Fashion designers must look at several factors to select the best clothing factory to manufacture their clothing lines and apparel accessories. Beyond the sticker price for the fashion labor, designers must consider the quality of the craftsmanship, shipping and customs fees, contract negotiations, language barriers, transparency, and more.
The large, luxury fashion houses that jump to mind when most people think of fashion usually manufacture their apparel products in multiple places because they have the project management teams, dedicated craftsman liaisons, and financial resources to do so. For these brands, it’s not just about the sticker price. It’s also about the premium quality of the piece and the high end fabric that it’s made of.
Their customers expect the best and gladly pay for it. The factories must deliver.
Read on to find out how and where luxury clothing companies like Cavalli, Gucci, and more manufacture their clothes and accessories and why.
Where does Gucci manufacture?
Gucci leaves the sacred Italian territory only to create its noble collection of watches. Those are, of course, produced in Switzerland. The rest of the label's fashion manufacturing stays 100% within the business of some of Italy's top fashion factories.
Where does Prada manufacture clothes?
Prada’s production happens 99% in Italy. This fashion brand only produces special semi-finished products abroad, such as its embroidery which it entrusts to artisans in India. The same preference for Italian craftsmanship stands for the other brands in Prada's fashion group. For example, it relocated its Jil Sander line of products to expert craftspeople in Italy.
Where does Roberto Cavalli produce clothes?
The first run in every new season’s Cavalli clothing line are 100% made in Italy, while the second runs are partly produced abroad.
What about Salvatore Ferragamo?
Ferragamo's clothing production takes place strictly in Italy, from accessories to prêt-à-porter. Many of this brand’s expert production partners have worked exclusively for the Florentine fashion house for years. Once Ferragamo's network of trusted clothing factories complete its new products, those ship to Florence, from all over Italy, for a final quality control check before distribution. The only exception are the glasses, produced under license by Luxottica.
Where is Valentino made?
Similar to Cavalli, Valentino creates the first runs of each product line in Italy. For brands such as Marlboro Classics, Lebole Uomo, and Hugo Boss, (which are part of the same brand group as Valentino), delocalization prevails, with production divided between China, India, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Egypt. The brands opt for this because shipping is cheaper from these locations than other parts of Asia, while production is faster for sales than in Europe.
Where does Versace make its clothes?
Versace crafts most of its apparel products entirely in Italy, through every phase of production. Only some basic products, like denim, are sourced from abroad, in Eastern Europe.
How to Work with Luxury Clothing Manufacturers Directly
High end craftsmanship from overseas is a gold standard repeatedly trusted by many luxury fashion houses, including the ones listed above. However, if you don't speak the same language as fashion's top producers or actively work in the geographic markets where they're located, it's usually difficult or impossible to get in touch with these kinds of storied artisans. That's because:
- Most of them do not have a website and if they do, it's likely not written in English, nor is it SEO optimized, making it difficult to find. Why? Expert manufacturers prefer to focus their time, not on the computer, but actually working on clothing requests.
- English proficiency among overseas artisans can be hit or miss, which may make communication difficult for any fashion designer who does not speak additional languages.
- Most top luxury clothing factories located abroad rely on brokers or distribution companies to manage relationships with fashion designer clients. These types of companies pass their fees onto the designers in the form of high commissions attached to the cost for manufactured clothing units.
That's why we recommend that any fashion designer interested in having their clothing line made by the top clothing manufacturers in the world try a free trial with MakersValley, which works exclusively with luxury quality clothing and fashion accessories manufacturers. Learn more about how we assure that here.
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