The Sewn Goods and Apparel Development Process

To make the best use of our time, please have any sketches, illustrations, reference images, or rough prototypes ready to share. Simple drawings and quick prototypes are often the most useful because they show your actual thought process and design intent. If you’re also using AI-generated images, please have reference images of existing garments or products to clarify details the AI image doesn’t represent accurately.

NDA or not, MADE keeps all project conversations and information confidential. If you prefer to have one in place, please send it before your scheduled consultation so we have enough time to review, sign, and return it before the meeting.

We’ll review your design together, talk through where you are in the process, and discuss the services that may be needed to move forward. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask questions and determine what information may still be needed before your project can be estimated.

MADE will help guide your material search and provide resources to get you started, but clients typically research options and order their own swatches while pattern development is underway. This lets you see and feel materials yourself, compare what you actually like, and avoid paying consulting time for sourcing legwork. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, MADE can help evaluate how those materials will work with your product.

No, and because these details can add significant expense, we often recommend starting with standard fabrics and simple branding, such as a sewn label. If you do want custom fabric, printing, or embroidery, you would source that separately, and MADE can document the artwork and placement in your tech pack.

Each step of development typically takes one to two weeks. If your product goes through all five steps, plan on approximately two to four months from concept through a completed tech pack. Product complexity, material availability, revision rounds, and your own schedule and budget will determine the overall pace.

For a first product, a minimum overall budget of about $10,000 is a good starting point for development, an initial production run, and other costs associated with getting your product to market.

Every product is different, so we first need to review your design information to accurately estimate the first step. After that, each step is estimated the same way, building on the information established in the step before it. This makes both costs and timelines more predictable while allowing you to budget for your product one step at a time instead of paying for the entire project upfront.

Your pattern, sewn sample, and tech pack work together to communicate your product to a manufacturer and carry the decisions made during development into production. As you move into manufacturing, Founder Support gives you continued access to MADE for guidance with factory questions, samples, production decisions, and problems that come up along the way.

Not as a substitute for manufacturing. Very small production runs typically cost too much per piece to provide profitable retail inventory. Instead, MADE uses small runs for continued product testing, such as evaluating fit across the size range, testing fabrics or colorways, conducting wash and wear studies, or creating pieces for photography and market feedback before committing to larger manufacturing quantities.

Accepting your estimate starts the onboarding process. You’ll receive your Services Agreement followed by the deposit invoice. Once those are complete, you’re officially onboarded and we’ll schedule your Intake Session to kick off your project.

MADE develops your product using established development methods to create the patterns, samples, and technical information every manufacturer needs for production. We did not invent, nor do we own those methods, so we do not require licensing, or retain rights or ownership to the products we help develop.

You won’t need us to! Our development process provides all the technical information to approach manufacturers directly anywhere in the world. They’ll have enough information to determine whether your product fits their capabilities and begin a conversation about production. If you want help navigating manufacturer questions, samples, or production decisions, Founder Support is available along the way.

MADE does not develop products containing fur, feathers, filling, or structural frameworks. If your design relies on specialized materials or construction outside traditional sewn-product development, please contact us before booking a consultation.