Product Development

The strongest buyers are specific with their Product development. They can describe what they want in so suppliers to make samples, and they know which details will move the cost and which will not.
This section covers the steps of a product development cycle, what to check when a sample arrives, and how to develop enough fabric knowledge to have a useful conversation about handle, weight and construction.

The articles here cover the process end to end: the steps from initial brief to sealed sample, what to look for when a first sample arrives, and how to build the fabric knowledge that lets you tell a quality issue from a price issue.
They draw on experience from both sides of the buyer and supplier table. If you have ever received samples that were nothing like what you briefed or you had sample developments run late without knowing exactly where it went wrong, you will find answers here.