General bag making process:
Unless you intend to do it all yourself you’ll need to find a handbag manufacturer. What type of manufacturer will depend on what bag/accessory you want to produce. You can check out our guide here.
Steps from bag making to bag production.
- Research
- Design
- Tech pack
- Find a manufacturer
- Prototype your item
- Test your item
- Refine your item
- Manufacture your item
Achieving your bag design with a bag manufacturer
You will usually need to provide a manufacturer like HerminFashion with any or a combination of the following to allow them to make cutting patterns: Full technical pack, existing sample, design spec, sketches and any other pertinent information.
From there they will calculate the prototype fee. This should include: Creating cutting patterns and the item itself using in-house materials.
The prototyping process should be a partnership where the manufacturer uses its deep knowledge and expertise to help you improve and realise your item. They should create and share their prototype work with you so you can make changes/decisions along the way.
Beware the manufacturer who offers to take your drawings and send you a prototype within a week for a very small fee. Even a professional designer with many years experience will need to make adjustments along the way. So if you go this route you’ll likely get a close’ish approximation of what you want, speedily put together with mistakes and all.
A classic example of a sign maker not checking a spelling mistake with their client… Oops!
You can see our guide on How to manufacture a handbag and other fashion accessories here.
Bag manufacturing.
Bag manufacturing can be broken down into the following stages:
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Prototyping.
-Modeling, testing materials, finishes, functionality and aesthetics.
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Sample testing.
– Client testing the item in use. And making changes if necessary.
2a. If there are large scale changes a new prototype should be made and tested.
2b. If there are minor changes these can usually be implemented into the production run
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Receive and verify production materials.
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Creating cutting patterns.
-The manufacturer will make tooling. This enables them to quickly and accurately cut the material elements of the bag.
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Quality control.
– Each stage of production should be rigorously checked to ensure quality.
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Finishing.
– Adding the final touches to the item, such as painted edges.
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Final quality check.
- Adding hang tags and packaging for transport.
Your handbag manufacturer should be in contact with you along the way to update you with their progress. Good communication is the key to a good client/manufacturer relationship and a great product.
Pinterest is a fantastic place to take a look at designs and get inspiration. You can create your own boards to attach images that can inspire you and your item. You can even follow and see the boards of others who might have the same interests as you. It’s a great place to research and get a feel for your project.
If you need help with bringing your handbag design to life and think that HerminFashion could be a good fit for your project, please get in touch. We’re always happy to hear from people who, like us, want to add something good to the world.
