Polish clothing brand, or everything about production in Bombshe
Want to learn more about Bombshe, the Polish clothing brand? Curious about what production looks like from the inside? Wondering how a garment is made in our sewing room? We decided this topic would be the starting point for our blog, as it's our everyday life and the heart of our operations.
Choosing the right material
For us, the entire process typically begins with the search for materials. Sometimes, after creating a collection and developing an idea, this is the first step we take. Selecting materials is an incredibly enjoyable process, but it can take months. These involve hundreds of hours spent in the car searching for the best materials. Selecting the right composition with the highest quality is a real challenge. It often involves driving from wholesaler to wholesaler, lengthy discussions with dozens of companies, attending trade shows, analyzing and selecting colors.
Once the initial selection stage is behind us, we buy a sample (i.e., a smaller amount from a bolt of fabric) to sew the pattern, test it on a given model, wash it, and wear it. Often, if a sample doesn't perform well, for example, the cotton has pilled, the color has faded, or the fabric is fraying, we start our search all over again.
In addition to Polish materials, we readily source those from Italy, but the production process and distance significantly increase our turnaround time. Shipping the coupon, sewing and thoroughly checking the material, then manufacturing in Italy and re-shipping it often takes up to two or three months, so it's crucial to plan and plan your collection in advance.
---Design
Clothing patterns, or paper representations of individual elements, are created on paper or in a computer program. Whether it's a T-shirt or a complex dress, they're created using paper, on which, using the designer's knowledge and skill, the individual elements of the garment are traced. We do this by hand, and one of our sewing specialists, Benia, handles the job precisely. Why is this a significant advantage? Because Benia has extensive experience as a seamstress and has an extraordinary gift for "seeing" something from a design perspective before it's sewn. Polish clothing brands, like us, initially prefer to use the services of professional designers who create patterns using computer programs, but these are usually non-sewers. In our case, creating patterns by hand worked much better, although it takes longer.
Stitching and fitting
After the design is complete, we cut and sew a prototype, the first piece of a given design. This is a crucial step, as it helps us identify any flaws. We often adjust the neckline, sleeve length, or dart position. Our entire team gathers for fittings and discusses them together. Once the changes have been finalized, it's time to put everything on paper and sew the design – this step must be repeated repeatedly until the item is perfect. This process is also incredibly time-consuming.
---Grading and cutting
Once the model is fully approved, we grade it, creating different sizes for the item. Once this stage is complete, it's time for cutting. The cutter has a large table and a band knife at their disposal. They begin by ironing the patterns onto the fabric, then spreading them, or layering them on top of each other. After this process, it's time for the actual cutting with the band knife. This is an extremely precise task that requires complete concentration.
---Completing accessories and sewing
While we're finalizing the pattern and the cutter begins their work, we carefully outline the accessories we need to order. We need to consider labels, washing instructions, zippers, buttons, metal plates, threads, trim, etc. Often, we simply hop in the car and head to Łódź, the textile hub, for a major purchase, as not everything can be finalized remotely. After gathering the necessary production elements, it's finally time for the actual sewing. In our small team, we have three sewing ladies and one ironing lady, each extremely experienced and wonderful. They never sew one item from A to Z – they sew in stages, meaning, for example, they start with just the sleeves in one size, then move on to the next size, then tackle collars, etc. This significantly streamlines their work and speeds up production. The ironing lady is also incredibly important in their daily work. Every element and seam should be thoroughly pressed after sewing, so this isn't just a final step, but crucial at every stage of sewing.
---Time
As you can see, producing a dress, for example, is a task that requires several people to work on for several months, passing through numerous stages before it reaches you. This time would certainly be even longer if we had outsourced the sewing, as we did with our first-ever collection. However, sewing in a different city quickly revealed to us that we weren't able to ensure what we value most: quality.
