Case Study: Custom One-Shoulder Maxi Dress for a Fast-Growing Startup Label in Kenya

One-Shoulder Maxi Dress for a Fast-Growing Startup Label in Kenya

A Fast-Growing Startup Label approached us with a one-shoulder maxi dress requirement for Kenya. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive shipping and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.

The challenge

• No reliable way to track a order once it enters production
• Long lead times that miss the selling season
• Suppliers who disappear once the deposit is paid

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the tech pack around Anti-Static Fabric and locked shrinkage allowance before grading.
2. Decoration was moved to All-Over Sublimation after strike-off tests showed better wash durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and size ratio specification.

Result

• 500 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
• Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
• Return rate linked to fit or workmanship stayed under 2.0%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Approve a pre-production sample from the actual bulk fabric. Proto cloth behaves differently in cutting and washing.

Planning something similar?

Tell us the quantity, target price and delivery window, and we will build a customisation programme around those three numbers.