Startups · How to
How to start a clothing brand: from idea to your first production run
A practical roadmap for turning a clothing idea into real, sellable product — designs, tech packs, finding a manufacturer, MOQ, samples, and your first order.
Founder, Trishakti Apparel 2 min read
Turning “I want to start a clothing brand” into boxes of real product on your doorstep follows a fairly predictable path. Here’s the roadmap, with the manufacturing steps most guides gloss over.
1. Nail the concept and designs
Decide what you’re making and for whom. Start narrow — one or two hero styles beat a sprawling range you can’t afford to produce. Sketches or reference garments are enough to begin.
2. Turn designs into a spec (tech pack)
A factory builds from a tech pack — sketch, measurements, fabric/GSM, trims, colours, artwork. You don’t need it perfect; a manufacturer with in-house CAD can help develop it from a reference.
3. Find the right manufacturer
Match the factory to your size. Big factories want big minimums; for a first run of a few hundred pieces you want a low-MOQ, small-batch-friendly factory. Vet them carefully — samples, video tour, references (see our guide on vetting a factory).
4. Sample, then produce
Get a pre-production sample and approve fit, fabric, and finish before bulk. Then your approved sample goes to the floor for your first run. Expect sampling in a couple of weeks and bulk in a few weeks after approval.
5. Think landed cost, not just unit price
Where you make it affects your true cost. Sourcing knit basics from an LDC like Nepal means duty-free import to the EU/UK/Canada — a real margin advantage for a young brand. Here’s how.
Ready to make your first run? We’re built for exactly this — low MOQ, in-house CAD, honest guidance. Tell us what you’re launching.
About the author
Santosh Rijal runs Trishakti Apparel, the export knitwear factory his family built on three decades in Nepal’s fashion trade. He writes about sourcing, duty and production from the factory floor in Gaindakot.