Garment costs

March 9, 2023
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Website Blog Graphic Template

Did you know that there are many factors that can affect your final profit margin? What goes into the cost of garments? As a designer, there are a number of things you do to reduce your garment costs, but something that can have a big impact with this, is fabric width. I recently had a…

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Bringing manufacturing back onshore?

October 8, 2021
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Australian Clothing Manufacturing

Much has changed in the world over the last 18 months. We seem to lurch from one version of the ‘new normal’ to the next with limited warning. Nobody really knows where we will end up or when. One thing is clear though, there is a groundswell at the consumer level towards locally produced. We…

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Tech Packs and local manufacturing – oil and water?

August 31, 2021
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Detailed Spec

Much has changed in the last few years. We are pretty happy to see a strong push to bring development and manufacturing back on-shore. There is little doubt that many in the industry have, for the first time in a long time, danced a little jig. But it isn’t all smooth sailing. Not everyone in…

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Four questions to ask brands to see if they are truly ethical & sustainable

June 11, 2021
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Sample making

Sustainable and ethical are probably two of the main questions asked of Sample Room and it is clear the consumer is wanting to know more about where their clothes were made, by whom and what the label is doing to minimise the impact on the environment. Here are four questions to ask clothing brands to…

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Why hand cut cardboard patterns when there is an easier way

April 15, 2021
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Cardboard patterns have long been a staple for many in fashion, custom sportwear, corporate wear and clothing manufacturing. While there is some move to purely digital, cardboard remains affordable and reliable and can withstand plenty of use and abuse. We print cardboard patterns for our client from time to time. These are not hand drawn,…

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New tech gives Sample Room the edge in Digitising & Grading

February 3, 2021
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As a full-service development house, we here at Sample Room are regularly looking at how we help our clients and what we can do to make that experience even better. For some time we have recognised that our ability to scan/digitise paper or card patterns and then grade them for clients was just not very…

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Pros And Cons Of Different Clothing Label Types

February 21, 2020
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Labels for your clothes are just as important as your website and business card. The colour, quality, size and finish communicate a perception of your brand and price point. Here in our Fashion Label Launch Pad Program, we make it a priority to discuss how to choose labels suitable for their collections early on in…

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Instagram For Your Fashion Label PART 1: Do this before you open your account!

November 19, 2019
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Social media is a large part of many new fashion labels marketing strategy. A lot of people will refer to social media as a free tool, as yes, you can open an instagram account for free. But I think this is the wrong way to look at it, as it isn’t really free, it takes TIME which is either yours (which has value!) or you are paying someone to spend the time on it for you. Either way to have any success it takes commitment and investment.

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Everything you need to know about fabric shrinkage

October 18, 2019
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During our Fashion Label Launch Pad Program our mentees gather for monthly group calls to discuss any niggling questions that have been presented to them on their new fashion journeys. This month’s hot topic in discussion was how to manage and prepare for fabric shrinkage.

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Planning the first photoshoot for your new label? Here are our do’s and don’ts to ensure every shoot is a success!

September 9, 2019
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You’ve spent months upon months pouring blood, sweat and tears into creating the perfect garment for your collection, and soon it will be time to release your product to market! Even though your garment might look a million bucks to hold in your hands, it is imperative that the rest of the world fully understands the look and feel of your brand. Investing in a professional, sleek and captivating photoshoot is just one of the ways to get you there. Read below for our list of helpful pointers when sourcing talent, photographers and locations to ensure that every shoot is a success.

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What does it mean to be an ethically accredited label?

August 5, 2019
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When creating your new label from the ground up, there are many aspects to take into consideration in order to shape your label into a business that represents who and what you stand for. From sustainability, to the locality of the materials sourced, you, the designer, have the artistic freedom to structure a label how they choose according to their values.

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As of today, we are changing the fashion industry forever…

June 6, 2019
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It has been five long years.

PATTERNROOM.COM has been a dream of mine for a long time now. And there is a good reason why nobody has ever launched anything like Pattern Room before. Simply – it was hard.

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Sample Room + Fashion Revolution: Introducing Mai

April 30, 2019
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In honour of Fashion Revolution Week we would like to introduce Mai, one of our valued sample machinists.

Originally from Vietnam, Mai has lived in Australia since 1995 after closing a tailoring shop she ran for 15 years.

Mai was recommended from a family member to take the big leap and move to Australia with the promise of good working conditions and pay.

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Sample Room + Fashion Revolution: Introducing Sharon

April 30, 2019
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Here at Sample Room we are proudly ethically accredited and value the importance of a safe and fair workplace. We have staff from all over the world including people local to Melbourne, creating a diverse and experienced team. Julia’s (founder of Sample Room) ethical practices are founded by the passion to respect the knowledge and skills people have. Coming from years of experience on the factory floor herself, she really understands the depth of knowledge and expertise the Sample Room team possess.

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9 Steps To Be Manufacturer Ready

April 24, 2019
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Here at Sample Room, we have a number of meticulous steps in place to ensure the highest quality patterns and samples, ultimately providing you with the best chance to create the perfect garment with your manufacturer.

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Sourcing Ethical Materials: Understanding the origin of your fabric

March 8, 2019
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Choosing eco-friendly fabrics can be an imperative factor in determining whether your label can withstand the constant evolution towards a greener industry. But even when making conscious decisions about your material choices, it’s hard to know what the most sustainable choice can be.

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Sustainable Fashion in The Circular Economy

December 10, 2018
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In the production of clothing, there is a multitude of stages that can prove highly damaging to our natural resources. Stages of manufacturing that the everyday consumer might be oblivious to. But, the plain and simple red blouse you see sitting on a rack in a store tells a detailed story between its fibres; from its repetitive washing and rinsing to the treatment of harsh chemicals and blending of plastics.

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Honing Inspiration & Defining Your Customer; what does it mean and where do we start?!

November 5, 2018
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Sample Room

From paper to production, there are SO many factors to consider in bringing a design to life. But after meticulously stewing over fabrics and hemlines for months on end, who is going to be wearing your garments?! And what needs do they have?
As part of our Fashion Label Launch Pad program, our group of mentees hold a monthly phone call to discuss queries and roadblocks as they work towards launching their first fashion labels.

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FABRIC AGENTS – how, who, where, what!?

October 2, 2018
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As part of our Fashion Label Launchpad program we have a group call with our Mentees to discuss challenges and questions they may have. It is also a great opportunity to chat with industry, and like minded people who are in the same position as you. Who knows what next great idea or inspiration will come out of the conversation!

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What We Can Learn From A Negative Review

January 27, 2018
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Sample Room

It is an unfortunate side of the business in this day and age that reviews can be written about a business by anyone and can cause a new enquiry like yourself concern about a business. We don’t get many of these reviews and it has taken me a long time to find the most positive way to reply to these comments. I have decided to use each experience as an example of the many ways development and production can go wrong in this deceptively difficult industry. I hope that you learn something from this review reply to help in your own journey. If you have any further questions about this example then I am more than happy to discuss with you. Just give me a call.

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