A collective like no other, Giardina Atelier was conceived as an inspiration from Chelsea’s Sicilian grandmother. Born and raised in the states, Chelsea pursued her fashion design education at New York City’s Parsons School of Design, and merged that training with the age-old fashion house and production lifestyle which has made Italy the best fashion market in the world.
Why Rome?
Decades of skill, craftsmanship, and adherence to quality have made Italy the greatest fashion production market in the world. Giardina Atelier prides itself on working with and supporting small-batch artisans who spend their days making garments and accessories by hand. From pattern makers to embroidery experts, there is not a more beloved or integral community of fashion artisans than those in Italy. As globalization continues to outsource to fast-fashion markets, Giardina Atelier is proactively and consistently using skilled artisans as partners in all segments of the production process and delivery.
Do you work with factories outside of Italy?
As clients of all sizes come to us to support their collection development, we do our very best to provide sustainable options based upon every budget. While we work consistently with Italian vendors and factories, we also work with factories in other countries and price points, especially Europe. We research each country of origin to ensure we are doing all we can to protect and support the women and men whose hands touch our productions.
How do you know you’re supporting fair wages and sustainable factories?
Often in the process of designing a piece of clothing, we are asked to use factories which are not yet vetted by our team. As there are thousands of factories in Asia alone, we try and work only with factories which have been vetted by the Better Work program, part of the collaboration between the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) -- a comprehensive program bringing together all levels of the garment industry to improve working conditions and respect of labour rights for workers, while boosting the competitiveness of the apparel business. Many major corporate brands only use factories who adhere to a small amount of very difficult certifications, so we always keep an open mind for smaller factories and artisans with less of a footprint.
How do I know if you can work in my budget?
It’s best to have a consultation so we can make sure our partnership is a great fit for both parties. Factories won’t take single garments or items, and most new brands need at least six items for a factory to take their collection. A new brand can rarely launch for less than 30,000 euro.
What do these services cost?
Sampling per piece is 3-4 times the cost of the unit price. So, we start at bidding you a unit price, then samples can sometimes be estimated. Some factories don’t even tell us sampling ahead of time - it costs what it costs. It is not uncommon for high quality samples to cost between 1200 and 3000 euro each. We can never give sample pricing upfront until our sample makers have studied your garments and understood the complexity of the construction. We can give you an estimated range upfront and can confirm the exact sample price once your designs have been carefully reviewed. In our experience, most samples in the EU range anywhere from €400-€1200 more or less. The pricing always includes small alterations and edits based on the client’s feedback from their fitting. We also can give you an estimated price per unit range for production before sampling, but can only confirm the exact price per unit for production until after the sample has been completed so that labor time can be calculated accurately. Some factories require patterns, some create them - that is to be discussed. Sourcing, however, requires generally a lot of man hours so sourcing starts at 350 euro per garment or accessory design, and tech packs are around 400 euro, because we use the best digital artisans. Creative design is around 1,000 euro per item, depending upon complexity, and marketing is around 85 euro per hour - a single collection retainer around 8,000 euro, which spans over several months, to get to launch. It’s best to scope a project for estimates, but please note we get paid for services rendered and do not participate in start-up trade, cap tables, work for shares, or board seats. We also do not give out free advice which has taken decades to acquire so kindly understand our fees are fair as our service is actually quite rare.
What if I only want design work, not production?
On a case by case basis, we provide design services, only. We have found out the hard way that us handling the production greatly improves the quality of the deliverables, as well as the sell-through rate of the collections themselves. When you win, we win.
What if I want to take Giardina designs to another country?
Standard NDA and usage rates will be discussed in the consultation. We design for many clients who never make it known, but we are adamantly ensuring our designs are not mass-produced and stolen and thrown into line factories. We do not want to create fast-fashion products. In terms of sales and deliverables, our marketing support is extensive in that we help you have a proper launch in your sales markets, as much as we can.
Why can’t we keep the prices extremely low?
The cost of very low priced clothing is the cost of someone not being paid enough, as their industries are not regulated. For example, India has a strict caste system where millions of women are unable to escape poverty. They are then often exploited by the factory owners, because they are so desperate for work. They often work for 15 cents a day, which is grossly less than a livable wage in India. We have extensive vetting conversations with factories in India, for this reason. We are always open to heart-centered, ethical practice leaders in any market. We fight for the health and well-being of all garment workers in the world, and do our very best to create products which won’t be tossed aside and sent to landfills. In addition to the economic impact of fast, cheap fashion, our earth is feeling the burden as well. We must all do our best each day to reduce waste in all ways that we can.
We love creating products that people keep, we love working with vendors who are highly skilled and making a living wage, and we love working with brands who adhere to not only beauty, but the dignity of the persons who make the garments, and the happiness of those who wear them. We truly believe in karma.
What’s the timeframe for a collection from concept to launch?
We build our marketing mapping around what your launch goals are. If you are a direct to consumer fashion house, and you only focus on e-comm, those dates are less rigid in terms of delivery. If you are wanting to compete and excel in traditional fashion show and trade show markets, those dates are more rigid and production schedules must be well-mapped. Please know that to make things quality, it’s best to allow as much time as possible to concept, design, iterate samples, approve them, create collection marketing and sales materials, and properly launch.
It’s important to have realistic expectations for the cadence of our factory partners, as they live ‘La Dolce Vita’ - they are not working in a New York minute, and stress is not something they are accustomed to … and we love that. We keep a steady rhythm with all productions, we are efficient, resourceful and mindful, but we also don’t disrupt the health or wellness of any of our partners. Ideally we have six months from concept to delivery for a new brand, and for returning brands, we require at least three months for repeated design collections.
How big is your team?
Our main team is small, including a fluent Italian/English production support team in-house, as well as design and marketing. Our list of vendors is large, and always growing, based upon the client need. From a specific zipper pull to the type of lingerie lace or the perfect fabric for a swimsuit, we source it all, including production support.
Because our time is limited, we vet our clients based upon their needs and goals, to ensure we are aligned. We work a lot with American companies who want to compete in the high fashion, luxury markets, as we provide access to the Italian factories, as they are our partners. We are agile and consistently participating in the New York fashion and digital publishing markets, as well as always seeking out opportunities to expand our reach via global trade shows.
Why can’t we speak directly with factories?
Factories are extremely fickle about who they work with and communicate with, and to protect them and you, its important communication remains extremely controlled. Italian factories don’t “need business” - they turn down designers who they don’t want to work with. So that balance is tried, true, and treasured. For factories outside of Italy, we have established relationships which allow us to trust they are ethical as well as provide quality deliverables. Our adherence to quality and good taste is applied to all production countries.
How much money do I need to start a fashion brand?
It’s best to start at the MSRP - the retail price. Are you wanting to compete in the high-end evening gown market, or the lingerie market? If a bra should sell for around $400 and is “the best,” always keep in mind if you want wholesale partners like retail stores, you’ll need to provide an opportunity for them to profit as well, otherwise they won’t carry you. Be as realistic as possible about who your customer is, and we build down from there. Hand-beaded gowns are very expensive for a reason - the beadwork takes time by hand. Often clients choose to diversify their collections to allow for price options, but some just focus on one category like swim. Either way, quality is usually the determining factor. Most collections start with a minimum of twelve pieces, and Chelsea has design minimums as well. No collection will succeed without at least a 3.5x retail pricing markup.
What if I only want you to make my samples?
The sampling process is the most time-consuming part of the entire process. We rarely only make samples. We see our designs through the production phase as the fabric and stitching combinations literally make or break a collection. Sampling requires a lot of time, as well as minimums. We make exceptions for the right partners. But generally, factories don’t want to only make samples, so please don’t ask us to ask them. They are in the business of production.
What are your MOQs?
Factories generally require at least 300 units for a production. There are exceptions and we are open to those discussions.
What segments can I design in? What are my options?
We specialize in ready-to-wear, couture, lingerie, loungewear, swim and accessories - the good stuff. We generally avoid fast denim, tees, and cut and sew which isn’t organic, because these are throw away garments.
I’m an established brand. What is your privacy policy?
We have clients and have had clients the world will never know or suspect. Our business is about privacy and service. We only share our work if it is very clearly publicly allowed. Generally we serve as a sourcing, design and production competitive advantage, so we can’t share most traditional case studies.
How do we choose a factory?
We choose it for you, based upon your design focus, and budget.
What does sourcing entail?
We get hired to find all the yummy details (and sometimes harrowing details) of any garment or accessory a client dreams up. We reserve the right to “call it” when a piece is just too hard to find, and we pivot and find alternative solutions which are always well-communicated and agreed-upon. Sourcing makes or breaks a collection, and always requires impeccable taste and organization to do it successfully, which is where we shine.
