How to Hire a Product Developer for Your First Clothing Line

If you're starting a clothing line and don't come from the industry, a good product developer is the closest thing to a shortcut there is. They have already made the mistakes you're about to make, on someone else's budget.

This is how to find one, compare them and agree on the work so it goes the way you expect.

What a product developer does on a first collection

A freelance product developer takes a product from idea to a sample you can approve for production. On a typical first project that means:

• Turning your idea, references and rough sketches into a design a factory can quote
• Choosing or sourcing fabric and trims that fit your price and your minimums
• Getting a tech pack written (themselves, or with a technical designer)
• Finding or vetting a factory, or working with the one you already have
• Running sample rounds and fittings, and writing the corrections
• Checking costing, so the price you'll sell at still works once the real numbers are in

Some product developers also stay on for the first production run. Others hand over to a production manager. Ask which kind you're talking to.

If you're not sure you need one at all, start with Do You Need an Apparel Production Consultant?.

How to compare product developers

Look for three things, in this order.

Category fit. Someone who has spent ten years in tailoring is not automatically the right person for leggings. On Runsheet you can browse by category, for example activewear, denim or knitwear, and each profile lists the categories that consultant works in.

Factory relationships. Ask where they've placed product like yours, and at what quantities. A developer who mostly works with large overseas factories may struggle to get a 100-piece run made; one who works with small domestic workrooms may not have the contacts for 5,000.

How they work with you. Ask how often you'll hear from them, where the files and fit notes live, and what happens when a sample comes back wrong. You want an answer, not reassurance.

Reviews from past clients help with all three. On Runsheet they come from people who actually worked with the consultant, and they can't be bought or removed.

What should be in the agreement

The most common fallout between a brand and a consultant isn't about quality. It's about what was included. Before any money moves, get these written down:

• What's included: how many styles, how many sample rounds, which deliverables
• What costs extra: extra rounds, new styles, rush work, and the rate for each
• Pass-through costs: samples, fabric, shipping and factory fees, billed at what they actually cost
• Payment schedule: usually a deposit and then milestones, not one lump at the end
• Who owns the work: the tech packs, patterns and files should be yours once paid for

If something new comes up halfway through (it will), it should be priced and agreed in writing before the work starts. That's a change order, and a good product developer will suggest one before you have to ask.

What to have ready for the first call

You'll get a better quote, faster, if you bring:

• What you're making, as specifically as you can ("a heavyweight boxy tee in 280gsm cotton" beats "t-shirts")
• Reference garments or photos of what you like, and what you don't
• Rough quantities for your first run
• A budget range for development, separate from production
• Your target retail price, so they can tell you early if the numbers work

If you want to get ahead, draft a tech pack from a photo first. It doesn't replace a product developer, but it gives you both something concrete to talk about.

Where to find one

Every product developer on Runsheet wrote their own profile: their categories, how they charge, and who they've worked with. If you'd rather describe the project once and hear from the people who fit, post a brief.

And if it turns out you need a different kind of help, here's what each type of apparel consultant does.