lolita dress manufacturers

[mia_zombie_chan]

I'm thinking of starting my own Lolita clothing brand, it's not something I'm taking lightly. Anyways, I'm currently researching what companies I can get to print the fabric i'll design and the company I'll pay to sew the dresses, I'm very very picky on who is good enough as I want the most uperior quality. It got me thinking, what companies do the

Comments

[vi0l33t]

are you talking production or just organization?

[gurliebot]

I work for a company that does jean designs. Everything we do is manufactured in China. Why? Because the factories there have access to many different materials and can deliver at the lowest price per garment.

They most likely use different factories based on what the garment is like.

[doxii]

I think you would be better off sewing your self. As an indie brand in a very niche market that demands high quality for lower than Japanese brand prices *inhail*, I think its going to be hard for you to move units - never mind making them for cheap. Maybe talk to some of your friends who are in fashion design. They could probably hook you up with someone locally who can print for you (that way to get to see samples of their work), and maybe a starving fashion student who you can pay minimum wage to help you sew and draft *evil laugh*. Until you get your feet in the water, its a really big gamble to take it over seas.

About the quantity thing, I really have no idea. Probably not as many as you think, judging by how rarely one sees repeat items in the comm sales. Just guessing maybe like 200-500 of all cuts and colour ways.

[pet_chan]

I second the idea to find a seamstress locally. And it doesn't have to be a professional seamstress (who charges a lot) nor student with little sewing experience - there are many older ladies who love to make handiwork, so they can sew well, but they don't charge as much as proffesional seamstress, because sewing is only their hobby and not their business.

I always make the cut of the garment myself, and I sew the first item myself as well. So they see the final product, they can check every detail of it - so I can be 90% sure that their work will be exactly what I want.

[bj_1952]

I've often thought that hiring local women or men, who sew, would be a good way to go. It's called piece work, and that is how they are payed, by the piece that they complete. It could be good for an at home mom or dad. I know a designer who tried to find a small garment company to do her items, but it was really hard for her. She never did find one. It costs a good amount for everyone to make a profit, and that would drive up the cost of your products.

I agree with doxii, make the pieces yourself for a while and see how things go.

As for fabrics, Spoonflower would be the best. Otherwise, you'd have to order a large quantity of yardage to make it worthwhile for the fabric manufacturer.

[mia_zombie_chan]

I'm thinking of getting about 50 to 100 metres of fabric printed for one design of dress, depending if it takes 1 or 2 metres of fabric to make 1 dress. I've been on Alibaba and there's a company that has a minimum fabric order of 200 metres, so 100 dresses. I was thinking of only making around 50 dresses in each design to start out with and see how they sell. It seems better to make a larger amount if the are popular rather than make a small amount and say they are limited edition, although that would probably help drive sales, if there arent many of the dresses, people will re sell them on sites like mbok and the profit won't go to me, I'd prefer to have a bigger supply of dresses so theyre in stock for people to buy them off me. Also, I don't want to set up an online shop straight away when all i've got to sell is 1 dress, I want to set it up when I've got maybe 3 dress designs and a bag design or something, otherwise people are more likely to forget about the brand if I don't have a lot to offer. I know that this is a gamble

[mach2kudou]

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[goldendays]

+1.

I sew a lot of my own clothes, using my own original designs. I've started screen-printing my own fabrics, too. I've had people tell me, "You should start a company and sell your own line!" And while it's a nice fantasy to play with on days when drafting/sewing/printing is going well, you've just mentioned a lot of the reasons why I'm going to keep on making garments solely for myself. I've read Fashion Incubator on and off for years, and the more I learn about the fashion industry, the less I want to get into it--especially as a tiny brand catering to a niche fashion.

Okay, maybe I'd do it. Like, if an angel investor with deep pockets and a savvy business partner with plenty of fashion experience were drop out of the sky and promise me that all I'd have to do is design the clothes and sew a few samples, LOL.

[mach2kudou]

I think everyone goes through that fantasy at least once or twice :)