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If you make your own samples in-house,
it will be difficult to calculate a production
cost. Take your 'in-house' produced sample
to an appropriate Production Unit who will
calculate a production price. Please do
this before you commence selling.
A Production Unit will only be able to calculate
its exact "making price" once
it has produced a counter sample in the
correct fabric. First samples test: fabric
properties, production quality, pattern
accuracy and exact pricing. All sampling
instructions agreed between the designer
/ manufacturer and the Production Unit must
be confirmed in writing.
Question:
I am a recently qualified designer and I
am working on my first collection. I have
found a small unit who made my samples beautifully
but charged between £100 and £200
per item. This has used up all my savings.
What can I do now?
Answer:
Charges must always be discussed and agreed
in writing before rather than after the
samples have been made. A lesson well learnt.
If you are going to take orders from your
collection, you will still have to find
a factory to quote you a production price
but you will have to give the Unit an accurate
forecast of how many per style they will
be making.
Ask the existing factory if they can produce
small quantities and at what price.
If you are unable to continue with your
business, you could always sell your samples
to private customers to raise some money.
Our
confidential advice service will help you
to plan your business spending more accurately.
Question:
Before I went on holiday I arranged for
my sample collection to be made up by a
Production Unit. On my return I went to
collect my samples but they were not ready,
had not even been started. Why won't these
Production Units keep to their word?
Answer:
When a Production Unit is making anything
for you especially first samples, you must
be in regular contact with them. Visit the
Unit everyday if possible or, phone them
and be available to deal with any queries.
Production Units want the designers to
supply ALL component parts before the production
process starts. If no copy sample is given
a very detailed sketch with finished measurements
will help get the first sample "right."
Remember, quality Production Units will
always be beholden to larger; more established
customers who give them work on a very regular
basis. Your production needs will always
have to fit around these bigger fish.
Our
confidential advice service will help you
to understand how to deal with suppliers
effectively.
Question:
Last season a seamstress who lived near
to my studio made all my samples. This season
I sent my patterns and sample fabric to
a Production Unit who was highly recommended
by another designer. When I visited the
Unit they told me that my patterns would
not "go together" and did not
have enough information on them and that
they would not produce my samples. My seamstress
had no problem with any of my patterns,
why should the Unit have such difficulties?
Answer:
Production Units only work successfully
with "commercial" patterns that
are loaded with nips and notches to guide
the machinists; grain lines to help the
cutters and measurement charts to help the
finishers. All quality Production Units
have problems with designers' sample patterns
and many Unit owners will look at the designers
pattern before they decide whether to make
the samples.
Top home seamstresses will make any pattern
fit by trimming or easing the fabric or
even altering the patterns themselves. Production
Units will not do this! These seamstresses
can be very helpful to designers but only
if they write down every problem encountered
making the sample and any amendments that
they have made.
When samples are made in a Unit rather than
'in-house' the pattern should be made by
a professional pattern cutter or pattern
service, to stop any problems arising further
down the line.
Our
confidential advice service will help you
locate appropriate services providers.
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