Frequently Asked Questions

Our minimum order quantity depends on what you’re making, where it’s being made and which production route is the best commercial fit for your product.

We work with a range of UK and offshore production partners, so we can support everything from smaller specialist runs to larger-scale manufacturing. However, minimums are set by the factory, product type, fabric, machinery, trims, testing requirements and how efficiently the product can be made.

In other words, there is no magic “low MOQ” button. Annoying, we know. If there was, we’d have pressed it repeatedly by now.

As a general guide:

UK production
Our UK minimum is usually from 100 pieces per style/colour.

However, some specialist, technical or highly structured products may require a higher minimum, or may need to be produced offshore if the construction, machinery or price point is not viable in the UK.

Portugal production
Typical Portugal minimums are:

• Woven and cut-and-sew styles: 300 pieces per style/colour
• Denim styles: 500 pieces per style/colour
• Swimwear and soft lingerie: 300 pieces per style/colour
• Socks: 350 pieces per style/colour
• Fully fashioned knitwear: 400 pieces per style/colour

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In some cases, or as part of a larger order, we may be able to produce from 150 pieces per style/colour in Portugal. However, lower quantities can come with more limitations around factory choice, quality expectations, service level, price and production flexibility. We’ll advise you honestly when quoting.

China production
China minimums are usually from 500 to 1,000 pieces per style/colour, depending on the product type, fabric, components and factory route.

India, Sri Lanka and other offshore production routes
Minimums for India, Sri Lanka and other offshore routes vary depending on the product category, fabric base, factory specialism and order structure. These routes can be excellent for certain product types, but they are not automatically “lower MOQ” options.

We’ll advise on the best route once we understand the product properly, because the cheapest-looking option on paper is not always the most commercially sensible one once sampling, freight, duties, timelines, quality control and repeat production are factored in.

As a guide, our minimum order quantities usually include up to five sizes within the minimum. If your range has more sizes, colours or variations, we’ll advise how that affects the order structure and pricing.

Because every project is bespoke, we can’t give one fixed lead time that applies to everything.

Production timelines depend on the product, factory route, current factory capacity, fabric and component lead times, testing requirements, sample approvals, shipping method and how quickly decisions are made along the way.

A very simple product using stock fabric will move much faster than a technical product with bespoke fabric, custom trims, specialist testing and five rounds of “can we just tweak this tiny thing?”

Tiny tweaks are rarely tiny. They are usually tiny with consequences.

As a general guide, once your order is confirmed and pre-production samples have been approved, UK and Portugal production can usually take around 6 to 8 weeks. This depends on factory capacity and where your order fits into their schedule.

For China production, we usually work on around three months for a fully developed product. This often allows approximately one month for fabric and component production, one month for product manufacturing and one month for shipping. This can increase or decrease depending on the complexity of the product and the production route.

For India, Sri Lanka and other offshore routes, lead times vary by product type, factory, fabric base and shipping method. We’ll confirm realistic timings once we know what you’re making and which supplier route is most suitable.

For a brand-new product or full collection that needs to be developed from start to finish, we recommend contacting us at least 12 months before you need finished stock ready. This gives enough time for development, sourcing, sampling, fitting, testing, approvals, production and delivery without everyone needing to cry into a tech pack.

Please also be prepared to build contingency into your timelines. The supply chain is complex, and even small changes, delays with fabrics, late approvals, testing issues, courier delays or factory capacity changes can affect the overall schedule.

We’ll always give you the most realistic lead time we can once we understand your product, route and required level of support.

No, and that’s actually a big part of how we’re able to support such a wide range of products.

We don’t own one single factory and try to push every project through it. Instead, we work with a carefully selected network of specialist UK and offshore production partners, which means we can match your product to the right factory, machinery, skillset and commercial route.

Because a sensory children’s tee, a technical sock, a structured pet product, a soft medical garment and a swimwear range should absolutely not all be made in the same place. That would be chaos wearing a hi-vis.

In the UK, we work closely with local CMT units, makers and suppliers. Many UK factories are excellent at manufacturing, but don’t offer full product development, technical support, sourcing or production management. That’s where we come in.

We develop your product properly first, then place it with the most suitable production partner for manufacturing.

For offshore production, including Portugal, China, India, Sri Lanka and other routes where appropriate, we work with a mix of CMT and fully vertical factories. The right option depends on your product type, fabric needs, order quantity, price point, quality expectations and timeline.

So while we don’t own the factories, we manage the process, the technical information, the supplier communication and the production route. You get the benefit of a wider manufacturing network without having to coordinate it all yourself, which is usually where founders lose three months and a small piece of their soul.

Yes, in some cases.

We have white label and ready-made routes for a range of product types, including sportswear, T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, jackets, trousers, dresses, uniforms, workwear, childrenswear, babywear, tailoring and more.

These products can usually be customised with your own branding, labels, trims, print, embroidery or packaging, depending on the product and supplier route.

White label can be a useful option if you want to launch more quickly, test a concept, create branded merchandise, support an event, or build a product range without developing every single item from scratch.

However, it’s important to be realistic. White label products are not fully bespoke products. You are working with an existing garment or product base, so there may be limitations around fit, fabric, colours, construction, sizing and customisation.

Minimums usually start from 100 pieces, depending on the product type, branding method and supplier.

For founder-led brands, we’ll always advise whether white label is the right route or whether your product needs bespoke development instead. Sometimes white label is a smart commercial shortcut. Sometimes it’s just a logo on a garment that still doesn’t solve the problem you’re trying to solve.

You can find out more about our white label production service here.

Not automatically, no.

The old saying is painfully true in production: you usually get what you pay for.

We don’t send your product out to lots of factories and simply award the work to whoever comes back cheapest. That might look good on a spreadsheet at the start, but it often creates problems later with quality, communication, consistency, delivery times, production standards and accountability.

We choose factories based on the product, the required skillset, consistency, quality, communication, service level, capacity and whether they are the right commercial fit for the project.

That doesn’t mean we ignore budget. Cost matters, especially for founder-led brands trying to build something commercially viable. We will always do what we can to help you work within a sensible budget, whether that means adjusting fabric choices, simplifying construction, changing the production route, reviewing quantities or advising where costs can be engineered down without damaging the product.

But we won’t chase the cheapest possible price at the expense of the product, the factory or your brand reputation.

Cheap production can become very expensive when it goes wrong. And sadly, “but it was cheaper” does not comfort anyone when the stock arrives looking like it had a difficult journey and a personal vendetta.

Not discounts as such, no.

Production pricing doesn’t usually work like retail, where we can simply knock a percentage off because you’ve ordered more. However, the more pieces you produce, the lower the cost per piece will usually become.

This is because fixed costs, set-up time, sampling, fabric ordering, cutting, production planning and factory admin can be spread across a larger number of units. So while we may not offer a “discount”, a higher volume order is often naturally more cost-effective per piece.

The same applies the longer you work with us.

Once your product has been developed, fitted, tested, costed and successfully produced, future runs usually become more efficient. The technical work is already in place, the factory understands the product, suppliers are established, and there are fewer unknowns hiding in the bushes waiting to ruin everyone’s week.

That doesn’t mean every repeat order will automatically be cheaper, as fabric prices, labour costs, shipping, duty and exchange rates can all change. But in general, the more established the product and relationship becomes, the smoother and more cost-effective the process can be.

So no, we don’t do “buy 500, get 50 free” production. But we do help you build a commercially sensible route where scale, repeat orders and better planning can improve your margins over time.

It depends on the size of the order, the complexity of the product and how much development work is needed before production.

For production runs of 500 pieces or more per style/colour, where the product is already fairly developed, we usually add a small margin onto the production price per piece. This helps cover the cost of managing your project, liaising with suppliers, overseeing production, coordinating timelines and supporting the process through to delivery.

However, this assumes there is minimal upfront development work required.

If your product needs significant design, development, sourcing, fitting, technical work or production planning before it can be manufactured, this work will be quoted separately at our current day rate or project rate. We’ll always discuss this with you before proceeding, so there are no mysterious invoices appearing from behind the curtain.

For orders under 500 pieces per style/colour, we usually charge separately for design, product development, fitting, technical support and production management. Smaller orders often need just as much work as larger orders, but with fewer units to spread the cost across, so this has to be priced separately to keep the project commercially viable.

Pattern cutting, grading and sampling are always charged separately, regardless of order size.

Once these have been paid for, you retain the rights to them, subject to any agreed supplier or factory-specific terms.

In short: we charge based on the actual work involved, not just the number of garments being made. Our aim is always to keep pricing clear, fair and commercially sensible, because nobody enjoys a production quote that reads like a riddle in a spreadsheet.

Our payment terms depend on the stage of your business, the production route and the level of financial risk involved in the project.

For established brands, our standard production payment terms are usually:

50% deposit
Payable before we begin work or place the production order.

40% production payment
Payable once the pre-production sample has been approved, the ex-factory date has been indicated and the production slot has been confirmed.

10% final balance
Payable before shipment, once we have completed our quality control process and provided a QC form showing that the products conform to the approved production standard.

For start-up clients, which we define as businesses trading for less than 12 months, we usually require 100% of the total contract amount before prototype samples are actioned, unless proof of funds can be evidenced then this will be 70/20/10%

This is because early-stage projects often carry more commercial risk, more uncertainty and more development involvement. Taking payment upfront allows us to secure the right suppliers, protect production slots, manage factory commitments and keep the project moving without putting either side in an awkward cashflow tug-of-war. Nobody needs that. Least of all the tech pack.

All payment terms will be confirmed clearly in your quote or contract before work begins.

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Production can be priced in a few different ways, depending on the factory, product type, production route and how much you want us to manage.

We’ll always explain which pricing method applies to your project before you proceed, so you understand what is included and what is not.

CMT

CMT stands for Cut, Make and Trim.

This price covers the labour involved in making the product only. Fabrics, trims, labels, packaging, components, testing, shipping and other costs are charged separately, either by us, the supplier or provided directly by you.

This route can work well when fabrics and components are already sourced, but it does mean there are more moving parts to manage.

Ex Works

Ex Works usually means the price includes the product cost, including components and CMT, but does not include shipping, freight, import duty, customs charges or delivery to you.

You would be responsible for arranging and paying for the goods to be collected from the factory, shipped, imported and delivered.

In other words, the factory has made it. The rest of the journey is on you.

CIF

CIF usually means the price includes the product cost, freight and shipping to the agreed destination port or point.

However, you are still responsible for import duty, customs clearance, VAT, onward delivery and any related import charges.

So yes, it sounds like it includes everything. It does not. Helpful little production gremlin, that one.

Landed

Landed pricing is the most complete production price.

This usually includes the product cost, components, CMT, freight, shipping, import duty, customs charges and delivery into the UK or agreed destination.

Where possible, we prefer to quote landed prices because it gives you a clearer view of the true cost of getting the product made and delivered, not just the cost of making it at the factory.

All prices are quoted in GBP, as we are based in the UK. UK VAT will be applied where applicable.

We’ll always confirm exactly what is included in your quote, because “production cost” can mean very different things depending on who is saying it, and we prefer fewer surprises and fewer spreadsheets of doom.

Because very small production runs are not always the most reliable or commercially sensible route.

Over the years, we’ve found that factories offering production below 100 pieces can often have more limited machinery, smaller teams, longer lead times and less capacity for consistent quality control. That doesn’t mean small makers can’t be brilliant, but for the kind of product development and production support we offer, ultra-low quantity manufacturing often creates more risk than it solves.

Lower quantities can also make the cost per piece extremely high, because the same amount of set-up, technical work, cutting, production planning, communication and quality checking has to be spread across fewer units.

In short: making 30 pieces does not mean it takes 30% of the work. Rude, but true.

We prefer to work with professional production partners who have the right machinery, team structure, quality systems and capacity to deliver consistently. This helps protect your product, your budget, your timelines and your brand reputation.

Our UK minimum is usually from 100 pieces per style/colour, because this is the point where production becomes more realistic, manageable and commercially viable for most founder-led brands.

Yes, there are some product types we may not be the right fit for.

Our focus is on founder-led product brands, technical apparel, functional fashion, soft structured products, wellness products, performance-led garments, childrenswear, soft medical products, pet products, accessories and other products with purpose.

However, there are certain categories we may not currently support, or may only support on a case-by-case basis depending on the product, factory route, testing requirements and level of development needed.

At the moment, this may include:

• leather handbags and traditional leather goods
• highly specialised hard goods
• products requiring machinery, tooling or compliance outside our supplier network
• categories where we don’t feel we can add proper value

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We can support some footwear-adjacent and moulded product development routes, depending on the product. For example, this may include children’s wellies, soft footwear accessories, slipper-style products, technical socks, insoles, or products that sit between apparel, accessories and functional wear.

Full footwear development is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, because footwear can involve very different tooling, moulds, lasts, testing and factory requirements.

If your product sits slightly outside our usual categories, it’s still worth asking. If we can help, we’ll tell you. If we can’t, we won’t pretend and then quietly have a breakdown in the sampling room.

The production process depends on what you’re making, where it’s being produced and how much development work is needed before your product is ready for manufacture.

As a general guide, the process usually moves through:

• initial consultation or project review
• design and product development
• sourcing fabrics, trims and components
• technical specifications and pattern work
• prototype or toile sampling
• fit samples and amendments
• pre-production sample approval
• production planning and factory booking
• bulk production
• quality control
• shipping and delivery

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Not every project follows exactly the same route, because not every product needs the same level of support. A white label hoodie and a fully developed technical wellness product are not the same beast. One is a nice walk in the park. The other may require snacks, spreadsheets and emotional resilience.

We’ll guide you through the right process for your product, explain what happens at each stage and make sure you understand what is needed before production begins.

You can read our full production process guide here.

We have a quality control process in place to help reduce the risk of faulty goods being delivered.

Before production is shipped, we carry out checks against the approved pre-production sample, technical specification and agreed production standard. This helps us identify any issues before goods leave the factory wherever possible.

However, production is still production, and occasionally faults can happen. If faulty goods are delivered, we will review the issue and, where the goods are found to be faulty against the agreed specification or approved sample, we will arrange the most appropriate solution. This may include a repair, replacement, remake or refund, depending on the nature of the fault and the terms agreed for your project.

Full details are provided in our Guide to Working With Us, which will be shared with your quote.

We can also offer independent quality control checks as an additional service. UK QC checks start from £600 + VAT, based on checking 10% of the goods, up to 100 pieces per day.

Offshore independent QC costs vary depending on the country, factory, product type, order size and level of inspection required.

In short, we take quality seriously, but we also like to define what “quality” means before production begins, because “it doesn’t feel quite right” is not a QC process. It’s a feeling. Sometimes valid, sometimes caused by staring at a seam for too long.

Yes. We don’t handle fulfilment in-house, but we are partnered with Blue30 Fulfilment, who support fashion, apparel, accessories and product-led brands with storage, pick and pack, dispatch and customer order fulfilment.

Fulfilment is the bit that happens after production, when your lovely stock has arrived and suddenly needs storing, packing, shipping and managing properly. Often the moment founders realise their spare room was not, in fact, a scalable logistics strategy.

Blue30 can help with:

• stock storage
• pick and pack
• branded packaging
• customer order dispatch
• returns support
• fulfilment for apparel, accessories and lifestyle products

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Their service can be especially useful for growing founder-led brands who want to keep operations professional without managing boxes, labels, couriers and customer parcels themselves.

When you sign up with Blue30, please mention Fazane Fox Production Agency in the referral section so they know we sent you and can look after you properly.

When you contact us, please send as much useful information as you can so Fazane and the team can review your project properly and work out whether we’re the right fit.

The more detail you give us at the start, the easier it is for us to understand what you’re building, what stage you’re at and what kind of support you need.

Please include:

• the service or services you’re interested in
• the number of styles or products you want to develop
• your preferred country of manufacture, if you have one
• your required production quantities per style and colour
• your target RRP
• your target make price, or your total available budget
• your brand name and website, if available
• your brand identity, brand bible or visual direction
• sketches, CADs, reference images, samples or tech packs, if you already have them
• any fabrics, trims, components or suppliers you are already considering
• your ideal launch date or delivery deadline

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For example, instead of saying “I need 300 pieces”, it helps to say:

Style 1: 300 pieces total across 2 colours, 150 pieces per colour.

That gives us a much clearer idea of the production structure.

Please be honest about budget and timelines from the beginning. We’re not asking so we can spend every penny you have while laughing into a spreadsheet. We ask because product development and production need to be commercially realistic, and the right route depends heavily on what you need the product to achieve.

Once we have the key information, we can advise whether your project is suitable for FFPA and what the next step should be.

Yes.

We can arrange delivery to your warehouse, fulfilment centre, office, studio or another agreed delivery address, depending on your production route and order requirements.

If your goods are being produced offshore, we can also manage the import, duty and customs process for you as part of a landed delivery service. This means we coordinate the freight, paperwork and import requirements so your goods arrive where they need to be without you having to suddenly become an expert in customs codes and shipping documents.

Which, frankly, nobody asked for.

Delivery details, shipping method and any related costs will be confirmed as part of your quote or production plan.

Yes, if you are based in the UK, we can offer a landed service for offshore production.

This means we manage the shipping, freight, import, duty and customs requirements for you, so your goods can be delivered into the UK without you having to handle the import process yourself.

For UK-based brands, this is often the most straightforward route because it gives you a clearer view of the full cost of getting your products made and delivered. Not just the factory price that looks lovely on paper until freight, duty and customs charges pop up like unwanted guests.

If you are based outside the UK, we can usually deliver on a CIF basis, which means we manage the shipping and freight to the agreed destination, but you would be responsible for any import, duty, customs clearance, local taxes and onward delivery requirements in your own country.

If you prefer to manage shipping yourself, we can also quote on an Ex Works or FOB basis, depending on the factory and production route.

We’ll always confirm the best shipping option for your project when quoting, so you understand exactly what is included and what remains your responsibility.

It depends on how your production has been quoted.

If we quote your project on a landed basis, we will deal with the customs process for you. This means we manage the import requirements, duty, customs paperwork and related charges as part of getting your goods delivered into the UK.

If your project is quoted on a CMT, Ex Works, FOB or CIF basis, you will be responsible for dealing with customs directly, including any import duty, VAT, clearance fees, documentation and onward delivery requirements.

We’ll always confirm this clearly in your quote, because customs is not the place for guesswork, crossed fingers or “I’m sure it’ll be fine” energy.