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New & Local: Bay Thread’s Production for Emerging Designers

September 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Local designers, a new company for your radar comes from RevelationByMe co-creator Eloisa Serrano, who’s started Bay Thread, a company focused on helping designers produce garments in small batches. We got the insider scoop from Serrano on pattern making, quality control and passion for design. Read on for our interview and more about a local company focused on local production.

em>What motivated you to start Bay Threads?As an independent designer myself I faced challenges sourcing affordable pattern makers and found that manufacturing minimums were too high for emerging designers, and I saw a great need for services like pattern making, grading, sample making and manufacturing at lower minimums

How do you hope to help new designers? Bay Thread helps new designers and established designers with affordable pattern making, grading, sample making and manufacturing at competitive rates. We provide assistance from start to finish, as some clients need help starting with the design process all the way through the final production processes. With our low minimums, we give new designers a greater chance of taking their products to market and launching their collections

What do you find inspiring about independent fashion designers? The drive and passion that small designers have is something that everyone should have and apply to everyday life. It is inspiring how much drive they have, and it is amazing how much passion and effort is put into their products. I am also inspired by the creativity that is out there. All my clients are different and unique in their own ways, and it is great to be able to work with such creative individuals.

What services does to Bay Threads offer? We offer services in pattern making, grading, sample making and manufacturing. We can also assist you with design and sourcing for fabrics or trims.

What products can you help create? The majority of our clients are in the fashion apparel industry, but we also can help clients with home decor products, accessory products, children’s dolls and pet products. If you have a creative idea, it is easy to fill out one of our online forms for a free quote.

What are the biggest challenges facing independent designers? I think that large manufacturing minimums are the biggest challenge faced by independent designers today. In today’s economy it is difficult to produce, stock and sell 200 pieces of the same style. Bay Thread offers a solution of manufacturing in the U.S. at 15 pieces per style. These lower minimums give independent designers a chance to produce smaller orders for their customers. Instead of only launching a few styles, they can manufacture a more extensive product line.

What are the advantages of having apparel designs produced by a local manufacturer? Quality control and turn around times are important details when manufacturing your product. The manufacturing process is a complicated one and if problems arise, it is easier to solve them when the manufacture is nearby. When you work with a local manufacturer, turn around times are faster, ensuring deliver dates are met and you save money on shipping.

Any tips for new designers? Have a clear vision of what you want and be passionate about your products and ideas. Also when contracting any type of work, ask questions and ensure your vision is clear and understood by the service provider.

Bay Thread founder Eloisa Serrano

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How Clothes Are Made: An Inside Look at Garment Manufacturing in SOMA

October 20, 2011 By 3 Comments

A partial view of the factory

Garment manufacturing is quietly thriving in San Francisco, thanks to a plethora of local designers producing handmade clothing here in small batches and independent companies like SJ Manufacturing. “SJ” stands for Seymour Jaron, the president of SJ Manufacturing, whose 55+ years of experience in the garment industry have granted him living legend status in his field. We recently went inside the SJ headquarters, located in a South of Market warehouse full of local start-ups and sewing machines, to find out how clothes are made in San Francisco.

When most people think of America’s fashion epicenters, either New York City or Los Angeles comes to mind, but San Francisco is currently experiencing a mini-manufacturing renaissance that’s worth noticing. In many ways, the rise in local manufacturing makes sense: San Francisco has both design talent and a long history in the apparel industry forged by household names such as Levi’s, Dockers and Gap.

Cutting the fabric according to the paper pattern

It’s more expensive to produce clothing in S.F., especially in large batches, largely because the minimum wage is higher here than in New York or Los Angeles. It’s even cheaper to manufacture a clothing line in China (though usually impractical for small companies unless the quantities are in the thousands), but more and more designers are deciding to produce locally, for reasons ranging from quality control to civic pride. So the thinking goes: when you build a relationship with the people producing your garments and actually see them being made, the process becomes more personal.

For many start-up designers needing small batches, the San Francisco garment manufacturing scene is just the right fit. In recent years, SJ has worked with numerous emerging Bay Area apparel labels, including Chi Wear, Hip-T, Alphyn Industries and Janine Marie Handbags & Accessories.

Hong Ning, SJ's Production Manager, working on an iPhone pocket in an Alphyn Industries garment

SJ specializes in sample making and small to medium runs, which range from as few 50 pieces and up to 1,000 pieces in a production. Hong Ning, SJ’s Production Manager, uses her over 40 years of experience to create the sample, as sample making requires a higher level of expertise to resolve any problems within the garment and find the best method for mass manufacturing.

Designers who are ready to manufacture come to SJ with sample garments and paper patterns (if they have them). Once the pattern is set, SJ will make a duplicate sample for approval.

With the approved sample, the pattern is then graded, or scaled into various sizes, and becomes ready for manufacturing.

After the pattern has been graded, a process that involves software, and printed onto paper in different sizes, fabric is stacked on a cutting table and cut into the necessary shapes and sizes. At this point, some pieces of the unfinished garment may be sent out for embroidery or printing before assembly.

The assembly process requires various machines specific to each task at hand– there is a machine for bar tacking, a machine for sewing buttonholes, a machine for lock stitches, just to name a few. The finishing touch? The labels. In order for a garment to be produced and sold legally in the United States, the designer must provide a label describing the fabric composition and care instructions.

Next stop: a store near you and – many designers hope – ultimately your closet.

Photography courtesy of Alexandra Naughton

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Alexandra is a San Francisco writer with a passion for style and creativity. You can find her on Twitter @theTsaritsa
Filed Under: Indie Fashion, Local designers, San Francisco Fashion News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,