Dresses Couture

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Services

The work we take on

Design development, pattern work, sampling, handwork and production for evening and couture labels. Each service can be commissioned on its own, or several can run together through the stages a project needs.

01 — Index

Nine ways to work with us

Read one page or read all nine. Each card says who the service suits, what you can commission, what it may deliver, and what still has to be confirmed for your project.

Design & Technical Development

Turning an idea, a reference or an existing garment into production-ready technical material.

01

Design & development

Suits
A brand or designer with a concept, sketch or reference image and no technical material yet.
Commission
Turning the idea into something makeable: silhouette, construction and material direction, and the documents the next stage needs.
Possible deliverables
Technical drawings, specification notes and a development brief.
Confirmed per project
How far development goes, and whether patterns, samples or source files are included, are set in the quote.
Design & development
02

Patterns & tech packs

Suits
A label that has the design settled but needs production-ready patterns and documentation.
Commission
Pattern development and adjustment, size charts and specification data, technical drawings and production notes.
Possible deliverables
Pattern sets, size charts, specification data, tech packs and production notes, as agreed in the quote.
Confirmed per project
Grading, additional sizes, file formats and revision rounds are scoped per project rather than assumed as standard.
Patterns & tech packs

Sampling & Couture Craftsmanship

Proving the garment physically and carrying the handwork that makes it.

03

Sampling

Suits
A style that has to be proved in a physical garment before production is committed.
Commission
Sample making and fitting revisions, so fit, structure and handwork are tested on a real piece.
Possible deliverables
A physical sample and the fitting notes that come out of the rounds.
Confirmed per project
Sample fees are charged separately and are not credited against production; rounds, materials and timing are confirmed in the quote.
Sampling
04

Craftsmanship

Suits
A design where handwork — beading, embroidery, sequins or applique — is central to the garment.
Commission
Hand embellishment and the internal structure that holds a gown in shape, placed panel by panel.
Possible deliverables
Embellished panels or a finished garment, depending on where the work starts.
Confirmed per project
Feasibility depends on the technique, the materials and the design; what can be made is confirmed before work starts.
Craftsmanship

Manufacturing & Production

Making the garments, from a short run to a full production order under your label.

05

Small-batch production

Suits
A label or boutique that needs the designed craft level without committing to a large run.
Commission
A short production run against an approved sample and confirmed specifications.
Possible deliverables
Production pieces in the agreed quantity split, checked before packing.
Confirmed per project
Quantity, unit cost and schedule follow the style, materials and craft, and are confirmed in the quote.
Small-batch production
06

High-craft gowns

Suits
A one-off piece or a very small run built around complex construction and heavy handwork.
Commission
Gown development and making where the structure and the embellishment are the point.
Possible deliverables
A finished one-off gown or a very small run, as agreed.
Confirmed per project
Each piece is assessed for craft fit before we commit; nothing is promised before that assessment.
High-craft gowns
07

OEM manufacturing

Suits
A label that owns the design and the specification and wants production built to it.
Commission
Pattern work, sampling and production against your confirmed specification.
Possible deliverables
An approved sample, then production pieces made to that standard.
Confirmed per project
Who supplies the materials and trim, and which documents you provide, are agreed in the quote.
OEM manufacturing
08

ODM development

Suits
A label that needs the design and development work done as well as production.
Commission
A combination of design development, technical documents, patterns and samples — the stages the project needs.
Possible deliverables
Design direction, technical documentation, patterns and an approved sample, as scoped.
Confirmed per project
ODM is a way of combining work, not a fixed package; source files, ownership and revision rounds are agreed in the quote.
ODM development
09

CMT production

Suits
A label that already holds the patterns and materials and needs the garment made.
Commission
Cut, make and trim on the scope we agree.
Possible deliverables
Finished pieces made from the patterns and materials provided.
Confirmed per project
Who supplies the patterns, materials and trim, and what CMT includes, are confirmed per project; design development is not part of it by default.
CMT production

02 — Combining

Services can be combined to fit the project

Where you start depends on what already exists on your side.

A concept with no technical material begins with design development, which feeds into pattern work and tech packs, then sampling, then production. A label that already holds patterns, materials and specs may go straight to CMT or to a small run.

Nothing has to be bought as a package. Any one of these services can be taken on its own, and the scope is written into the quote.

03 — Boundaries

What we do not promise

There is no published price list, no single minimum order quantity and no standard production calendar. Quantities, cost and lead time follow the style, the materials and the craft, and are confirmed for your project rather than quoted from a table.

Being able to offer a service on its own does not mean every operation is carried out by our own staff. Where part of the work is handled outside the studio, that is agreed with you as part of the scope.

We will also say when a project is not a fit. If the quantity, the deadline or the craft level does not work, you will hear that before you commit to anything.

Questions

Choosing a service

Can I commission development and sampling without production?

Yes. Development, pattern work and sampling can be commissioned on their own. Many labels use them to prepare a style for a factory they already work with.

How do I know which service my project needs?

It depends on what you already hold. Send whatever exists — a sketch, a tech pack, a sample garment, a pattern set — and we will say where the work should start.

Do I have to use all nine services?

No. The services are listed separately, and your project is quoted for the parts it actually needs — one service or several.

Is there a minimum order?

No single figure applies. Quantity is assessed against the style, the materials and the craft, then confirmed in the quote. More on quantities and minimums.

Start

Tell us what you are building.

Send your references, the service you think you need, your quantity plan and your target date. We will reply with the next step, or the one that fits better.

Start a project inquiry Email the studio

New to working with a gown studio? Read starting a project and how projects are quoted.