Every thing that we see around us is somebody’s vision. But what about the independent designers and emerging labels who have a mind abundant in ideas, but don’t know how to materialize their projects into a profitable business? This is where manufacturing or production partners come into picture. A manufacturing company is a team of expert industrial designers, engineers, project managers, quality control and logistics managers, who help a designer achieve her artistic vision. Let us understand how production partners make the designer’s vision a reality:

1. A designer needs her tools: If you are a designer with a mind lush with ideas, but what is lacking is the materials and the know-how of techniques, a production partner is just what you require to bring your ideas to life.
2. Compromising on creativity is a big no-no: If you want to create a finished product, faster and efficiently, you must be rest assured, a professional production partner will do so without corrupting the originality of your design.
3. One size doesn’t fit all: You can rely on the production partner to assist you with each step to turn your vision to a finished product, or ask for a more customized collaboration, where you need them for a specialized step of creation.
4. Transparent instructions and clear follow-ups: You can keep a keen eye on each process of production and make any modifications as you please, by openly communicating your issues with the product.
5. Concentrate on creativity, outsource the production hassles: Working manually on every product that you want to sell can cost your brand time and dollars. How about concentrating on your vision and letting production partners handle the production?
6. Offer products at multiple price points: You can utilize your time effectively by offering products that are handmade at higher prices and the ones manufactured by production partners at lower prices.

Production partners are a god sent, especially to independent fashion designers and emerging labels, they make the process of production more structured and efficient. Let us understand how the collaboration between a designer and production partner works: A designer can create unique collections, contemporary or vintage, with the help of designers. The production process begins with the designer programming her designs in a computer, which controls the knitting or stitching machines. A couple of initial prototypes are prepared, which the designer critiques with her trained eye. The adjustments that the designer suggests are made. The designer can insist on prototyping more than once, until the finished product resembles her design and the overall harmony of form and color that she is trying to achieve. It is advisable to visit the facility often so that finished product precisely reflects the aesthetic she is trying to achieve.

In conclusion, if you are a budding fashion designer or an emerging fashion label that is looking to scale its operations, you should consider working with a production partner. You can easily search for them on sites like Etsy, that has a special tool designed just for this purpose. Through this tool you can search for production partners available for various industries like apparel, machining, fabrication, jewelry and printing. Make sure to give them detailed descriptions about the project, quantities required, budget and time constraints. You will be surprised to see how many production partners are out there, who share your values and are glad to work with independent designers.

About Author Deepika Rochlani
Deepika is ILFR’s Marketing Expert and oversees various ILFR marketing functions, including Brand Positioning, Social Media, Influencer Marketing, and Content Marketing.