There is so much innovation happening in sustainable textiles and it is very inspiring. However it isn't picking up at a mainstream level and you may be wondering, why aren't brands using more sustainable materials? Or you maybe you have experienced why firsthand. Here's the roadblocks we see from fashion brands using sustainable materials more regularly.

Heading into your early stages of product development with no direction on where your brand is heading can lead to a rough production process. If you have an idea of what you want your brand to look like, production should be a breeze and there are a few things that you can map out beforehand. Here's what would be nice to have, and what you need to have before reaching out to factories for your production:

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition kicked off their Facility Tools Summit in June that featured leading voices in the industry and discussed the Higg Facility Tool and how it can improve performance for facilities in your value chain. But how does it work, and who's using this tool in their facility?

In March of 2020, 66 factory fires were reported throughout the global fashion supply chain, meaning more than two fires per day were reported across the globe; India having 20 fires that month alone (Source: GoBlue). ​All around the world garment factories and workers have fallen victim to factory fires. These fires are typically started by old machinery and chemicals used during production. Although every case is different the trauma and lives lost are equally as upsetting. Even today these garment factory fires are still happening. Here's what we can learn from the garment factory fires that occurred in the last year.

It's that time of year again, and summer trade shows are soon to be in full swing! Trade shows are here to support you in your sourcing needs and help you navigate the upcoming seasons trends to build your brand. They are a fantastic way of finding place to source factory and material options. Here's what you can expect this summer:

Going through the production process can seem a little overwhelming and with so much to be accounted for, things often get lost along the way, fall through the cracks and create missed opportunities. Here are 5 mistakes brands often make during production, and how they can be avoided.

Made in Asia still holds a long established stigma of sweatshops and child labor from exposés in the 80s and 90s. The simplified solution presented over the years has been Made in America, Made in UK, or Made in Italy is the only safe way to produce ethically made clothing. But are factory standards as simple as an address? The answer is NO. With sweatshop factory conditions and illegal pay violations found continually in America and throughout Europe, we need to start recognizing that garment factory standards go deeper than location. ​

Taking on new brands is a lot of work for a factory because it is labor intensive. Product development alone can take months and yields very low profit margin. Garment factories working with emerging brands can spend a lot of time setting up this new working relationship hoping your brand will become successful and grow with them, but that is not always the case.  In fact, most new brands reach out with a gmail account, no tech pack, and no idea what production costs or how long it takes. This is why many garment factories are reluctant to work with emerging brands. Here's how to get the attention of any new factory. ​