Posts filed under 'Sourcing'
I’m starting to work through some of the email questions. Since I’ve received a few questions about how to source fabrics and find textile suppliers, I’ll try to give as many tips as I can (and please, everyone jump in with what I miss!).
How to locate suppliers that carry the types of fabrics you are interested in:
- Attend a textile show - you can touch and feel all the fabrics, learn about upcoming trends, and meet the reps in person. You also leave with a trade show directory, a virtual gold-mine for suppliers. This is pretty much how I’ve found all of my suppliers.
- Go to a fabric district - I’ve had some luck this way, but not much.
- Purchase directories of suppliers.
- Search for suppliers online.
Next, call potential suppliers and ask them to send you HEADERS, or swatch cards, and ask if they have a price list and / or website:
- If they don’t have a price list, you can call them back after you have the headers in-hand and talk to them about prices for each.
- They should send you cards with fabric swatches attached to a tag that contains the style numbers, care instructions, and fiber content.
- The headers are important - so that you can see and feel the different options they have before making a
- purchase. They can often inspire your collection.
Purchase sample cuts before placing a production order:
- After you select a few fabrics you’d like to try, you will call them back and ask for “sample cuts for testing”. - get enough to make at least two samples.
- Be very open with them about what you are making (and what price point you were hoping for) - they might have recommendations and options you don’t even know exist.
- Find out the availability of the fabric, some are a standard part of the suppliers line, some are seasonal. This will affect your design decisions, especially as a startup.
- Ask about their minimums, policies, payment terms, and method of shipping.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions!!!!
Before you actually go to market with production samples, make sure that you have verified the availability of the fabric. Just because a lot was available when you ordered the sample cut, doesn’t mean a lot will be available when it’s time to produce the actual garments (Oh, yes, I’ve learned this one the painful way).
October 7th, 2007
When you call or visit a textile supplier, one of the first questions you’ll get from them is “what do you do (make, manufacture, etc.)”? They ask you this because they want to help streamline your shopping experience. They also want to keep from wasting time if they are not going to be able to help you.
The more details you can give a fabric supplier, the easier you’re going to make your life. These people are never going to steal designs, they aren’t looking to see your tech sketches or design specifications. When I speak with a supplier, I’m very detailed about what I’m making, what qualities I’m looking for, and what I need. Right now, I’m scouting for jersey-type fabrics. I tell the supplier’s rep that I’m making babywear, I’m looking to make baby tees and body-suits. This doesn’t tell them anything too specific about my design, but it does give them a good picture of what type of fabric I need.
The other bonus to giving specific details is that the supplier likely knows about some fabric choices that you don’t know about. Keep in mind, they want the sales and they want the repeat business. They want you to grow and they want you to stick with them while you do. When suppliers ask you qualifying questions, or tell you they have high minimums, don’t be offended; but do ask them if they have anybody else they would recommend.
It’s a good idea to make a list of everything you’re looking for in a fabric before you call:
- type of fabric
- special care requirements
- price point
- minimums you’ll be able to meet
- specific color or detail requests
June 13th, 2007
I’m happy that I’m miraculously starting the planning for the Spring ‘08 season relatively early - because we’ve just been thrown our first curve ball.
I have a very focused vision and the fabrics I need to make this vision happen have a longer-than-usual lead time because they are knit-to-order. I’m SO happy that the rep took the initiative to follow-up and call me back, and that she just happened to mention that because I have to get on the ball now. I have to narrow the selection down, make sure the finishing process I want to do is going to work and then get the sample fabrics ordered.
On the plus side of the whole knit-to-order side is that it enables me to make this a ‘forever’ baby line for us - I know the fabrics will always be available. As long as I’m prepared for the lead-time.
On the negative side, it means that I have to plan for orders well because if I have a 4 - 6 week lead time to get the fabrics, and a 4 - 6 week lead time to get the items cut & sewn, then I’m at least 8 weeks out from product-in-hand at any given time. So, I already have to adjust the “order sample fabrics” milestone on my project schedule.
And yet, I don’t want to over-order just because I think this is a brilliant idea. That’s why, the sales for this first round will be traditional - show the salesman samples, take orders, order the fabric (based on actual sales), and then place the production order. Once the collection is rolling, I visualize a contanst flux of production. Visualization followed by action makes dreams turn into reality.
May 16th, 2007
I’m very excited because it looks like I’m going to get to meet up with “friend” who runs Baby Nika out of Canada at the April Int’l textile show in Los Angeles. I put “friend” in quotes because we’ve never actually met in person, but we’ve exchanged a lot of emails and a few phone calls. She has decided to travel to the US because she’s sick of sourcing supplies over the internet and phone, and I’m very excited to meet her. We’ve been on the same path with our businesses from back when we didn’t even have our websites launched 
I’ve been going to this bi-annual textile show for a few years now. I definitely don’t make it up to all of them, but it is an invaluable experience every time I do. Even the first time, when I was an absolute deer in the headlights; that first time I learned so much about how the industry works. Since then, I’ve always had luck finding suppliers w/ low minimums that are willing to work with small design companies.
I have the advantage of proximity, being only a hundred miles away from Los Angeles, but I highly recommend it to anyone who can make the trip. My favorite part is the trends display they have in the lobby. It’s a great overview of the upcoming season’s colors and trends in textiles. It’s also a great launching point to start your day at the show. You can cruise around the tables and make notes of which suppliers carry the fabrics that are catching your attention. These notes can at least give you some basis of where to start.
Then it’s up to the show floor, and when you step out, it’s overwhelming. There are usually wide open halls full of booths and then rooms full of vendors as well. It always helps me to just walk it once. I learned at the KIDshow that everyone has different buying habits. I’m one who likes to walk it and get my bearings. On the first walk around, I will drop in on existing suppliers or companies that I’m already familiar with. Once I’ve done the first walk, I’ll go back and visit the booths that really caught my attention, in addition to any of the booths I want to visit based on my notes from the trends section.
It’s funny, at my first show, I was afraid to ask about minimums because I didn’t want to scream “Newbie” to everyone I met (I did anyways LOL). Now, if I stop in and see a fabric I like, my first two questions are price and minimums. These are the most immediate qualifiers for me. And if they are high, I now have no problem saying we’re relatively new and the minimums are out of our range. Trust me, the vendors appreciate that you’re not wasting their time either. If I really like the fabric, I’ll take their card and make note that I’d like to check them out again when we’re bigger.
The Textile Show is from April 16 - 18. If you follow the link, all of the pictures on the home page are taken in the trend & forcasting area in the lobby.
Also, if any of you out there are looking for suppliers with low minimums, I can point you to some for a wide variety of fabrics from plush micro-fibers to cottons. So feel free to contact me, at the very least I can copy pages from show directory. I can be reached at info@babyfabulous.com.
March 20th, 2007