Private label / Process
How a collection is made.
This is how clothing is manufactured for brands at GEKKO Agency: nine steps from tech pack to production and delivery, for collections from 250 pieces per style per colour. At each step you know what to hand over, what we do, what you approve and how long it takes: approximately two weeks of sampling, four to eight weeks of production and two weeks of transport.
Where can you start?
A. You have a tech pack
We start at pattern and sampling.
B. You have samples or references
We develop the tech pack with you first.
C. You have a concept
We design and develop from the brief.
How is clothing manufactured for brands, from tech pack to production?
| Step | What | You hand over | We do | You approve | Approx. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Brief and tech pack | Concept, references, target price, quantities, timeline, or a finished tech pack. | Feasibility, material direction, cost frame, development plan. | The plan and the frame. | Agreed per project |
| 02 | Design and materials | Feedback on proposals. | Design, fabric selection and sourcing, trims, labels, packaging proposal. | Design and material choices. | Agreed per project |
| 03 | Pattern | Size set, fit references. | Pattern and grading. | Nothing yet; you see it in the sample. | Within sampling |
| 04 | Sampling and fitting | Fit feedback. | Fitting sample, adjustments, pre-production sample. Two rounds are usual. | The pre-production sample. | Approx. 2 weeks |
| 05 | Pre-production approval | Final quantities per style and colour, from 250. | Production planning with the production partner, fabric and colour orders. | The order. | Agreed per project |
| 06 | Production | Nothing; we report. | Production at our fixed production partners, full quality checks at the partner, progress updates. | Progress reports. | Approx. 4 to 8 weeks |
| 07 | Quality control | Nothing. | Inspection in Rotterdam against the approved sample, before anything ships to you. | Nothing; we tell you the result. | Within transport |
| 08 | Labelling and packaging | Label and packaging artwork, or our proposal. | Labels, tags, polybags, cartons as agreed. | Artwork, earlier in step 02. | Within production |
| 09 | Delivery, or storage | Delivery address, or the choice to store with us. | Transport; or storage, fulfilment and a store run by GEKKO. | Delivery. | Approx. 2 weeks |
What slows a project down, and what speeds it up?
What slows a project down
Custom fabric development, unusual colours, many styles at once, late approvals. We say so at step 01.
What speeds it up
A finished tech pack, quick decisions on your side, fabrics from our standard library, one contact on your side.
Indicative; depends on the project and the materials. We tell you when a duration changes.
What else do brands ask?
Can we start without a tech pack?
Yes. With samples or references, GEKKO Agency develops the tech pack with you first; with only a concept we design and develop from the brief. Both add development time before sampling, and we say how much at step 01.
How many sample rounds are there?
Two sample rounds are usual. One total quote for the whole project before we start; samples are part of it.
What if something has to change after the pre-production sample?
Small changes go into the production order; larger ones mean another sample round and a new date. We tell you which it is before anything is produced.
Where does production happen?
With fixed production partners we have worked with for years. We do not publish locations or partner names; development, sampling and quality control are ours, in Rotterdam.
Can you store, sell and ship after step nine?
Yes. Storage in our own warehouse at Van Graftstraat 10 in Rotterdam, a store built and run by GEKKO, shipping to 36+ countries and customer service in your name. Optional, quoted separately. Warehouse and fulfilment.
Ready for step one?
A dedicated project manager replies within two working days.