Have you ever thought about how designers source fabric? It’s certainly a different process for well-known designers as opposed to emerging or lesser-known ones.
Designers that have sizable runs can order wholesale, a big advantage price wise. These companies usually also have people on staff whose sole position is to find fabrics and work with millers to have it tailored to their specifications. Obviously, this is a huge benefit, as William Drummond, one of the designers at Theory, points out. “You can commission exactly the quality you want and work closely to develop the textiles to your own standard.” And it allows designers to, “build close relationships with mills and gain priority over other buyers.”
Lesser-known designers do not have these advantages. Unless you are doing a run of 1,000 yards or more, working with a wholesaler is usually out the question. Less famous designers, most who work with small quantities, usually buy from fabric retailers. Mood Fabrics, which is often the fabric source for the hit TV show Project Runway, is one such “go to” in NYC. On the west coast, Britex, a San Francisco fabric retailer, works with a lot of fashion students and Bay Area designers. Both of these recognized fabric retailers carry materials sourced from millers all over the world. The prices may be higher, but they have a ton of unique materials to choose from.
Of course, there is an obvious difference between wholesale and retail pricing. Even with wholesalers, bigger runs get better pricing and this affects the final price to the consumer. That is why designers you may never have heard of might seem very expensive – they are paying substantially more for their materials and manufacturing
Every designer started somewhere. Design houses that go back many years might not have faced the same challenges today’s newcomers face but they still had their hardships and hurdles. But, if designing is in your blood, it’s in your blood. You find a way to make it work, hopefully, build a following and get to a point where you can reduce your costs and increase your creative opportunities over time.
