Book a Demo
Sign Up

Our Blog

Welcome to our Blog. Share your thoughts on our latest and trending posts

Search
Success stories

Mambloom maternity clothing

Mambloom: the modern and conscious maternity wear Founded by Tatiana Rosario in West London, Mambloom is a maternity wear brand which focuses on products that women can feel confident in wearing as their body changes during motherhood.  Mambloom offers a comfortable and modern, sustainable solution to mothers wanting stylish and fashionable clothing during and after their pregnancy – for anytime, anywhere. Its key features are to be functional, comfortable, stylish and durable. It is through the development of modernising classic designs where Mambloom filled the gap of sustainable and functional maternity wear. Creating products specially designed for caesarean surgery recovery – having extra comfort for the lower abdomen in mind to help with healing – and also tops for breastfeeding – to give extra confidence to breastfeed. Collaborating with Seamless Source, the brand was able to create its vision to aid women in search for modern maternity wear. The story of Mambloom The founder, Tatiana, herself knows too well of the struggles she encountered during her own pregnancy; for her, she found it difficult to find clothing that was comfortable, especially during exercise, and also clothing that had more colour choices – branding what she could only find to wear as “old-fashioned”. After speaking to other mothers who shared their own troubled experiences, she intended to create a collection that covered these areas in maternity wear that lacked – and so Mambloom was born. The brand name “Mambloom” possesses beautiful connotations; “Mam” meaning for mama (Spanish for mother) and “bloom” meaning to flourish – as pregnant women do. Creating a conscious community As Mambloom’s journey progressed, its values deepened. Initially thinking about mothers, which will always be its core value, the brand developed further key focuses – such as to build a community where women can come together and share their experiences. The other key value is to “create a better future for us and our children”. Mambloom is focused on reducing harm to people and the planet, with sustainability being important to the brand. Its biodegradable packaging consists of compostable packaging and the garment itself uses sustainable fabrics.  How Seamless Source helped Mambloom Maternity wear is difficult and complex – making it a technical product to produce. Mambloom struggled to find manufacturers that could create these products at a technical level because they had a lack of knowledge and also had trouble with the quantities needed.  Tatiana discovered Seamless Source and joined our platform with the hope of finally finding a reliable source who could carry out her requests. Seamless Source supported Tatiana from the very beginning and swiftly understood her production needs.  Our industry expert team secured a clear supply chain strategy, which could easily be followed on our seamless sourcing platform, taking Mambloom from the very beginning through to the end of the production journey. First starting with tech packs to ensure the products matched Tatiana’s vision.  With finalised tech packs, we could move onto sourcing the ideal high-quality fabrics that were needed for comfort, stretchability and durability to suit the products’ intended purposes. After trying out many different types of fabric, we discovered Bamboo Cotton and Recycled Nylon Spandex were the best options to use – as well as fitting Mambloom’s sustainability values.  As Seamless Source are connected to global suppliers specialised in technical wear production, we easily found the perfect suppliers who could swiftly move onto the sampling stage and at the desired quantities.  It was key to Mambloom to have a faultless fit with every product. In particular, the breastfeeding tops are non-conventional products and technically advanced – opening in the front to benefit feeding mothers. So a lot of live fittings and small adjustments took place to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. Once Tatiana was happy with all the samples and finalised the sizes, bulk production could begin. Proceeding with three styles – Maternity & Postnatal Leggings, Nursing Bamboo T-shirt and a Nursing Bamboo Tank Top. Success While maintaining good communication throughout, thanks to our dedicated team members and instant messaging via the Seamless Source platform, Tatiana has since repeated her orders in better quality, higher quantities and different colour patterns to meet her growing demand. Available on the Mambloom website: https://mambloom.com/ and Instagram @mambloomclothing. Seamless Source are proud to be part of Mambloom and their journey, as we help in supporting to scale-up the business. It is a dream to work with Tatiana and we loved guiding her through this entire process to create a functional and comfortable, sustainably conscious maternity activewear collection. May we continue to guide more brands with their production journeys.

Read More »
Success stories

Monty The Lion

Monty The Lion – Baby’s got a brand new Baby Grow! Initially a children’s non-fiction book series, Monty The Lion creates innovative and practical children’s wear – Wipe and Go Baby Grows – in support of their illustrated books.  These revolutionary baby grows are the first of their kind and focus on the practicality that’s needed in child care. The clue is in their title, ‘Wipe and Go’, they eliminate the need for constant changing of clothing. Parents won’t know how they managed without them! Keeping in theme of the book, their merchandise offers a selection of prints featuring characters from the stories. After the brand expressed their ideas and collaborated with Seamless Source – they could get their innovative products created. First came the book – Monty The Lion’s adventures As well as the brand name, ‘Monty The Lion’ is actually the main character for their non-fiction children’s book series; The Move, Monty Goes Boating and, soon to be released, Monty Goes Camping, all written by Carol Otieno.  Carol was inspired in discovering the positives in scenarios that often would be found stressful for young children, such as life changes, and so wanted to encourage adaptability. She hopes children will be able to associate themselves with the characters. Revolutionary baby wear Behind the brand, Carol herself had experienced her own need for a practical solution to evade constant changing of her babies’ clothes, and thus found a gap in the market. Her own children suffered with gastroesophageal reflux from 3 to 12 months and often found the experiences exhausting. Gastroesophageal reflux, frequent regurgitation and vomit, is actually quite common in babies and so there is a need for products to alleviate the stress for both child and parent. They came up with the concept of clothing that can be easily wiped clean without the need of changing, in order to help themselves and others in similar situations. In their research, this had not been done before and so are excited about getting into the market. As well as catering to the need, the brand thought it would be fun to introduce this baby and kids wear range in support of their book and to strengthen their characters’ presence. With their concepts at hand, they just needed guidance in how to create their product range. How Seamless Source stepped in Monty The Lion reached out to Seamless Source through recommendation after being approached at a trade fair whilst promoting their childrens books. They were looking to develop their innovative childrenswear ideas, which had not been done before, into reality and Seamless Source was the best place to handle their creative vision.  After initial meetings were completed to understand what they needed and our process explained. Our trusted and expert team across the globe worked promptly to develop the best supply chain strategy for the brand, giving them further confidence in our operations.  Monty The Lion already had tech packs of their Baby Grow, so we could move straight onto the sampling stage. With our global sourcing connections we were able to pair the brand up with one of our partnered manufacturers. As this was a new concept to them, a completed sample was sent to fully understand what was needed and the manufacturers set to develop new working samples that matched their concepts. The brand also had sourced their fabrics externally prior to joining our service, this meant sampling could swiftly get well on the way. Beneficially, our platform’s order management system gives us the ability to tailor our services to exactly what our brands’ need; thus saving time as well as money by not having to carry out services which have already been completed in-house or externally.  Altogether we created sixteen samples for the brand – including the Baby Grow sample in seven different prints showcasing selected characters from their books, as well as bibs and baby hat samples to extend their collection. Made with their chosen materials Printed Single Jersey and Waterproof Taffeta, which is perfect for the products’ intended purpose. Along with snap fasteners for easy changeability. Our team issued quality checks but realised the constructions were not feasible for bulk production, therefore a new sample with production friendly features was effectively developed, while keeping to the same aesthetic look and design of the product. Elements of this collection were technical but Seamless Source are very capable of making it happen with the addition of our combined expertise and partnerships.  Once the brand was pleased with their samples, they were confident to display these within trade fairs to build strong interest into both their brand and their products. As they foresee their demand – bulk production will be ready to commence. The results We’re so happy that we were able to help Monty The Lion create adorable childrenswear in the form of an innovative easy-cleaning baby grow – in aid of possible cases of gastroesophageal reflux in babies and to help parents – as well as themed baby hats and bibs to expand their collection. They will surely brew up a storm of interest when presented at trade fairs within the UK. Both the books and childrenswear together work as an absolute powerhouse – strengthening the brand awareness. We await a successful launch for Monty The Lion’s merchandise in support of their children’s books, as they rightly deserve.  We’re excited to continue to support them and see them grow. You can check out and pre-order the ‘Wipe and Go’ Baby Grows at www.montythelion.com/baby-grows, as well as see all their other wonderful merchandise.

Read More »
360 Trace
All

Introducing 360 Trace

The NEW Digital Product Passport is here! Seamless Source’s latest feature release. We’re proud to introduce 360 Trace – our latest innovation and the FIRST in the fashion supply chain marketplace. We’re creating a more transparent World. Allowing you to know exactly where and who made your products, from source through to logistics, all in one place. As well as giving insight into the circularity. Absolutely everything is accessible for anyone to view. 360 Trace is a digital product passport which is linked with your garment or product from the very moment it is created. Leading our customers to achieve a better fashion supply chain through transparency and circularity. We are very excited, having full confidence that 360 Trace, along with our Seamless Source platform, will positively change how the fashion supply chain operates and shake up the industry. Experience new innovation Now with every product you create with us via our Seamless sourcing platform, a digital passport is created. This allows you to trace the complete supply chain for your benefit as well as your own consumers. What you will expect to see on this form is the product’s; Fabric Composition detailing the fabrics used and their percentages, including the trims – e.g. coconut shell buttons; Care Instructions like as you would see on a care label, advising how the product should be washed, dried and ironed; Sustainability and Circularity, this is a small statement about the product’s circular journey and how you can help; as well as the Supply Chain and its Certifications. The Supply Chain importantly showcases every step of the process; Design, Raw Material, Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing, Sampling, Trims, Manufacturing, and Delivery. It has details of where each of these steps took place, such as the country and its region, including their certifications. These certifications and processes are either verified or unverified (highlighted in orange) for added transparency. Manufacturing also details the number of employees at the factory and its percentages of different genders who work there. You can even see the method of Delivery, be it either Sea, Air or Land freight. 360 Trace will educate consumers and increase trust – elevating yourself from the competition. This product passport can be seen through your account underneath the name “TRACE” on the product’s “Inquiry” page – and with every product, a QR code is also automatically generated to enable easy and free access for anyone to view. How does it work? It’s simple. All you have to do to share this product passport is to download the product’s QR code or share the weblink from the 360 Trace page. Then there are many effective ways in which you can utilise the QR code, here are three examples: Either print the code onto your hangtags when selling the products. Print the QR code as a fabric label attached to the product or, if its viable, directly onto the product itself. Or even embed the product passport code to your e-commerce store. Allowing shoppers, product owners and browsers to check out the products’ supply chain, certifications, care instructions, circularity and sustainability whenever they want. All that is required to be taken directly to the digital product passport is to scan the QR code using a camera device. No Seamless Source account is needed to access these sharable links. As an account holder you even can gain insight into how your product’s QR code is performing with data analytics. By viewing the scores on the amount of scans, clicks and locations, you can better your understanding of consumers and their behaviours. Why not try out our QR code below and see our NEW Digital Product Passport for yourself! If you’re interested to learn more about 360 Trace and our Seamless Source platform then feel free to drop us a message to info@seamlesssource.com or join our live chat.

Read More »
The Marketplace Conference 2022
All

The Marketplace Conference 2022

Seamless Source welcomed by The Marketplace Conference as their Innovation Partner! For the first time ever, The Marketplace Conference has taken place in India and we were both proud and elated to have been welcomed as their Innovation Partner. More than 800 people visited the conference in Le Meridien, Gurgaon (India), on Thursday 29th September 2022 to witness more than 8 informative sessions that included panel discussions, fireside chats and spotlight sessions; with 10+ exhibitors and 30+ speakers. This event, organised by Apparel Resources, was a great opportunity to network with fashion marketplace entrepreneurs, apparel and textile manufacturers, buying houses, apparel brands and retailers, as well as learn everything about B2B marketplaces. As well as showcasing Seamless Source – our founder & CEO, Chathura Sudharshan, got invited to take part in their Panel Discussion ‘Choosing the Right Marketplace’, elaborating on the future of the marketplace. Including joining in to discuss ‘When Innovation Meets Fast Fashion’ amongst competitors. Our innovative contribution As the Marketplace Conference’s Innovation Partner, we told our story of why Seamless Source was founded. We started due to three main reasons; (1) it’s difficult for fashion brands to find suppliers who are ethical and sustainable, (2) order management is both complex and costly, and (3) supply chains – along with order management – are often non transparent. So we found a solution to these problems, that many SME fashion brands face, by successfully providing an automated omni-channel sourcing platform and integrated order management tool as the technical solution to build a leaner, sustainable and seamless solution to manage their supply chain – all in one place. Including partnering up industry-leading reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers across the globe. Ultimately helping brands; cut costs and time, improve their sustainability and scale their business faster. “We are revolutionising the fashion industry with digitalisation.” – Chathura Sudharshan At the conference, our sourcing platform was received extremely positively and we’re delighted to find out that many in the industry are actively wanting to branch out into the digitalisation of the supply chain. ‘Choosing the Right Marketplace’ panel discussion Out of the many Panel Discussions that occurred, we had a fantastic talk for ‘Choosing the Right Marketplace’. Chathura Sudharshan joined other industry experts who chipped in with their own views and experiences on the integral subject. This was deemed an “insightful session” as the predominant question was laid on the table – “why would we choose a B2B marketplace?” – often asked by brands and factories in the fashion industry. Nothing was held back, discussing the fundamentals of a B2B marketplace and how they are beneficial for the industry. We had the chance to expand on how our sourcing platform system works with vendors, as well as our aims of building a better and transparent fashion supply chain, and projections; as we see the world moving forward into digitalisation. Other Panel Discussions involved at the event were; ‘Developing Market Places: What is it and How Does it Work?’, ‘Ensuring Sustainable Supply Chain is a New Norm for Marketplaces’, and ‘The Future of Marketplaces’. Including Spotlight Sessions; ‘Farm to Fashion Apparel Marketplaces Make You Cost and Time Efficient’, and ‘Bringing Financial and Operational Excellence in Your Transactions’. ‘When Innovation Meets Fast Fashion’ The other judicious session – ‘When Innovation Meets Fast Fashion’ – involving our founder, amongst competitors, kept the audience “hooked” and credited again as “insightful”. As they discussed the concept of a B2B marketplace and why it is being called a ‘disrupter’. New networks Networking intervals were a great opportunity to meet other fantastic people within the fashion industry, including some industry leaders, who were all so welcoming. We have made amazing new contacts who we can’t wait to work with and, again, were thrilled to see those in the industry wanting to move into supply chains with digital means for a better future. This positive energy has motivated us even more! We are growing to become leading innovators with our combined expertise in apparel manufacturing and sourcing; from design through to production. Often specialising in niche technical products, such as seamless, femtech, adaptable wear and wearable electronics, which are hard to manufacture. We love to see new projects arise. We’re happy to have had such a successful time and loved every minute at The Marketplace Conference in India. We are proud to have been their Innovation Partner. Thank you for welcoming us and we hope to see many more in the future. Click here for more Seamless Source blogs.

Read More »
All

Sustainability – Key Words in the Industry

Sustainability is a key driving force within the fashion industry at the minute, and it is important to understand exactly what it is you are talking about otherwise things can come off as misleading. These are just a few terms explained to make your sustainable journey a little more simple: Slow fashion – a direct opposite to fast fashion, slow fashion champions slower production and a reduction in consumption. Circular economy – circularity within the economy is about keeping garments in circulation for as long as possible in order to get the most out of your products. It takes all parts of the fashion lifecycle into consideration — from design and sourcing to production, transportation, storage, marketing and sale, all the way to usage and end of life. Green – often used as a vague buzzword which doesn’t actually provide any information around environmental practices. Can be swapped out with specific terms instead. Eco-conscious – again, usually used as a non-descriptive way to advertise ‘sustainable practices’ without going into detail. This buzzword should be swapped out for terms that make it more obvious which practices exactly what companies are doing. Sustainable collection/sustainable line – limited range of garments or accessories released from a brand that focuses on elements of sustainability. This might include using organic materials, recycled plastic, or more environmentally-friendly packaging. Ethical fashion – while often used interchangeably with sustainability, ethical fashion focuses on what is considered ‘morally right’. Greenwashing – this term is an inherently negative one and usually refers to when brands label themselves sustainable or eco-friendly to stay on ‘trend’ with the changing industry. Greenwashing can be avoided by brands being up-front and honest about their sustainable practices. Global warming – this is the long-term effect that we are having on the earth’s environment through various different means such as chemicals and fossil fuels, which leads to the heating of the environment through trapped green-house gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Recycling – repurposing old garments or scrap fabrics through recycling programs is something that many companies are starting to incorporate. Recycling can help to decrease the harmful impact of clothing as it gives garments a second-life instead of being sent to landfill. Renewable energy – this is energy that has been collected from natural resources that replenish themselves. It can include sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Sustainable alternatives – this is in reference to alternatives of harmful fabrics and goods such as animal leather or fur, which has an increasing impact both ethically and sustainably on us. Creating alternatives to these is a good way to bring the fashion industry into the future. Carbon footprint – something many people are taking care to reduce. This is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our actions. Carbon neutral/net-zero – is a term used to describe the state of a company, service, product, or event, where the carbon emissions caused by them have been balanced out by funding an equivalent amount of carbon savings elsewhere in the world. These key terms will come in handy when referencing sustainability in your day-to-day life, so it is important to understand what they mean. As a business owner, when using any of these terms you have to make sure you are eligible for such claims, otherwise you are misleading and could get into trouble. You can find out more about the fashion industry and sustainability in particular through our blog selection, here at Seamless Source.

Read More »
recycled-fashion-seamlesssource
All

Recycled Fashion – is this Innovative Solution the Best Way Forward?

The idea of recycled fashion is not new, however, it has become much more popular within recent years. A growing number of brands are switching to recycled versions of fibers, often advertising these clothes as the “more sustainable” or “conscious” choice. This sustainable fashion option has become the trendy new way to be more conscious about your clothing. Consumers now have access to a wide variety of recycled fashion options – from in-store campaigns to door-step collection. You can recycle synthetic fibers such as Polyester and Viscose into brand new products, and you can also recycle natural fibers such as Cotton. Recycling has become popular with the aim to create a more circular economy for the future of the fashion industry. Read on to find out more about recycled fashion and how it has impacted sustainable fabric markets, and whether this trend is really the future for sustainable fashion. How to begin the recycling movement As mentioned in our 5 tips for a sustainable brands blog post – recycling and upcycling do not have to just cover just clothing itself, it can start within the mindset of your organisation. It is not simply about manufacturing and designing clothes ethically using recycled fabrics – sustainability starts with the small things your organisation does. When it comes to your everyday recycling, make sure that it is as easy as possible for your employees to carry out, as recycling in all aspects helps the fashion industry. Place recycling bins in all offices and staff areas so that it isn’t a chore to recycle (both waste and garment bins!) By encouraging recycling amongst your team, it will eventually become a part of the workplace culture, which is exactly what you want when trying to become a more sustainable brand.  Another way to kick off a recycling forward approach is to try out a recycling scheme. Many brands have been incorporating schemes and rewards into their stores in order to get their staff and consumers recycling properly. Boots offer £5 worth of Advantage Card points if you recycle at least five qualifying items, and M&S have partnered with Oxfam to recycle textiles through their Shwopping partnership with the potential to receive £5 to spend in-store.  How does clothing recycling work? The majority of textiles are fully recyclable – items including garments, bedding, towels, napkins, soft furnishings and more. Textiles will be given to a recycling company either through clothing banks, charity collection services such as The British Heart Foundation, or company recycling schemes such as high street retailers Primark.  After being sent to the recycling centres they are sorted by material and colour, processed through machines that shred the garments back down to raw fibers, cleaned thoroughly to ensure that the fibers are fit for reproduction , re-spun into new textiles, and reused to make garments, insulation, and other products depending on the quality of the recycled fibers.  The Environmental Protection Agency states that around ‘17 million tons of textile municipal solid waste (MSW) was generated in 2018, which represents 5.8% of total MSW generation. The recycling rate for textiles was 14.7%, meaning 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled. The other 14.5 million tons were either combusted or sent to landfills. These recycled fibres go on to create sustainable fabric used within a large array of different brands today, from recycled swimwear companies to larger brands sustainable fashion collections such as H&M’s Conscious range.  Cutting edge fabric recycling There are many cutting-edge products on the market today, from turning fishing nets and tyres into fully formed materials ready for manufacturing.  From plastic bottles to discarded X-rays and film, almost every kind of waste is potential to designers!  Tyres At the digital presentation for the Performance Days fabric fair, a company producing sustainable fabrics made of post-consumer nylon obtained from tyres presented their ideas. The tyres are being recycled in a process called ChemCyling developed by BASF. This recycling platform can use both mixed plastic waste from municipal waste collections and discarded automotive tyres. The waste is chemically recycled into a pyrolysis oil which replaces crude fossil oil as a feedstock. The recycled amount is allocated in the product via a certified mass balance approach. The Long Advance fabric consists of 7% elastane and 93% recycled polyamide, both reducing the need for synthetic fabrics and also ensuring that tyre waste is recycled in a meaningful way. Fishing nets  Every year more than 25,000 fishing nets are reported lost or discarded. Most of the time, these are broken and are no longer used for fishing. Fishing nets are made of 100% synthetic materials and will never break down, causing a huge amount of waste in our oceans.  It is increasingly important that we are looking after our oceans so that we can protect marine animals and ecosystems that are essential to keeping our planet healthy, as currently there are global problems related to this.  Fishing nets can trap animals such as sharks, dolphins, fish and turtles and clearing them up is a huge help to the environment. In countries such as the Philippines, local fishers collect old nets to be recycled into carpet tiles. However, these fishing nets can also be used in the fashion industry. Company Girlfriend has created leggings, bras and tops from recycled nylon in fishing nets! They have over 500k followers all buying their recycled sustainable fabrics in innovative new products. Why is recycling important? An estimated 70 pounds of textiles can be thrown away each year in the US alone, this coming mostly from fast fashion stores such as Boohoo and Shein, with over-consumption of clothing being rife within society today.  Fast fashion trend cycles have made it acceptable to wear a new outfit for every occasion, and this means that when the person buying the garments is done with them, they are simply thrown into the rubbish only to end up in a landfill.  Due to the fact that the majority of cheap clothing today is 100% synthetic, the products

Read More »
platform-system-seamlesssource
About us

Seamless Source – Platform Systems

PLATFORM SOLUTIONS At Seamless Source, we have been working on developing the best solutions for fashion brands to create products from concept to delivery. CEO and founder, Chathura Sudharshan, started our company with knowledge of three supply-chain problems; lack of transparency in the supply-chain; sourcing difficulties where SME fashion businesses struggle to find reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers without industry networks and connections; and also, complex and costly processes where order tracking and communication is extremely complicated being unavailable or non-affordable for SME fashion businesses. So Chathura aimed to fix this and support small to medium-sized fashion businesses by developing an automated omnichannel sourcing platform with an integrated order management tool to help build a digitalised, faster, leaner and more responsible supply chain – all in one place with industry-leading, reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers across the globe, that fashion brands can easily access. WEB & MOBILE APPLICATION We have two easy ways to allow fashion businesses to seamlessly order and create their products. First being with a Website Platform, which has already been successfully running since 2019. But now we are introducing our 2022 Mobile Application, which makes our relationship with you, our clients, even simpler. With an app, you can sort and keep an eye on your clothing orders, receive notifications regarding developments and messages, manage your document library by viewing and uploading documents via your device and even instantly talk to manufacturers, suppliers and your account manager – all on the go. At Seamless Source, global sourcing has never been easier. DASHBOARD Starting with the effortless and reliable Dashboard for all clients and Seamless Source Account Managers. Communication is no longer a problem within the fashion manufacturing process. As a client, you will know exactly who is making your clothes and who is involved in every step-to-step process. You will be in the loop, from the discussion lining out what you want and need to the minute they are delivered to your door. In any online ordering process, there’s always understandable anxiety with waiting for the final production, which is why we wanted to incorporate a detailed client and company relationship. For once, you won’t be talking to a fully-automated AI assistant about your needs and receive tedious answers. You will be talking to an expert from our team, who can lead you through our Dashboard so that you can have trust in each step of your manufacturing work. Not only will you have an idea of the step-to-step development, but you will also have specific updates. Dates and times for when each stage is started, completed or potentially delayed. At the exact point of the happenings too. Another benefit of this dashboard mentioned above is the transparency behind knowing who makes your clothes. With complete contact information, including name and address, you can do a full background check on our workers for that little bit of extra security. We know that no one likes to be kept in the dark, so this is why our Dashboard keeps you in the light. DOCUMENT LIBRARY Oral communication is of massive importance within our platform, and the entire design, patent and digital production are also. At Seamless Source, we have found that keeping all the information in a Document Library removes any chances of confusion and loss of data. Knowing everything is stored in the same place creates a trusting environment where you can be confident and comfortable creating changes with the dates you need developments and finalisations for, especially since we’re a global sourcing company. A Document Library makes everyone’s lives easier and allows better efficiency for the entire production and manufacturing. DATA ANALYTICS Our Data Analytics cleverly uses your information and our system to find the perfect time to re-order clothing at your convenience. On our end, we can work out what materials and textiles are in and out of stock and the dates and times when everything will be back in stock. If you are a trusted client with history, we believe you shouldn’t have to go through the entire record construction again. At Seamless Source, we see Data Analytics as a perfect opportunity for you to continue your client relationship with us without hassle. As a manager or principal designer, you don’t have to worry about wasting time with administration jobs and can simply move on to the following big product. We are making the entire process quicker and easier the second time you want us to be the manufacturer of your garments and any time after that. Be sure to watch out for NEW updates concerning the Seamless Source platform & app!

Read More »
cotton-image-seamlesssource
About us

What is Cotton – Cotton Fabric Properties, Products, and Production

Cotton is one of the most widely used fabrics – with 27 million tons of cotton being produced every single year. It is also the most valuable non-food agricultural product in the world. Undoubtedly cotton is an extremely valuable commodity within many industries, including the fashion industry, and this is not expected to change any time soon. In this article, we explore the life cycle of cotton and the impacts that it has throughout the planet.  Overview of Cotton Cotton is a fibre at the heart of the textile industry – and has many varieties including Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton depending on the species and where it originates from.   Cotton is a natural fabric made from the boll of the cotton plant (the fibres surrounding the seeds), it is produced with ‘staple’ fibres, which are turned into the fabric we know and love.   Cotton is used within clothing, soft furnishings, and a range of other products. It is the most popular fabric due to its low cost, versatility, comfort, and performance.  Cotton Types and Locations Cotton is harvested all over the world – but there are 5 main countries that make up 75% of cotton production. According to Statista (2019/20), India is leading the production followed by China. Although the majority of cotton can be produced anywhere in the world due to technical enhancements, different cotton fabrics vary depending on their species and the location in which they originated. Fashion revolution states a massive 2.4% of the world is used to produce cotton (2021). Upland cotton Upland cotton comes from the cotton species Gossypium Hirsutum and can also be referred to as Mexican cotton.  This type of cotton makes up 90% of all cotton cultivation and production, and is most often found and harvested across Central America. It grows well in the majority of climates, and therefore can be produced worldwide.  Upland cotton ranges from short-to-medium length cotton fibres and is known for good quality everyday products. Upland cotton is perfect for bulk cotton fabric production due to its low cost compared to other species, yet it is usually not used for finer fabrics unless it is a specific type with a longer staple.  Acala cotton is a type of Upland cotton grown in the San Joaquin Valley Acala in California, and is among the highest quality Upland cottons – with a longer staple. However due to immigration requirements, Acala cotton is more expensive than other cottons made in America. Is it likely that the majority of the cotton garments in your wardrobe are made or blended with Upland cotton of some variety.  Egyptian cotton Egyptian cotton is a type of cotton originating from the species Gossypium Barbadense that grows along the river Nile in Egypt. Egyptian cotton makes up less than 10% of all cotton production and despite the name, is widely produced in India and China today. Egypt is not even in the top 10 producers of Egyptian cotton in the world anymore – the title is more of a symbol of quality. The Gossypium Barbadense that originates from Egypt has long-staple fibres due to the climate, and therefore makes much higher quality cotton than Upland cotton. Egyptian cotton is most frequently used within soft furnishings such as bedding, cushion covers or even bathrobes due to its soft, luxurious nature. Egyptian cotton has a certain precedent, and therefore sometimes products are labelled as ‘Egyptian cotton’ even if the fabric is a low-quality blend in order to get consumers to purchase. Pima cotton Pima cotton is a variety of cotton that is also produced from the species Gossypium Barbadense (the same species as Egyptian cotton) and can also be referred to as Sea Island Cotton. Pima cotton once again makes up less than 10% of all cotton production, and is most frequently produced in the US – however it originated in Peru and was cultivated in the US through the Pima Native American tribe, where it got its name. Pima cotton is a type of extra-long-staple cotton, and is very smooth and resistant to rips, pilling, and fading. Due to its high-quality, Pima cotton is more expensive than Upland cotton.  Supima cotton is a type of Pima cotton that is grown in specific areas of the US, and makes up less than 1% of all cotton production in the world. In order to be considered Supima cotton, organic cultivation practices have to be abided by.  How is cotton fabric made? Cotton fabric starts at the cotton plant – once the plant matures and the flowers fall off, the seeds grow fibres that expand into the fluffy cotton boll that can be harvested. Cotton bolls were picked and de-seeded by hand up until the invention of the cotton gin, and now the cotton fibres are harvested with cotton stripper machines and separated from the dirt and seeds within the cotton boll with automated circular saws in the gins.  Once the fibres are cleaned and separated, they can be formed into large bales that will eventually form the fabric. The bales are sent to textile production factories or mills where the raw fibres are cleaned and carded by machines. The cleaned fibres are combed and formed into slivers – these slivers get twisted into what we know as yarns and can be turned into fabric through loom machines in the factories. Yarns can also be used in other ways, but for the purpose of bulk cotton fabric production, machine looming is the easiest way. Once the fabric is made, it remains in its natural state until it is bleached or dyed in order for further use. ‘Greige’ cotton or unbleached cotton can be utilised by companies that want to dye their own fabric for production, and can be a way to save on costs for start-ups or SME’s, as well as helping with sustainability, as there is less waste this way.  The cotton fabric, once treated with the necessary chemicals and dyed, is then ready for purchase and distribution

Read More »
leather-alternative-image-seamlesssource
About us

Leather Alternatives – Cactus Leather, Pineapple Leather, Mushroom Leather, Apple Leather, Corn Leather, Flower Leather

With the traditional leather industry receiving some backlash over sustainable and ethical issues recently, many eyes have turned to different types of leather alternatives to step in and take its place as front runners of the fashion industry. There are a huge variety of plant-based leathers on the market and soon to be on the market as of today. Many things that could be considered unusual in terms of materials can actually be turned into leather alternatives ready for production.  Cactus leather As we try to shift away from mass-produced plastic goods, cactus leather offers itself as a sustainable solution to the leather problem.  Cactus leather is 100% natural and organic, and started with the brand Desserto in 2019. The brand produces out of Mexico and has remained in the spotlight ever since their invention was presented to the world by the inventors Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez. Cactus’ require little water to grow, and due to its harvesting process of only picking the mature leaves to ensure the core of the cacti is kept intact, in 6-8 months the leaves will grow back in full and will be able to be re-harvested again.  The whole process is extremely sustainable, and non-toxic chemicals are used to mix into the mushed leaves mixture to turn into the leather structure.  The leather alternative is extremely high-quality and partially biodegradable, alongside being soft and durable. It is able to be used within clothing, accessories, furniture and car interiors. Pineapple leather (Piñatex) Pineapple leather, otherwise known as Piñatex, is a pioneer low impact and cruelty free leather alternative made from waste pineapple leaves that was traditionally made by Filipino people.  The brand Ananas Anam makes Piñatex and it is now used within the fashion industry as a replacement for real leather and plastic leather, however whilst low impact, it is not completely sustainable and used petroleum-based resin in its production. Piñatex is created by felting long fibres from the leaves together to create a non-woven substrate. The fibres are washed and dried and then felted together to make the base of the leather. The material is then shipped to Spain where it is processed into leather and shipped to brands. Piñatex is widely known in the industry now and is used by a range of designers in their collections. It is featured on Mytheresa.com and used by brands such as H&M, Hugo Boss, and Paul Smith. More than 500 manufacturers have used Piñatex since its commercial launch in 2015.  Pineapple leather allows farmers to generate additional income by sorting and selling long leaves suitable for fiber production, instead of burning them or leaving them to rot. This is a great step in the development of a more environmentally conscious fashion industry.  Mushroom leather Mushroom leather was initially developed using mushroom spores and plant fibres as an alternative to animal leather. The use of Mycelium as leather has been tested more and more in recent years after it’s official development in 2013 – however is often overlooked due to the inconsistencies that happen during the growth process that lead to the leather-like material varying in tensile strength, thickness, and breathability. There are many ways to make mushroom leather – one way is to incorporate plant fibres, allowing the mushroom mycelium to grow into a flexible and soft living textile. These techniques are still being improved on today, and maybe in the future manufacturers will have perfected this leather alternative to make it more widely available to the general public. Recently, both Stella McCartney and Hermes have announced that they will be incorporating mushroom leather into their collections. Hermes is debuting a handbag created using the leather-imitation material made by Californian-based company MycoWorks. Stella McCartney will be using Mylo. This comes as a collaboration with Bolt Threads who produced Mylo as a bio-based leather alternative that will be launching in 2022 through its various partners. Other (less popular) plant-based leather alternatives There are a few more options when it comes to plant-based leathers on the market that are perhaps not as widespread or as sustainable as the options above.  Apple Leather One of these is apple leather – which was developed from 50% apple waste and made commercially viable with the help of Frumat. It is an ecological, breathable, waterproof and durable fabric that has helped to reduce waste, however is usually incorporated with PU and therefore is not as sustainable as some other plant-based leathers.  Corn Leather Another is corn leather, a vegan leather material derived from corn, which is made by the brand Veja. The corn leather material is a waxed canvas, coated with resin from the corn waste industry that looks and feels similar to leather. Flower Leather/Fleather There is also flower leather, made by Kanpur Flower Cycling out of leftover temple flowers. ‘Fleather’ was thought of after the brand noticed that the dyes, chemicals and pesticides were seeping from the flowers and into the river and set about coming up with a way to repurpose them.  There are bound to be many more plant-based alternatives being developed in the coming years as a means to end the animal leather industry and provide an alternative to plastic options, and seeing them used more frequently on the market would be great for everyone! For more Seamless Source blogs click here.

Read More »