufacturing phase and reduce delays and errors. Domestic manufacturers also often have access to a large network of mills, converters, and importers, which can streamline the manufacturing process.

Digital Design

The full-service approach to clothing manufacturing walks you through every phase of production, including the important step of branding your unique designs. In conjunction with the in-house designers, this new approach will help you build a professional website to capture your finished samples with high-grade branding, logos, labels, and look books. In addition to these key assets, Indie Source has selected some of the best marketers in the industry to support new brands with their launch and growth.

The New Approach to Fashion Design

Indie Source is taking the guesswork out of launching a new label by consolidating experts in-house to walk you through each complexity and uncertainty. This personalized approach to fashion design is helping to remove the frenetic uncertainties associated with quality control, foreign manufacturing, and product development by bringing a team of experts straight to you.

About Indie Source

Based in Los Angeles’ fashion district, Indie Source is a full-service clothing development and marketing firm that is changing the way apparel comes to market. With in-house experts across the development, production, digital design, and consultation phases, Indie Source can help bring your vision to life. The innovative company is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA.

Launch your fashion line with Indie Source at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/Trt81Q

We’ve all heard the warnings about startups: 8 out of 10 new businesses fail within the first 18 months; don’t expect to make a profit for at least the first two or three years; American fashion brands and retailers are on the decline, etc.

However, like most statistics, the devil is in the details, and this case, the details offer a more promising outlook.

According to the Small Business Administration, about 75% of new businesses survive at least the first two years, and roughly 50% survive at least the first five years. This five-year survival rate has been on an upward trend too. In 2016, for example, nearly 49% of companies hit the five-year mark, an increase of 3% from 2015, according to the Kauffman Foundation.

This is good news for the fashion industry, which has certainly seen its share of ups and downs.

So, what makes some new clothing lines succeed and others become a statistic? In many cases, it comes down to how well a new entrepreneur can navigate the three key stages of product production and bring an innovative product to market.

Design and Development

The design and development phase is one of the most important stages of a new fashion line. It’s the time to create a value proposition, differentiate your product in an ultra-competitive market, develop a concept for your collection, and determine the specifications that describe your collection.

When gathering inspiration for your line, you’ll want to hone these details:

● Your business model

● The styles in the collection that will work together to tell a cohesive story

● The fabrics, trims, graphics, and embroidery details for each piece

● Fit and construction

● Quantity you’re planning to produce of each style

Under the umbrella of design and development, sourcing covers every aspect of an article of clothing, including material, trims, buttons, zippers, elastic, etc. You can source the material through an agent, online, a trade show, or a full-service development shop. Once you source the materials, you should complete a few samples and prototypes that you can then hand off to clothing manufacturers to use as a reference.

Manufacturing

In many ways, this is where your vision comes to life. Using your sample and prototype, a manufacturer will produce your designs to the specifications you provide.

You have two options when it comes to production: a domestic manufacturer or a foreign producer.

US clothing manufacturers tend to adhere to stricter labor and environmental standards, which can be an asset not only for your overall brand identity but also if your line requires specialized materials or a specific deadline. Foreign manufacturers will likely have cheaper labor costs, but often require high minimum orders and high tariffs that can add up to costing as much as US prices.

You will likely have to draw on different professionals to complete each of these key phases. Failing to do so could result in delays, cost overruns, or quality control issues.

Marketing

In addition to designing and manufacturing your clothing line, you’ll also have to market it in order to make sales and build buzz for your brand. You’ll need a professional website that showcases your product line in a clear and enticing way with high-quality photos.

There will also be branding, logos, and labels to decide upon and produce, in addition to a high-quality look book or catalogue to display your products. A strong social media presence and strategy can help drum up interest in your product, in addition to compelling ads.

An Alternative Option

There is another option, however. And that’s the in-house approach. Indie Source consolidates design, sourcing, and manufacturing expertise under one roof, alleviating the time and stress of finding professionals in each field.

Indie Source offers apparel manufacturing and consultancy services that cover every aspect of launching a clothing line. You can access product development, manufacturing, and creative marketing experts who will help bring your vision to life and help you navigate the complexities of the fashion industry. They’ll even help you market your finished product.

About Indie Source

Based in Los Angeles’ fashion district, Indie Source is a full-service clothing development and marketing firm that is changing the way apparel comes to market. With in-house experts across the development, production, digital design, and consultation phases, Indie Source can help bring your vision to life. The innovative company is among the top clothing manufacturers in the USA.

Launch your fashion line with Indie Source at Indiesource.com

Original Source: https://goo.gl/cV1T35