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Lean is In - Waste Reduction in Fashion Production and it’s Luxuries

Many times I've wondered about what path to take with my fashion business.  Whether I should go through the trouble of raising funds for the purpose of on an actual full blown production of my line has been a big issue for me lately.  In fashion, a full blown production requires a huge investment.  Manufacturing and meeting minimums is expensive and it involves acquiring an incredible amount of inventory of both materials and finished product.  That means you would also need to invest in renting some place to keep all that inventory safe and ready for use or for order fulfillment.  Additionally, you would have to figure out how you will manage to ship, and handle returns and replenishments.  For a little guy like me, it is an overwhelming undertaking and it is very expensive.  But, ultimately I have come to the conclusion that this production model, conventional as it may me, is just too wasteful for my peace of mind.  I’ll explain.

Traditionally, this is how the fashion production model goes.  In order to make money, you need to save money and in order to save more you have to buy more.  Huh?  Yes.  Getting fabric in bulk, for example, will get you the best price per yard.  So you buy in bulk.  But wait, what if that particular fabric or color doesn't do well on the sales floor?  Something to consider.

To get the best price for production you also have to produce in bulk.  The more items you produce, the cheaper the cost per item.  So you produce in bulk.  But what happens if that item doesn't sell through?  Something else to think about.  There have been seasons where the weather wasn't as expected, warm winters and cold summers, where sales didn't meet expectations.  You can have what you think is the perfect item and you can bank on it by ordering thousands of pieces to be produced.  You could have made your most educated ‘guesstimate’.  You study your customer base and their buying patterns, you design based on the latest trend forecasts, you foresee the future... but ultimately it's a guess.  So if this particular item doesn't sell as you projected, if people don’t take to the fabric or the color or the fit didn't quite sit right, you have the worst kind of inventory problem: the kind that nobody wants.  And, unfortunately, the kind that creates waste.  The bigger problem I want you to be aware of here is, you have to multiply this problem by millions of items-gone-wrong and by ALL of the companies trying to get it right all at the same time.

Research says that the "garbage" that is left behind by fashion, meaning left over fabric and materials, unsold products of clothing, not to mention the energy and resources that are consumed in the making of tons of yards of fabric and later tons and tons of clothes, is of a great burden to the earth.  Landfills are full and with no where to go but to somehow recycle it, I say we start by not producing so. much. waste.

Years ago, I worked as a designer for a mass-market fashion manufacturer in NY.  And I remember that in order to produce a collection of acceptable samples to present in our seasonal meetings we had to work on huge production of prototypes of both fabrics and actual garments.  These prototypes were often re-made with adjustments as we developed each collection and received feedback from our buyers.  There was fabric sample yardage that was made in various colorways, often re-woven, or refinished in the attempt to achieve the best product for our presentations.  In order to get an order, there were 50-60 prototypes created out of which one or two styles would get selected for a full production in a handful of color ways.  We were concious in the office that something just wasn’t right about this, but there was incredible pressure from our accounts for more.  They needed to see more options, more colorways, more fabric swatches, more finished samples and we needed to comply to stay competitive.  That’s just how the industry works, especially in mass market sector.  The amount of waste we produced was especially evident, when it was time to start on the next season.  There was a big purge in the office.  Those old protos and samples were disposed of.  We needed space for new ones.  So we packed them into large garbage bags and boxes and we would do our best to donate the ones that were wearable.  We donated a lot, but we threw a lot of it out and started the process all over again.  What is worst, is that all of this I have described, was just the process behind getting the initial order!  There was then, the actual production of thousands of pieces and what that entails.  So, you can imagine how all the many fast-fashion companies working this way, all of the product out there from mass production, and all of the consumption and then disposal of these garments can OVERWHELM the earth.

Back then, I was a simple employee doing my job.  Today, I am a business owner and I am responsible for my approach and the effect it may have on the future of the world.  I know now, that this process has a real and negative impact on the enviroment.  

I started my business in the hopes of being profitable of course.  And I have heard many times how it is not sustainable to maintain a made to order business for long or to make any real money.  Remember, you have to spend more to make more.  I have doubted my own self MANY times as I sit behind my sewing machine to start an order, as it takes me 2 or 3 hours to complete a garment with fabric I buy moderately at prices that could be better.  But I quickly come to my senses.  Deep down inside, I know I wouldn’t want to contribute to the waste of the world.  I want to contribute art, and beauty, things that I make with my hands from my heart, untainted by greed.  And that’s what motivates me.

Having my business set up this way has not only saved me a lot of money, it has allowed me room to learn from my clients, to customize for them, to perfect my patterns and fit and to control every aspect of every garment I ship including what gets thrown away.  And I value that.  Obviously, I will never be able to compete with Forever21 or H&M price points because I have to be fair to myself, but I am reasonable with my client as well.  Now, as a consumer I urge you to inquire how a shirt gets cut, sewn, labeled, tagged, and shipped from overseas, and can be $5 on the sales floor.  It’s unfathomable.  Would you make a shirt for $5?  Something doesn’t add up in that equation.  This is costing someone, somewhere and it is definitely taking its toll on the planet.

Fortunately, today’s consumer is becoming more aware and making smarter purchases.  If you buy smart you can buy less.  It is also important to have a better understanding of what it takes to create a garment in the first place so that there  is a higher regard for quality.  I know my clients have an appreciation for what I do and that's why they give me the opportunity to make their garments.  I only make what is ordered and even though that means I take a smaller percentage of profit than if I mass produced, I know it's more conscientious and that's important too.

I can only be a one-woman-show for so long so in the future, I plan to hire a team for in-house manufacturing as needed.  I plan to maintain the made-to-order aspect of it.  Only making what is needed.  Eventually, I think I’d venture into producing my own fabrics in-house too or at least sourcing materials domestically.  To become independent from overseas resources would be a wonderful advancement in our industry and our economy.  I hope other designers and makers like me embrace this concept.  Less is more.  Smaller, more thoughtful production runs would make a difference.  At the end of the day, you can offer your clientele a luxury they are not going to find in the world of mass produced apparel, the unique quality of a designer's touch and the transparency of who really makes their clothes and how.  

Think about it.

I would love to know what you think!

Let me know below in the comments and don’t forget to go check out my shop where all ítems are handmade by me: www.ladiwithababy.etsy.com

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