OEM & ODM
OEM and ODM manufacturing
Two engagement routes: full development, where we carry the development risk, and cut, make and finish, where you supply the pattern and materials.
Two routes
The difference is who carries the development risk
Everything else — who drafts the pattern, who sources the fabric, who is responsible when a material fails — follows from that single question. Be explicit about which route you are on before the order is placed.
Full development
You bring the design intent. We develop and produce.
Best for: Brands without an in-house pattern room, or buyers testing a new category.
We handle
- Pattern drafting and grading
- Fabric, lining and trim sourcing
- Sample development and fit revisions
- Bulk production, finishing and pressing
- In-line and final quality control
- Packaging, labelling and export documentation
You handle
- Design intent — sketch, reference, tech pack or mood board
- Target price, quantity and drop date
- Fit approval and final sign-off
- Brand labels and packaging artwork
Responsibility: Construction, materials and production quality are our responsibility end to end.
Full-development service fee: Confirmed at quotation
Cut, make & finish
You supply the pattern and materials. We produce to your specification.
Best for: Brands with a pattern room, or brands already holding approved fabric and trims.
We handle
- Cutting to your graded pattern
- Sewing, finishing and pressing
- In-line and final quality control against your sample
- Packaging and labelling to your specification
- Export documentation and dispatch
You handle
- Graded pattern and approved sample
- Fabric, lining and trims delivered to the workshop
- Construction specification and measurement sheet
- Fit approval and final sign-off
Responsibility: Our responsibility covers workmanship and construction. Incoming material quality remains yours.
Cut-make-finish service fee: Confirmed at quotation
Choosing
Which route should you be on?
| You have a graded pattern | Route B |
|---|---|
| You have a design but no pattern | Route A |
| You have approved fabric and trims in hand | Route B |
| You need fabric sourced to specification | Route A |
| You want the factory to own quality end to end | Route A |
| You want to control the materials yourself | Route B |
| You are testing a new category | Route A |
| You are repeating a proven style | Either |
Be explicit about the boundary
The most common source of dispute in a manufacturing relationship is not quality — it is an unstated assumption about who is responsible for what.
On Route A, we own the construction, the materials and the production quality. If a fabric we sourced fails in wear, that is ours.
On Route B, our responsibility covers workmanship and construction. If the fabric you supplied does not behave as expected, that is a material issue, not a production one — and it is much cheaper to agree that in advance than to argue it afterwards.
The sequence
How a project runs
Ten stages from design submission to global shipping. Each has a defined output, so you always know what you are waiting for.
- Design submission
A written acknowledgement confirming what was received and what is still needed.
- Technical review & quotation
A quotation with the construction method, material options and any specification caveats stated explicitly.
- Fabric sourcing & approval
Approved fabric and trim swatches, retained as the production standard.
- Sample development
A physical sample with a note of what was changed and why.
- Fit review & revision
A corrected sample and a locked pattern for bulk cutting.
- Approval & pre-production
A signed-off pre-production standard — the physical reference every bulk piece is measured against.
Commercial terms
What is published, and what is confirmed per project
| Facility | Intertek-verified manufacturing facility |
|---|---|
| Quotation response | within 24 hours |
| Minimum order quantity | 300 pieces per design (100–200 pieces per colour) |
| Sample lead time | 7–10 days |
| Sample fee | Confirmed at quotation |
| Bulk production lead time | 4–6 weeks after sample approval |
| Inspection standard | Confirmed at quotation |
Service fees, minimums and lead times depend on the specification and the materials involved. They are confirmed against your actual project rather than published as a headline figure that changes once the fabric is chosen.
Questions
OEM and ODM, answered
What is the difference between OEM and ODM?
OEM means the product is yours: your pattern, your design, your specification, and we produce it. ODM means we do the development — pattern drafting, fabric sourcing, sampling and fit refinement — and hand you a product you own and can repeat.
The practical difference is who carries the development risk. On OEM, an incomplete specification becomes a production problem. On ODM, resolving the specification is our job.
Can you work with my existing pattern?
Yes. That is the cut, make and finish route. Send the graded pattern, an approved sample and your construction specification, and we produce to it.
One thing worth being explicit about: in that arrangement our responsibility covers workmanship and construction. Incoming material quality remains yours.
What if I have a design but no pattern?
That is the full-development route. We work from your sketch, reference photographs, a reference garment or a written brief, draft the pattern, source the materials and sample it.
The output is not just a sample — it is a pattern on file, an approved material list and a locked specification, so a repeat order does not re-open development.
Who owns the pattern?
Patterns developed for your style are developed for you and kept on file for your repeats. If you have an existing pattern, it stays yours.
This matters commercially: a pattern on file is what makes a repeat order fast and consistent rather than a redevelopment.
How do you handle materials I supply myself?
On a cut, make and finish order, materials you supply are received, checked for quantity and obvious faults, and cut to your specification.
We check for visible defects and shade consistency at receiving, but the responsibility for the material meeting its own specification stays with the buyer. That is why the boundary is stated in writing before the order is placed.
What happens if the sample is not right?
We correct the pattern and re-sample. Most styles converge in one or two rounds when the comments are specific — stating the point of measure, the direction and the amount rather than a general impression.
Bulk is not authorised until the sample is approved, so a fit problem is found while it is still cheap to fix.
Start a project
Not sure which route you are on?
Send what you have. We will tell you which route it implies, what is missing, and what the realistic timeline looks like.