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Five Fashion Manufacturing Tips From Designer Elle B. Mambetov

January 21, 2021

Elle Mambetov

Former London Fashion Week Designer Elle B. Mambetov led a “Manufacturing a Fashion Line” webinar presented by our partners at Yellowbrick, which powers Parsons’ Fashion Industry Essentials and Streetwear Essentials online certificate programs. Mambetov’s inspirational journey to success in the fashion industry appeared in Forbes and Vogue. Read below for our favorite tips from the webinar.

  1. "Save as much cost as possible." With the help of her calculator, Mambetov took the audience through every cost she has faced with her current project – designing modest swimwear for Farfetch. She suggested working “backwards” when it comes to pricing because details such as accessory trimmings and packaging often get overlooked. She also suggested taking materials on the plane with you when possible to save on shipping. "Think of the time it takes for things to get from one country to another," she said.
  2. "Delegate to your team, but also know how to do everything yourself." Mambetov said to get to know your team members' strengths, from marketing to fabric dyeing.
  3. "Work closely with the manufacturer." Before choosing a manufacturer, Mambetov suggested asking specific questions such as what seams and materials they offer to gauge how detailed and experienced they are. “Every time you’re manufacturing something, everything comes down to make,” she said, stressing that choosing a manufacturer with experience in quality control is very important.
  4. “You need to know what’s going in your garment.” Ask if you can touch and feel the garments and if possible, wash the garment to see if it fades. "If the color fades, you don't want to sell that to your customer," Mambetov said.
  5. “You have to figure out what’s going to be your end goal with manufacturing." Mambetov said to keep in mind the quantity and quality you're aiming for and what tasks you can outsource. “You need to think about the quality you want your costumer to actually experience.”

Watch the full webinar, follow Mambetov on Instagram, or check out more of her designs.

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