Our process
Eight stages. Nothing hidden.
Most factory timelines slip in the gaps between stages. A sample waits on a comment, a colour waits on a swatch. So each stage below states what we do, what we need from you, what you get back, and how long it should take.
The timeline
Pick a stage
Horizontal here, stacked on a phone. Use the arrow keys to move between stages.
01 · Brief & feasibility
We read the brief, ask what the bag has to survive, and tell you plainly whether we are the right factory for it. Sometimes the answer is no.
You send
Sketches, reference photos or a finished tech pack. Target quantity, target landed cost, target date.
You get back
A written feasibility note, an indicative price band and a first timeline.
Your time
One call, around 30 minutes.
Duration
1 day
02 · Design & development
Silhouette, proportion and construction are resolved on paper before anything is cut. This is where cost is decided, so it is where we spend the arguments.
You send
Feedback on two or three directions. Brand guidelines, if you have them.
You get back
Flat drawings, a construction plan, a hardware and lining proposal, each costed.
Your time
One review round, 3 days to respond.
Duration
3 days
03 · Tech pack
Every panel dimensioned, every seam specified, every component listed. The pack is yours to keep and portable to any factory, including ones that are not us.
You send
Sign-off on the drawings. Logo artwork in vector.
You get back
A full tech pack, bill of materials and stitch spec, in PDF and editable source.
Your time
One approval.
Duration
3 days
04 · Material & hardware sourcing
We pull from tanneries, mills and hardware makers we already buy from. If you have nominated suppliers, we quote those too and you choose on the numbers.
You send
Colour and finish direction. Approval of the physical swatch card.
You get back
A swatch card by courier, a costed bill of materials and a lead time per component.
Your time
One approval, on the physical card rather than a screen.
Duration
4 to 8 weeks
05 · Sampling loop
First sample, then fit and finish rounds until it is right. The loop below is the part of a project most likely to run long, and it runs long when comments arrive slowly.
You send
Written comments on each sample, within 5 days.
You get back
Each sample couriered, photographed and logged against the pack.
Your time
2 to 3 rounds, typically.
Duration
2 weeks
06 · Pre-production sign-off
The counter sample, the colour standards and the inspection plan are agreed and sealed. After this point a change costs money, and we will tell you how much before you make it.
You send
Signature on the counter sample and on the AQL plan. Deposit, per the agreed terms.
You get back
A sealed counter sample, one held here and one with you, plus a production schedule.
Your time
One signature.
Duration
2 days
07 · Bulk production & in-line QC
Cutting, skiving, edge work, assembly, closing. Four inspection points sit inside the run, not just at the end, so a fault is caught on the line instead of in the carton.
You send
Nothing, unless you want to book a mid-run inspection or a visit.
You get back
Weekly progress photographs and each in-line inspection report.
Your time
A weekly five-minute read.
Duration
4 to 6 weeks
08 · Packing, inspection & delivery
Final random inspection against the AQL you signed, packing to your spec, export paperwork, freight. You see the report before the container is sealed.
You send
Shipping marks, destination and incoterm. Balance payment, per the terms.
You get back
A pre-shipment report with photographs, the packing list, and the goods.
Your time
One approval of the report.
Duration
1 week
Diagram 01
The sampling loop
Each round is the same four moves. What varies is how many rounds you need, and that depends almost entirely on how specific the comments are.
Diagram 02
Quality control
Five checkpoints between a raw hide and a sealed carton. The AQL level at the fourth is yours to set, and we write it into the order before production starts.
Diagram 03
Order size and time
Bigger runs take longer, but not proportionally, because setup is a fixed cost in days as well as money. The figures below are placeholders until we quote your style.
Honestly
What makes a project late
In our experience it is almost never the sewing.
01
Slow sample comments
A sample sitting on a desk for two weeks adds two weeks. Nothing else is happening while it waits.
02
Late colour approval
Leather is dyed in batches. Miss a batch window and the next one is 3 to 4 weeks out.
03
Changes after sign-off
A hardware swap after the counter sample means re-tooling and re-sampling. We will price it before you decide.
04
Custom hardware
Bespoke moulds run on their own calendar, usually 4 to 6 weeks. Start them in parallel with sampling.
Ready to start at stage one?
- NDA on request
- First sample in 72 hours
- MOQ from 50 units