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Starting your own fashion-related clothing brand may seem difficult when you begin to approach it, however with the right guidance and well-conducted research, you can start your own brand with a strong understanding of what it takes to succeed. You simply need to breakdown the steps and simplify the process – taking it a little bit at a time and covering key areas first so that you are prepared for what is to come. Finding the right manufacturer Once you have decided on developing your brand, the initial thing you will want to do is find the perfect manufacturer that will suit your needs. This means working within your time scale, a good rate, being able to produce good quality prints and finding a garment manufacturer that can produce small orders for you. It is ideal that you start of your brand small so that you can test the waters a little bit – this means having a small quantity of orders to start with. There are many suppliers around the UK and overseas that can create a variety of styles and designs tailored to your brand. Seamless Source can help find the right garment manufacturer for you. With easy communication via our website and 24/7 support from Seamless Source’s customer service team, you’ll be able to start turning your designs into real life products instantly. Another aspect of clothing to consider is sustainable production and labour. It is likely that you will be competing with brands that can produce ‘eco-friendly’ clothing on a larger scale. Investing in a manufacturer that is friendly to the environment and eco-friendly within their production process is important. Sourcing fabric In order to maintain the sustainable aspect of your brand, your fabric sourcing is an essential factor to consider as transparency is highly values by customers. Consider looking at fabrics such as Bamboo, Jute and Tencel – as these have a variety of different qualities as well as being eco-friendly and biodegradable. If you cannot afford to venture into these more innovative fabrics yet, then instead opt for better versions of standard fabrics – such as recycled polyester, BCI cotton, and responsible wool. Another thing to consider is to order a prototype before you fully commit to ordering in bulk. This is because on CAD (or from your sketches), the design can look different to the real product. The material may drape differently, the print or the logo may not be as strong as visualised and you may decide you’d prefer an embroidery logo instead. Therefore, sampling is an important part of the whole production process. Competitors To start with, it’s great to look at your competitors. Evaluate strong competitors in the market – these can be established brands that you can use to develop lasting strategies or young and upcoming luxury brands. You will find that plenty will focus on sustainability and look into ethical practices, and as a result, produce well-designed stylish products. Once you can understand how these brands create mutual connections and build relationships with their consumer base- this is something you can adopt within your own brand. By researching your potential competitors, you can identify their brand story, their USP, their price points and even take note of things in a design aspect. Considering the details When starting any form of clothing line, it is important to have a detailed tech pack and a clear idea of who your target audience is – this makes it easier to develop yourself and your brand identity to get the best for your future customers. Also ensure you have covered the financial side of things – depending on how many orders you make, you’re more likely to be able to negotiate a better deal the bigger the order, but this does not mean you have to order in bulk straight away. As mentioned earlier, order in a smaller quantity and then work your way up once you discovered your best-sellers. Investment and long-term goals Another thing you need to consider and plan for way in advance is how much you are investing. You need to be aware that to start a new brand, your investments need to be well thought out, no matter what type of business you are aiming for. You need to be prepared that you are going to be in this game for a while before anything starts to take off. You are looking for a 3-year (or more) game to get to a stage where you have secured a reasonable and comfortable amount of visibility for your fashion brand. It is also important to think about your touch-points with your customers in order for them to buy into your brand. They need to feel up to date and a part of your brand, whether this is through digital marketing such as Instagram or Facebook or attending fashion events and exclusive fashion parties where you can meet and greet your potential customers. If you are at a stage where you wish to look into garment manufactures that produce high-end quality fabrics, Seamless Source can help. We connect small to medium scale fashion businesses with suitable manufacturers from across the world. To find out more, contact us.

Polyester – first created in the 1940s, however was not popularised until the 1970s when advertised as a ‘miracle fibre’ due to its diverse nature. Polyester fabric is very widely used and can be found in countless garments within peoples wardrobes worldwide.  The polyester industry is extremely valuable and complex – and we will discover why in detail within this blog post. Overview of polyester Polyester is a synthetic fibre derived from petroleum and is mostly considered a plastic, it has many beneficial properties which have propelled it into mass consumption by the fashion industry.  It can be used in clothing, furnishings and much more. polyester, despite its popularity, carries some bad connotations due to the nature of what it is and how it is produced, with some individuals linking synthetic fabrics to the increased environmental risk we are currently undertaking.  Polyester origin, types and location In 1926, a United States-based company began research into molecules and synthetic fibers. They went on to create the first ever synthetic fibre Nylon, and in the late 1930s and early 1940s, British scientists conducted their own research on synthetic fibres resulting in the creation of polyester. Polyester entered the economy for the first time as Terylene by W.H. Carothers. Polyester fabric was produced for mass consumption by the DuPont Corporation and was marketed under the name Dacron, and was widely used within war efforts to make parachutes by a multitude of American companies. PET or PCDT? Polyester carried on developing over the years all around the world, and today there are two primary types – PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PCDT (poly-1, 4-cyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate).   PET (also known as ethylene polyester) is the type of polyester we are most used to seeing within our clothing, and is produced widely within the fashion industry as it has a variety of uses and is stronger than PCDT.  There are four different ways to make PET fiber, and the production process used varies depending on whether it is making filament, staple, tow or fibrefill polyester types.  PCDT has a different chemical structure and is much more resilient than PET, with more elasticity, and PCDT is suited to heavier uses such as curtains and other home furnishings.  Where is it produced today? Polyester is one of the most used fabrics worldwide – and this means that it has to be produced on a global scale.  China is the largest producer of filament and staple polyester fibers as well as being the largest polyester market in the world. China has many specialist factories with expensive machinery tailored to perfecting fabric production processes, and this is one of the reasons that they are the largest producers today.  Other reasons for China leading the way for polyester fabric production include the fact that it is an emerging market with low-cost manufacturing and many government initiatives. This is also the reason for India being the second largest producer of polyester around the globe.   Some of the biggest manufacturers of Polyester include: Other manufacturers of polyester include Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia. polyester is mainly kept in Asia after fabric production is completed until it has been turned into full garments. How is polyester fabric made? The manufacturing process depends heavily on what type of polyester is being made. Within PET production – as mentioned above, there are 4 different types of polyester fibres – filament, staple, tow and fibrefill, however only 2 types are regularly produced for fabric. Filament  Filament fibres are continuous fibres that go on to produce soft fabrics and are frequently used within polyester fabric manufacturing. To product filament polyester these steps are carried out: Staple To make staple fibers, polymerization, drying, and melt spinning are similar to the manufacture of filament yarn. However, in the melt spinning process, the spinneret has many more holes. The rope-like bundles of polyester that emerge are called tow. Polyester fabric properties Polyester has a huge variety of beneficial properties which is why it is used in so many products within the fashion industry and beyond from high-street brands to designers.  Durable Polyester is extremely durable – it was initially used for parachutes and it is resistant to pilling, stretching and shrinking which is one reason that it is so often used in everyday clothes that will be worn a lot.  As a synthetic fibre it is much more resistant than natural fabrics, including resistance to other chemicals, and this means that polyester will frequently be chosen over its natural fibre competitors such as cotton or linen. Retains shape Polyester has the incredible ability to retain the shape that it is made into. This means that it is perfect to hold the structure of pleats, gathers and ruffles without them losing shape over time.  This also means that polyester is very wrinkle resistant, and does not require being ironed or steamed to look presentable.  Moisture-wicking Polyester is the best moisture-wicking fabric on the market for the sole reason that it has the ability to draw moisture away from the body. Instead of absorbing moisture like other types of fabric, polyester wicks the liquid in the first layer of the fabric.  This means that you will not be able to feel moisture on your skin, and the sweat will be able to evaporate quickly so that you are never able to feel it. This is why polyester is so often used within activewear such as running gear.  Strong The reason for polyester’s durability is that it is such a strong fibre. Being a synthetic compound, fibres are not easily broken. Polyester is able to handle abrasion and will not rip or tear easily.  The downside to its strength is that it is not the most luxurious fabric, it feels sturdy and coarse and therefore is not often used for finer quality products. Easy to care for Polyester is very easy to care for. It can be washed on any setting without the worry of shrinking or creasing and is able to be

Initially developed by the DuPont Corporation in the 1920’s and used for military parachutes in World War 2, nylon was integrated into 25% of the textile market by 1945.  Nylon is most well-known for stockings, but can be made into multiple types of fabric including chiffon and taffeta. Continue reading to find out more about nylon and how it is currently used within the industry.  Overview Nylon is the name for a family of polymers that are widely used within the textile industry within a range of products. Nylon is 100% synthetic, similarly to fabrics such as polyester and acrylic, and is made from petrochemicals. It was originally developed with the intention of becoming a synthetic silk replica, however, the fabric alone had issues with runs and tears (despite being manufactured specifically to avoid this). This is why nylon is often used in combination blends with other fibres – as it has the ability to enhance other materials such as cotton/spandex/polyester with qualities such as stretch and resistance – whilst losing its negative qualities such as tearing.  Types and production of nylon As nylon is the generic name for several synthetic polyamides (fibres obtained by spinning polymers), there are several types of nylons. The names of nylons relate to the quantity of carbons in the structure – nylon 6 and 66 are two of the most popular types of nylon used in the textile industry because of their beneficial properties.  Nylon 6  Nylon 6 is made from a single type of monomer called caprolactam which has a higher resistance threshold, it’s also quick to absorb moisture, strong, durable, easy to dye and very lightweight.  Nylon 66 (6,6) Nylon 66 consists of hexamethylene diamine, six carbon atoms and adipic acid. It has great colour-retention and is very resistant to abrasion. Nylon 66 also does not wear down in the sunlight as easily as other nylons.  It is also low cost and easily producible. This type of nylon is better suited to industrial products however, so the majority of nylon we see on the market is likely Nylon 6.  Nylon 46 This polymer is only produced by the international corporation DSM under the name Stanyl. It is not commonly used in fabrics, and instead can be found in products such as engines and air coolers. Nylon 510 Intended as a Nylon 66 alternative, however proved to be too expensive for mass production. Ripstop Ripstop nylon is durable, lightweight, and strong. It is not usually used within the fashion industry, rather it is frequently used for parachutes, hot air balloons as well as materials designed for the outside such as sleeping bags. Ripstop nylon is a blend, usually containing either nylon 6 or 6,6 (or both). This nylon fabric has a criss-cross grid effect created by crossing different fibers over and under each other (like a basket weave) to increase durability. Kevlar Kevlar is the material used in bulletproof vests, and is also known for being cut and heat resistant. Kevlar can be found in personal protection equipment in industrial industry products such as gloves that provide protection from injuries. Production Nylon consists of long chains of carbon-based molecules called monomers, and the majority of nylon types are extracted from hexamethylenediamine in crude oil (petroleum). The nylon production process is: Where is nylon made? Nylon was originally developed in the United States and remained there until the second half of the 20th century. The US continued to be the leaders in production until the 1980s, however as the desire for the fabric grew, production started to move overseas. The current largest producer of nylon is China – however recently there has been a decline in the production of the fabric here. Many other asian countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia and India also produce nylon on a large scale, and the US still produces nylon to this day.  Nylon fabric properties Nylon was developed to be the ‘textile of the future’ and widely used in stockings because it was said to be run resistant. The original name was ‘No-Run’, however after finding out that nylon was actually very prone to running, the name was developed into what we now know as nylon.  Today, nylon is not usually used by itself due to its high tendency to run. Instead it is blended with other materials to increase their qualities whilst losing the negative ones it possesses itself. Some of nylon fabric properties include: Strength Nylon is known for being extremely strong, it is suggested that the tensile strength of nylon is greater than a steel filament of the same weight (tensile strength is the amount of pressure it can be put under before it breaks). Nylon, whilst being strong, will tear easily due to its nature. Care must be taken when wearing 100% nylon material. Stretch Nylon is also extremely elastic, with the ability to bounce back into its original shape with ease. There are no other fibres on the market that have the same elastic properties of nylon, which is why it is so beneficial to the textile market, as it can be blended with fabrics such as cotton to create amazing stretchy garments.  Nylon is widely used within activewear for this very reason, nylon is able to retain its shape and stretch back, remaining close to the skin for comfort and ease of wear.  Absorbent  Another reason nylon is so good for activewear is its resistance to moisture, some nylons are non-absorbent and smooth. This makes the fibres dry extremely quickly and ensure that the garment can perform to the best of its ability.  Some nylons are absorbent, and have the ability to moisture-wick to a certain extent (similarly to natural fabrics), however the moisture will stay within the fabric.  Resilience  Nylon fabric is very resilient – it can resist dirt very well, and can resist heat, UV rays, and chemicals better than most synthetic materials, including polyester. Nylon has the ability to resist oil and bleach, so if the fabric discolours,

Rayon is the common term for a group of semi-synthetic fabrics used widely within the fashion industry. Rayon can be produced using different processes, such as the viscose process or the modal process – however, these will simply be referred to as viscose and modal within this article. We will explore the different types of rayon and the production processes of these variants below. This article also forms part of our series containing information about a variety of synthetic and natural fibres, so read on to discover more. Overview Rayon is a manufactured fibre and a type of semi-synthetic material that is somewhere in between natural and man-made. Instead of being naturally occurring from plants or animal fibres like cotton or wool, or made from plastics such as polyester, rayon is produced using cellulose. Cellulose means that the material contains cells (which are always natural materials). Cellulose derived materials are usually made of either plants or wood, and different types of rayon are individually derived from products such as wood pulp and beech trees.  To produce rayon, the cellulose materials are blended and then chemically treated to create fibres mimicking the quality of natural fabrics. These fibres can either be left as they are, or recombined to create uniquely textured rayon fabrics.  Types and production of rayon There are 3 main types of rayon produced today – these are viscose, lyocell and modal. Viscose is the most widely used of the derivatives within the fashion industry today, however, lyocell and modal are still frequently incorporated into garments. There are also speciality rayon blends that are designed for certain features and are commonly used as a replacement for decorative natural fabrics at a cheaper price point.  Viscose Viscose is usually what people are talking about when they mention rayon. If a garment is marked as being made of rayon, it is likely that they are referring to viscose rayon as viscose can be used interchangeably as a synonym for rayon itself, not just the specific production method. The term ‘viscose’ refers to the viscous organic liquid (sometimes described as honey-like) which is regenerated into fibres to create the fabric once in solid form. It was first manufactured in 1883 as an affordable alternative to natural silk. Viscose is primarily made up of wood-pulp which can be derived from a range of trees such as: The reason that viscose is the most popular rayon fabric is that it is produced purely from wood-pulp cellulose, and does not have to be made with lignin-free cellulose. This manufacturing method is much cheaper than alternatives, as well as being able to be made on a large scale, and therefore it is more popular. The process for producing viscose is extensive – having to transform from an organic fibre into a chemically treated material. These are the steps for viscose the production process:  Viscose is extremely versatile and can be utilised in a range of ways including blending with fibres such as cotton and polyester to create strong and cheap materials. Modal Unlike viscose, modal is not a silk substitute, and the fabric is made from a blend of materials. Beech-tree pulp is used for the cellulose part of the process, and then the material is blended together with other natural or synthetic fibres like cotton or spandex to create a strong yet synthetic material. Modal is stronger than viscose for this reason, and therefore is more expensive than buying viscose, it is also more expensive than cotton. Modal was first developed in 1951 in Japan and is now widely used throughout the industry. Modal is also known as HWM rayon (used within consumer textiles). Lower concentrations of NaOH are used to create modal which results in less toxic waste. the production process of modal includes: Modal can have a variety of different treatments applied to it once production has occurred, such as pre-shrinking, fireproofing, wrinkle-proofing before it is woven into the fabric. Lyocell Lyocell is made from beech trees (and sometimes eucalyptus, oak and birch) blended together with other fibres such as cotton and spandex, similar to that of modal. However, the major difference between lyocell and modal is that lyocell is made with fewer harsher chemicals than that of modal fabric.  In the 1980s, lyocell rayon was developed in Courtaulds Research as a non-polluting alternative to modal and viscose because of its fewer chemicals. Less hard chemicals make the fabric softer and smoother and means the process and end product are more environmentally friendly than its viscose and modal rayon siblings.  The production process differs from viscose and modal, accounting for the changes to blend with the other synthetic or natural materials. The fibre is produced based on the N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) dissolution method: Lyocell is the most absorbent of rayon materials, which means that it is great for wicking the moisture away from the body, meaning that the person wearing it will stay cool and dry for longer. Lyocell has recently been referred to as a ‘miracle fabric’ due to its properties and sustainable nature. One type of lyocell that has emerged is known as Tencel, which is a brand of lyocell sold by Lenzing AG, and it is said to be on track to replace viscose within the industry within the next ten years.  Where are rayon fabrics made? Rayon is produced in larger factories due to the complex process that it takes to make it. Multiple different chemicals and different machines are necessary to make the different types of rayon – so manufacturers usually have to have access to a lot of technical equipment which can cost a lot of money. This means that larger countries with a high textile output are usually the top producers of the fabric. The largest producers of rayon worldwide are eastern countries such as India, China, Pakistan and Indonesia. China is the biggest producer of both viscose and modal rayon types. The United States and the United Kingdom used to be some of the