TegTalks

Here’s a little factoid that might take you by surprise: one of the hottest categories in the clothing industry these days is outerwear. In fact, the winter wear market was valued at $268.3 billion globally in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.3% from 2019 to 2025. That’s a lot of puffer jackets, raincoats and windbreakers! Coats and jackets account for the largest market share of 52.5%. The segment is driven by a rise in the use of jackets for different purposes such as trekking, bike riding, tours and travels, thereby uplifting sales in the outerwear market. So, Let’s Bundle Up The trend towards more casual dressing - spurred on in part by the pandemic - has people looking at outerwear in new ways. People [...]

If your creativity has you diving headfirst into swimwear, you’re in very good company. Consider this: the global market value for swimwear has steadily increased and is predicted to hit 29.1 billion US dollars by 2025. And, during the pandemic, swim and activewear became increasingly popular — likely due to so many people realizing the importance of exercise, as well as rediscovering their joy of the great outdoors. There are many advantages to building a swimwear brand. Not only is it in high demand, but as you can see above, it’s a growing market as well. And, due to the fact that swimwear typically requires very little fabric yardage, it has a very lucrative profit margin (we love that part)! Better still, swimwear is small and light, making it easy and inexpensive [...]

Iconic and deservedly so, let’s start our discussion of this much-adored fabric with a little history. Ever since the inception of "blue jeans" in the 1870s as workwear for miners and cowboys (thank you, Mr. Levi Strauss, we tip our hat to you), denim has evolved to become the most popular fabric in the world today. It’s durable, wrinkle resistant, long lasting and looks great with practically anything. Designers are forever finding ways to incorporate denim into collections that aren’t just about “jeans”. That said, with so many fabric techniques and washes to choose from, denim designers are also finding ways to make the tried-and-true jean style even more desirable. Button- or zip-fly, baggy, skinny or boyfriend, dark or vintage-washed, there are few fabrics that lend themselves to more unbridled creativity than [...]

Before you think these old-fashioned-sounding techniques are not for you, we invite you to open your mind just a little. Fabric treatment technology has come a long way since your grandma’s quilting and vintage skirt box pleats. Taking advantage of new (and some not-so-new) fabric treatments can take your collection to a whole new level. In fact, the simple act of researching the available methods can be creatively inspiring. So read on; we promise there is a whole new world of surprising options you might have never considered! Pleats, Please (with a nod to Issey Miyake) Before we even start this discussion, we must take a moment to honor the contemporary master of the art form of pleating, Issey Miyake (born 1938). Per The Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Issey Miyake launched his [...]

There are few things in the fashion industry that are as straight-out fun as fabric dyeing. It feels a bit like someone offered you a box of crayons with no limitations! In fact, after you immerse yourself in the world of dyes and washes (pardon the pun!), you might find alternative options for your collection that you had never even considered. This article offers up only a few of the dye and wash possibilities available to you. There are so many more! We recommend you research the dye and wash possibilities in even more detail. We’d hate for you to miss out on just the right option for your collection. So let’s jump right in, starting with different types of dyes. Fiber Reactive Dye. First thing to keep in mind is not [...]

Here’s a very common collection development scenario: you, as a designer, discover a fabric you just love! It has the perfect hand and texture. Maybe it drapes like a dream, and you can already see in your mind’s eye how wonderful your samples are going to look when they’re all sewn up. Unfortunately, this perfect fabric-of-your-dreams is only available from the fabric vendor in maybe just a couple of solid colors. Sadly, you don’t really like any of them and, to be honest, you’d actually prefer a design motif to a solid anyway. Well, before you take a pass, why not consider printing? First, check with your fabric vendor if the fabric you love can be printed, and if they offer a “base” color that will work as a starting point for [...]

Size grading and marker creation. While they certainly aren’t as glamorous as say, design or sampling, or even fabric sourcing, they can make or break a collection. They are instrumental in terms of proper fit, customer satisfaction, and also in cost savings. What's more, they need to be precise. We hate to break it to you, but this is one of those times when “good enough” is definitely not enough. In addition, they are a necessary and important step in the bulk production process of your collection. You can’t bypass the process, and you can’t do production without them. Some manufacturers will do the size grading and create the markers for your production. To keep the manufacturing process simple, we advise you to find a manufacturer that will do it for you [...]

Besides your beautiful clothing designs, brand identity is an equally important way to make your collection stand out from the others. If you haven’t already developed your marketing and branding materials - such as logos, labels and tags - there’s no time like the present. This is the perfect time to do a deep-dive into your brand and how you want it to be viewed by the public. First, let’s start with a discussion on what branding is, and what it is not. Your brand is not just your clothing. It’s not just your logo. It’s not just your hangtags and labels. And it’s not just your name. While these things are important individual components and should support your brand, your brand is a combination of all these things and then some. [...]

If you are reading this, chances are you’re looking forward to your first production project, or you’re looking to scale up the production of your brand. Congratulations! Here we’ll discuss the steps involved in the manufacturing process and what you can expect at each step. One point to get out of the way before we dive right in; if this is your first time jumping into the production arena, the uninitiated often have the idea that clothing manufacturing is a quick process. Truth be told, the production process takes months, not weeks or days. Schedules can often be a sticking point between the designer and their production partner. Be clear about your expectations and give yourself more time than you think you need when planning your production. A word to the wise [...]

Congratulations, you’ve made it through the development process and you have your final samples and production-ready patterns in hand. Good for you! Now, the next thing you need to do (after a deep breath and a well-deserved pat on the back) is to choose your production partner. The right production partner can make or break your collection’s success. Whether you’re new to the clothing industry or doing research for a new manufacturer, it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the lifecycle of your new collection. The words "let’s start" means different things to each manufacturer. For some manufacturers it means you must already have your finished production-ready patterns and sew-by samples in hand. For others, they will have the capabilities to take you all the way from ideation to [...]