Make Fashion Microfactories work for you. 7 Ways they can help UK Fashion Designers with short run CMT

Let’s talk about something cool happening in the UK fashion scene – microfactories. You might be wondering, “What’s all the fuss about these tiny production hubs?”

In essence a microfactory includs all the elements needed to produce short runs of fashion items. It starts with printing the exact amount of fabric needed so none gets wasted, followed up by individual item or small-batch production that can be completed in a matter of hours. Next day delivery to the retailer or direct to the customer means ultr-short lead times with minimal inventory holding.

1. Going Green is In

First off, sustainability is the big buzzword everywhere, and fashion is no exception. Traditional mass production in fashion? Not so great for Mother Earth. Enter microfactories. These little gems are all about reducing waste and being kinder to the environment. They use nifty tech like on-demand printing, cutting down on all the excess material that usually gets tossed. Plus, making stuff in smaller batches means using less energy and reducing our carbon footprint. It’s a win-win for the planet and our conscience.

2. Microfactories keep it Local

Microfactories make it easier to produce things right here in the UK. No more headaches with long, complicated supply chains. We are fortunate in the UK to have some very skilled production staff. The closure of large factories has resulted in many job losses but we are delighted to be doing our part to reverse that trend by employing many highly skilled former Burberry factory staff within our workshops. Proudly made in Wales and the United Kingdom.

3. Personal Touch. CMT Customisation.

Everybody wants something unique? Microfactories are excellent at making customised or bespoke items. They can tweak designs on the fly, giving us the chance to rock fashion that’s as individual as we are, without breaking the bank. It allows short-run experimental lines from new designers to get going without the cost and hassle of large production runs, inventory, and the risk of obsolete stock.

4. Bye-Bye, Fast Fashion

There’s a growing distaste for fast fashion – those cheap, wear-once-and-throw-away clothes. Customers and designers alike are waking up to how wasteful and unethical it can be. That’s where microfactories come in, championing the slow fashion movement. Think quality, eco-friendly, and fair production practices. Customers increasingly care about where their clothes come from and microfactories can be part of the solution.

5. Tech to the Rescue

Tech advancements are the backbone of microfactories. We’re talking about some seriously cool digital fabrication and automation tools that make small-scale production efficient and cost-effective. This tech lets microfactories stay nimble, adapting quickly to what’s hot and what’s not.

In our prodution facilities our fully integrated on-site digital textile printing capabilities are at the heart of this. This allows you to get any design or pattern or custom colour fabric produced in hours and converted into cool items for sales in days.

6. Dodging Disasters

The pandemic was a real eye-opener about how fragile global supply chains can be. Microfactories offer a solution – they’re right on our doorstep, making them less likely to be hit by global disruptions. This means a steadier flow of fashion goods, even when worldwide supply chains struggle.

7. Boost for UK Fasion Designers

Best of all, microfactories are great for small designers and niche markets. They make it easier for up-and-coming designers to get their foot in the door without needing loads of cash. It’s all about giving the underdogs a fighting chance in the fashion world.

In Summary

So there you have it – microfactories are shaking things up in the UK fashion industry for some pretty solid reasons. They’re all about being kind to the planet, supporting local production, offering personalised fashion, moving away from fast fashion, embracing new tech, providing economic resilience, and giving a leg up to small designers. It’s not just a trend; it’s a revolution.

We are delighted to be playing our part in this. If you’d like to have a chat about any new projects you have and learn more about how using a UK fashion microfactory can help you please contact us.

It all starts with on demand digitally printed fabric.

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