Welcome
Specialist Services For Fashion Startups.
The London Pattern Cutter is unique within the UK clothing industry. We are a team of highly experienced fashion industry specialists, pattern cutters, freelancers, tutors and no minimums clothing manufacturers.
We provide a range of fashion services, advice, help and education for small fashion brands, startups, absolute beginners, home sewers, and anyone interested in learning about the UK clothing industry.
Located in London, with associates throughout the UK, we provide fashion services and tutoring for startups, fashion businesses, and the general public.
Most of our experienced colleagues provide a range of services for startups and beginners, available to hire at varying rates depending on experience.
With colleagues in London, Nottingham, Manchester, Kent, and Dundee Scotland. Our no MOQ manufacturing is all provided within the UK.
Offshore production for startups is generally NOT recommended by us, but we are happy to offer our expert help and advice for any clients looking for this option.
We offer a comprehensive range of high quality fashion industry services, mentoring, workshops, classes, and cut and sew manufacturing.
Our Senior Associates.
Our senior associates offers a range of specialised skills and knowledge to our clients. We have manufacturers, designers, pattern cutters, graders, tech pack makers, sample machinists, and fashion business advisers.
Experienced UK professionals are available for sportswear, swimwear, equestrian wear, lingerie, streetwear, bra making, bespoke tailoring, denim, etc.
Each senior associate is very experienced within their specialist field of expertise, but most will also be able to provide a one-stop-shop, so the client does not need to search for multiple experts.
Our Junior Associates.
For those clients on a limited budget who do not require the services of a specialist, or senior associate, we have several junior associates available to hire at a very cost effective hourly rate.
These junior associates are fashion graduates, or professionals, with four or five years experience. They have not necessarily specialised yet in a given field, but should be able to offer a range of services.
Our junior associates can teach beginner pattern cutting and sewing. They can also create basic patterns and toiles, or help with sourcing fabrics and trims.
Languages.
Our fashion industry specialists speak a wide range of languages, including Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. This can be extremely useful for clients dealing with offshore factories.
No Minimums Manufacture.
If you are looking for a no minimums manufacture, we have specialist factories available for sportswear, swimwear, and lingerie. You can choose a full one-stop-shop option, or any combination of services. If you are unsure, then feel free to contact us for advice.
Complete Beginners Welcome.
Whether you are looking to start a new fashion business, or just want to learn pattern making and dressmaking skills, we welcome complete beginners with no fashion or business experience.
We will advise you of the most suitable cost effective solution for your needs. Each of our associates has their own specific areas of expertise, but are experienced with dealing with beginners.
Our range of one-to-one classes and workshops are open to professionals and non-professionals alike. We welcome dressmakers, pattern cutters, and home sewers.
Launching A New UK Brand ?
If you are an emerging designer, or fashion entrepreneur, launching a new UK clothing brand on a limited budget, then we can offer you all the services, teaching, advice and small run manufacturing you need.
If you are starting a new brand, just bring us your ideas. We can do the rest. We can guide you and teach you every step of the way.
Our Services.
Services we offer include :
- One-To-One Fashion Startup Workshop.
- Expert Help And Advice On All Aspects Of The Fashion Industry.
- Small Production Runs With No MOQ.
- Cut And Sew.
- One-Stop-Shop. From Concept To Production.
- Fashion Design Service.
- Pattern Cutting And Teaching.
- Pattern Grading And Teaching.
- Sample Development.
- Clothing Product Development.
- Tech Pack Design And Teaching.
- One-To-One Fashion Classes.
- One-To-One Fashion Workshops.
One-Stop-Shop.
We offer several alternatives if you are looking for a one-stop-shop. If you want a top quality clothing factory, with no minimums, to take care of everything for you, from concept to small production runs, then Emile provides a complete service.
Based in Greenwich, London, Emile is highly experienced in all aspects of the clothing industry, from design and sample development, to sourcing and production.
As a talented designer, and fashion business consultant, Emile has an eye for detail, and understands garment construction inside out. He can provide you with valuable advice and mentoring, as well as sampling, and small production runs.
A Laboratory For Your Fashion Brand.
We like to think of ourselves as a fashion business laboratory, where small businesses, new brands, and individuals can try out and develop their ideas on a small scale, and in safety.
In order to keeps costs as low as possible for our clients, we encourage them to do as much of the work themselves as is practical and cost effective.
At the same time we provide them with support, practical skills and advice where needed. All our specialists are able to offer classes and workshops to pass on their specialist skills to our clients.
When our clients are ready to take their brand to the next level, we can make sure that they are totally prepared, and expertly advised.
We have worked for many big fashion brands, and thousands of startups. Above all we love helping small fashion businesses by bringing their ideas to life, using highly experienced but affordable professionals.
Sampling Services And product Development..
Whether you have a functional clothing product that requires extensive sample development, or have an entire collection of fashion designs, we can provide the expertise to bring your ideas to life.
Our high quality sampling services operate in tandem with our fashion business classes and workshops. So, you can learn how to run your new clothing business every step of the way.
As experts in all aspects of apparel sample development, we aim to get it right first time round, by following tried and tested procedures.
We have several fully equipped sampling units , using highly specialised machinery for all types of clothing, including swimwear, sportswear, and lingerie.
Clothing product development is the pre-production process, starting from the design concept, and ending with the approved sample.
We try to ensure that this stage is as easy and straight forward as possible, by ensuring that you understand exactly what we need in order to get it right first time.
Some Of Our Services.
For anyone starting a fashion business, but with no experience. This is by far our most popular workshop, and an important step to learning how to start and run your own fashion business.
A short but intense workshop for beginners. Available either face to face, or online.
Mainly for those who are new to the fashion business. If you have your design ideas, feel that you know what you want, but dont know how to get those ideas across, then bring what you have to us.
We will discuss them with you, give you our expert feedback, suggest possible improvements to design and construction. If you want a critique of your existing designs, we will be happy to provide that. Available either face to face, or online.
One-to-one pattern cutting classes, custom made for your own unique requirements. Flexible learning. Learn how to cut patterns with our experienced tutors. Most classes available either face to face, or online. We also run very popular computer pattern cutting classes using Gerber.
Our high quality sampling service from our sampling studios in Greenwich.
Receive one off or regular mentoring from fashion business professionals.
If you are unable to attend for face to face mentoring, then we offer a Zoom alternative.
Our highly experienced tech pack designers can provide your tech packs, or teach you how to design your own.
There is no need to do a degree course to become a fashion designer. Learn how and Just do it.
Corporate Wear And Uniforms.
Corporate wear, workwear, and uniforms are an important part of our work at The London Pattern Cutter. We have a number of very experienced designers in in both menswear and ladies wear.
Our designers can offer you a whole range of design services, or a one-stop-shop solution to your needs.
Clothing Manufacture For Startups.
Small fashion businesses and startups are poorly served in the UK. The corporates have gradually taken over where once small brands ruled. We want to re-introduce the idea that small businesses can achieve success by giving their customers what they really want.
Despite the current financial situation, we are on the cusp of a new and exciting era in which the small businesses can take on the corporates again. All it needs is you to stop dreaming, and start doing.
Apart from the usual fashion industry services like manufacturing, cut and sew, designing, pattern cutting, grading, sampling, and tech pack design, we try to provide you with the knowledge and expertise to succeed – One to one fashion courses, workshops, and mentoring are all provided for you.
Please check our page on small quantity manufacture for fashion startups.
High Quality Patterns For Designer Brands.
The London Pattern Cutter uses the very best pattern cutters, highly specialised in their own genres, whether swimwear, lingerie, sportswear, tailoring, or streetwear. Great pattern cutting is central to our philosophy.
Bill has been a freelance pattern cutter for forty years and is a specialist in multiple fields of pattern cutting. After forty years he has earned the title of a Master Pattern Cutter.
Just look at any designer brand outside the very top luxury labels. You will find well made, high quality garments, using the best fabrics. But the pattern making tends to be really poor – especially with the more technically challenging designs, and specialist areas of apparel.
This is basically down to cost. The small designer brand cannot afford to employ the best pattern cutters, so they often use more affordable generic freelancers who are not sufficiently experienced. Or they may use the factory pattern cutters, who are often not really pattern cutters at all.
Poor quality patterns and poor fitting garments are disastrous for any fashion label. This can really hits sales dramatically, inviting returns, and discouraging brand loyalty.
The aim for any new brand should be to increase sales, avoid returns, and build brand loyalty through the highest affordable quality. And that starts with the pattern making.
Smaller brands cannot afford to make multiple samples as the big brands do. To keep costs to a minimum, each style needs to be right at the first attempt where possible. Otherwise costs can soar.
Do You Really Own Your Patterns ?
This is a very important point fashion startups need to be aware of – Many factories do not charge specifically for patterns and samples. They give you an overall price that may include the sample development, but the patterns remain their property – Not yours.
They recover the pattern costs through higher production prices, and consequently keep ownership of the patterns. This can be a false economy for you the client. If you decide to go elsewhere for production, you will have to start from scratch.
Once a pattern is made, as long as you own the pattern, it becomes part of your library of patterns, available to be used as is, or adapted to other styles for years to come. It contains a template for the size and shape that your customers become familiar with, and trust.
Here at The London Pattern Cutter we separate the sample development costs from the other costs, so the patterns are your property to do with as you wish.
TO CONTACT BILL [email protected]
Support For Your New Business.
When you start a new clothing line, it is important to realise that you cant go it alone if you want to be successful. You need an affordable mentor you can call on, who you can trust to guide you every step of the way.
Your mentor can take many different forms, but needs to have immense experience in the fashion business. Each of our fashion experts can provide affordable mentoring and advice for their clients.
The pattern cutter provides a pivotal role, with the unique ability to bring all the elements of the fashion industry together. The best and most experienced pattern cutters understand the workings of the clothing industry inside out.
Whoever you choose, your mentor can be your project manager, your adviser, and your go-to guy for all your queries. They will help and advise you, and at the same time, help make your vision a reality.
Just a link to a great motivational speech by Denzel Washington. Please remember to come back here though.
Just Do It.
We at The London Pattern Cutter, really thought our tagline should be “Just Do It”. But that was already taken, and nothing else seems to quite express what we stand for.
We believe that the best way to learn how to start and run a fashion business is to forget all the endless expert advice requiring endless research – And just do it.
The thing is that while the success rate for fashion startups is low, it does not cost a fortune to start a fashion business. With good guidance, you are limiting any potential risks dramatically.
But use a little caution. Start slowly, with a small collection, and small runs. Test the market and at the same time, learn how the fashion industry works.
If there are hiccups on the way, then the downside is limited. Next time round you can adjust the way that you work so that the same mistakes wont happen again.
One-To-One Workshops And Courses.
Our fashion industry experts run a range of one-to-one fashion industry workshops that run in tandem with our other services. We have workshops for each stage of the process from design through to manufacture.
Our one-to-one fashion courses include pattern cutting, grading, tech pack creation, Adobe Illustrator, and designing. We tailor each workshop and class round your own specific needs.
Live Online Pattern Cutting Tuition.
Uniquely, we run live online pattern cutting courses that students can participate in from the comfort of their own home. Students are guaranteed full attention from their tutor.
Fashion Business Consultancy.
Most fashion designers only really want to design. But when they start their own brand, they suddenly realise that there is a lot more to building a brand than just designing.
They cant afford to learn through trial and error. They must learn fast – And they need to learn from experienced professionals, rather than through their mistakes.
Our team offers a professional fashion business consultancy service to clients who want to start their own brand, but dont have the time or knowledge to do so.
Mentoring.
It is virtually impossible for a start-up to succeed without some mentoring and guidance.
We have devoted a considerable amount of time researching such things as specialist factories and fabric suppliers so that you dont have to.
Most new fashion businesses need affordable professional help and advice. Most small businesses lack the finances to get the help they need, and will almost certainly fail without.
There are other services that offer support for new fashion businesses in London, but they tend to be aimed at established businesses with considerable financial backing.
These services can be prohibitively expensive for small startups. The services and advice they offer fail to meet the requirements of the small fashion businesses we love to work with.
The London Pattern Cutter specialises in assisting and mentoring small to medium sized clothing businesses and startups on limited budgets.
Many of these startups are run by people who are passionate about the clothing business and designing, but who may have little or no experience of the clothing industry at all.
They often have no idea where to start, or are wary of making costly mistakes. Sometimes they have already had bad experiences with the clothing industry.
They desperately need good patterns, good processes and good advice. Our affordable mentoring services are extremely popular, and easy to access.
Expert Advice.
The clothing industry is notoriously poorly run at the independent level – Just try to get a bank loan for a fashion startup!
If you have access to good advice it is not necessary to have any experience or specific skills in fashion designing or sketching. All you need are your ideas and some common sense.
If you would like to discuss your project with us, with absolutely no obligation, just give us a ring, or send us an email.
Fashion Design.
Our fashion design services are provided by our team of experienced fashion designers. We can either design your range from scratch, according to your brief, or help and advise you on creating your own designs.
If you require help in providing professional fashion sketches, drawings, or technical flats, we can help you there too.
“If you think its expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur” RED ADAIR
Manual And Computer Grading.
We provide both a manual grading service and computer grading with CAD. If you would like to learn either of these, we provide classes and workshops for you, either face to face or online.
If you intend to manufacture in the UK, and have only a few sizes to grade, then manual grading is fine, although you would have no backup computer file.
If you intend to manufacture abroad, or you have a lot of sizes, then computer grading is the better, and most cost effective option.
If you have a lot of sizes, and / or you need a special grade, then it is advisable for us to provide you with a grading chart. Often the graders will ask you for a grading chart anyway.
If you are using a foreign factory to provide your grades, you need to be extremely careful, as they may not be using professional graders. Or they may not understand UK sizing.
Childrenswear grading in particular requires specialist knowledge to do correctly. Very few graders are familiar with grading childrenswear.
Tech Pack Design.
Our tech pack design service is provided by highly experienced fashion industry experts. Tech packs need to be completed by very experienced experts, otherwise they are a waste of time and money. Although we never insist on a tech pack ourselves for sampling, most factories do. A Tech pack is essential for offshore production.
Project Management.
Although each of our services is available individually, we also provide a full project management service. From design, through to final production, and beyond.
Sportswear And Swimwear.
In recent years we have had a great many sportswear and swimwear brands requiring our sampling services,
specialist swimwear production, and mentoring.
Swimwear is a specialist genre of clothing that requires a great deal of experience and knowledge to ensure professional results.Not to mention, specialist swimwear machinery.
Pattern cutting for swimwear requires knowledge of stretch fabrics and garment construction.
“The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it” JOHN C. MAXWELL
Services We Offer Include :
- Clothing product development
- Pattern cutting
- Fashion design
- Sampling
- Pattern grading
- Fashion workshops
- Video workshops
- Tech packs
- Fabric and trim sourcing
- Critical path management
- Cost analysis
- Mentoring
- Costing
- Spec sheets
- Size charts
- Quality control
- Small production runs
- Distribution and logistic
UK Manufacturing.
If you are interested in clothing production we can assist you with small production runs through our various associate specialist UK factories. We believe strongly in supporting British manufacturing, and recommend very strongly that our clients use UK factories, even if they appear more expensive at first sight.
Overseas Production.
Sometimes it is necessary to manufacture overseas, either because you need large volumes at low prices, or because special skills or machinery are needed that the UK does not have. On the occasions when offshore manufacture is required, dont even think of doing this without expert help and advice.
We can work with you to help everything go smoothly. Foreign factories may have great prices, but they can prove disastrous, without expert knowledge and experience.
CONTACT BILL [email protected]
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but with regard to their own interest.” ADAM SMITH