On our bus
trip to Florence we were able to stop at G2 Textiles in Prato, which is a
textile manufacturing company. Throughout our visit they told us about how a
textile is designed, manufactured and sold to companies. We met with Walter and
Samantha; they were working on the fall/winter collection. They create an
average of 3,000 fabrics per year and 1,200 per season!
We first were able to look at all the fabrics in their showroom. There were so
many black fabrics with different designs on it. They explained that black is
usually the color the samples are produced in because the buyers can see the
details easily. Every fabric that was in the showroom was different in its own
way. On each sample there was a tag to differentiate each fabric, although
Samantha said that when you work on all of these fabrics you know which is
which.
The first step for them is trend forecasting. They will create different trend
boards based on what they find. After they are done with this step they still
aren’t afraid to add more to the collections.
Once a company orders the fabrics, a lot of waiting comes into play. Walter
explained that the sample pieces take 3-4 weeks and production takes 6-8 weeks.
He
told us that if a company wants to change the color, they are able to do that.
The dying process is the last step to the fabric, so if a company lets them
know ahead they can change the color. I thought this was interesting because I
didn’t know that they could make these changes without any problems.
I learned from this visit that American designers are more conservative, and
the Italians are more risky. The American market can’t have too much stock so
they order in modest amounts, whereas the Italians love to try something
different.
They work with larger companies, such as Burberry. They are able to provide
large quantities for them. Since they work with larger well-known companies
they have higher standards from the companies. They explained to us that if a
company purchases a large enough order then they can make that fabric exclusive
to that company. They also work with small companies, which have fewer
standards.
After we saw the showroom we were able to see how a fabric is created from the
beginning. The first step is done by using a computer program called CAD. This
program is a digital design system. They are able to scan a picture and then
use that picture for the fabric. We were shown a fabric design in the computer.
Next we were shown how the fabric is made. It was extremely loud in the
production room. We were shown the same fabric from the computer being created.
At
one point of the visit, Walter told us that G2 has an office located in New
York City. This office is run by his business partner Phil. They are able to
keep a professional relationship from two separate countries! The New York
office is just a showroom, which is where Phil works directly with the
customers. Walter said that sometimes they have fights about when the fabrics
will be ready, but he said that they are able to maintain a strong
relationship.
Understanding the world of textiles is very important in the fashion industry.
To be able to know that when you place an order you have a short amount of time
before you get your sample is important to the companies. I think that Walter
and Samantha’s passion for textiles really showed during our visit. It is very
important that you are passionate about what you do.
This
visit opened up my eyes in the world of textiles. There are so many different
aspects in the textile industry that are very important to the fashion
industry. Seeing Walter talk about his business partner, Phil made me realize
that relationships are an important part of the industry. They are able to keep
a cohesive relationship in two separate countries. This has shown me how
important relationships are in this industry. I think this visit was very
beneficial to my future career in the industry.
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