Traditionally, made-to-order clothing was associated with special occasions or infrequent visits to the local seamstress. However, a new wave of fashion houses is embracing this model, reviving a practice that once defined the industry and offering a compelling alternative for customers seeking individuality and sustainability.
Made-to-order essentially means that brands operate without stock, relying on a catalog of designs that are produced only upon order. This approach stands in stark contrast to the global production model that relies on extensive logistics chains, clothing warehouses, and stock surpluses – significant contributors to environmental problems.
“Fifty seamstresses are responsible for making any of the dresses available on our website within 7 to 10 days, without the need for stored clothing,” explains Daniela Karnuts, Creative Director of Safiyaa. After setting up her small workshop in London, Safiyaa found success among Washington women seeking elegant and timeless pieces that could adapt to their various commitments without causing undue stress. “Many of our clients find a design they like and order it in different colors and versions. Something as simple as that is what the market has been demanding for a long time. Why, if something looks good on you or you like it, do you have to say goodbye to it the next season?” Karnuts wonders.
Like Safiyaa, many diverse brands have identified a niche in this search for new formats and solutions that adapt to their clients’ tastes, rather than the other way around. While not comparable to the dominant ready-to-wear model, this approach has seen undeniable growth in recent times as a responsible and exclusive alternative. This includes brands like Roland Mouret and Prabal Gurung, where made-to-order now accounts for 25% of their revenue, along with more modest or emerging brands such as Portuguese Azí Land, offering a curated selection of handcrafted garments available for purchase through their website. French Olivia Rose, aligning with the aesthetic of brands like Rouje and Musier, sets itself apart by only producing its garments after they have been ordered.
“We are at the first stage of one of the biggest opportunities driven by the sector,” explained Lisa Morales-Hellebo, co-founder of Refashiond, a venture capital firm that invests in companies trying to reinvent the supply chain, to Vogue Business. Despite its production disadvantages, companies following this system benefit from several advantages. As Daniela Karnuts explains, eliminating stock significantly reduces costs, as there is no need for storage or a sophisticated production chain. While prices, though increasingly competitive, are often significantly higher, they offer greater margins for creators.
However, experts say it is still too early to speak of a paradigm shift. As Pano Anthos, founder and director of XRC Labs, argued in a recent interview, “it may still be at least three years before we can talk about a real boom in this sense.” Nevertheless, tools like Instagram are helping to increase visibility for these initiatives, especially for smaller or emerging brands. The slow but steady conviction of consumers will also play in their favor.
In Spain, for example, there is still the expertise of traditional artisans, but also of new generations seeking to return to the essence through the traditional system of order-production. This is the case of the Galician brand Andion Clothing, whose shirt designs can be purchased through their Instagram page, choosing from the different patterned fabrics they constantly update in their catalog, thus guaranteeing minimum stock with each customer receiving a unique creation. Or, on a very different level, the denim specialist The Concrete Company continues with its acclaimed custom-made jeans service, despite also offering a ready-to-wear catalog.
Despite the limited examples, a growing current within the industry points towards this and other new models aimed at reducing the sector’s impact on the environment and society. Designers from the high and mid-range spheres are calling for a change of pace in the industry, and initiatives like made-to-order are emerging as viable options in a reality that has already begun its process of change from conviction. This is the only explanation for giants like Amazon already having a patent for a service capable of making single units of clothing in just one hour from the time of purchase; or for technologies like 3D printing continuing to advance by leaps and bounds in order to achieve the production of individual pieces without the need to generate entire collections.
For now, we will have to wait to achieve that individualized production more akin to Blade Runner than a textile firm, but what is certain is that the future looks towards slow, exclusive and sustainable fashion. Three aces that the current made-to-order undoubtedly holds under its needle.
