This supplier sourcing hack creates a viral product
What smart brands are doing right now
Yes, the economy is bad, and when that happens, fashion gets boring. Because when brands start making less money, they tend to stop taking risks - they fall back on what’s predictable and easy.
The first place they start cutting corners is by trying to do more with less.
Now, this can be hard for the average consumer to pick up on, so let me give you a very extreme example.
The first time it became obvious to me was in 2009, while I was shopping at H&M. I had just started my textile degree at FIT, and realized every garment in the entire store was made from one of four fabrics. Sure, they varied in color and garment silhouette, but it was all mostly just poly jersey and poplin with a little denim and lace mixed in.
That was the formula behind fast-fashion brands like H&M: use the cheapest available fabrics and use as much of them as you can to achieve the lowest prices through economies of scale.
Now fast fashion is so much more than that ( a topic for another day).
But today brands are resorting to old-school fast-fashion tricks to boost their bottom lines while relying on the reputation they built in the good old days when business was easier.
But consumers are way too educated these days not to notice.
So, instead of outdated, cheap, fast-fashion tricks, this is what brands should be doing.
And here’s what many brands are gatekeeping: premium fabrics often don’t cost that much more than the cheap stuff.
So before you go saying, “I could never afford that…” let me stop you right there, you can.
And, here’s the double bonus: when you do use better fabrics, it creates a marketing strategy that allows you to stand out in a world of sameness.
Because while everyone else is making their polos in conventional commodity pique cotton, yours could have a cooling fabric that keeps your customers more comfortable in hot weather.
Or, when other companies are making yet another pair of basic leggings, you could have materials that actively accelerate an athlete’s recovery and healing process.
Sometimes, what a lot of brands don’t realize is that making more money isn’t always about cutting costs. Because when you invest in your product, a whole world of new doors and customers opens.
I’m about to share a long list of suppliers you need to know about to give you a head start.
But first, if you want to meet them in person, they’ll all be at Functional Fabric Fair, July 8th–9th at the Javits Center in New York City.
I’ll be there. And if you use this link, you can get in for FREE.
Can’t wait to meet you!
A few of my favorite suppliers from the Summer 2025 FFF show
I went to the show last year, and these are just a few material suppliers that really stood out to me.
⬆️Trying on the goods at last year’s show⬆️
COLORO
If you work in fashion, you probably have a love-hate relationship with Pantone.
We’re all forced to use them and pay their exorbitant prices, and not just once, it’s a yearly fee, because if you didn’t know, according to them, colors expire in 12 months.
Enter COLORO, a new color supplier to the industry. Here’s what I love about them: COLORO organizes colors the way we actually see them, by hue, lightness, and chroma.
If you want to learn more, meet them at the show; they can explain it far better than I can. And my absolute favorite part of what they do - they give you pre-made dye formulas to cut down on sampling timelines and costs.
YKK
Have you heard about YKK’s new Aerie string zipper, one of the most controversial technologies of 2025 (based on the very divided comments on my post that got over 40k likes last year)?
Personally, I love it, and I can’t wait to see what new technology YKK has this summer.
COOL CORE
The sad reality is that our planet is getting hotter each year, and we’ll need more technology to stay cool in extreme conditions.
Cool Core is one solution that helps keep wearers cooler than the average fabric.
My favorite part is that it’s not a chemical finish; the technology is actually molded into the fiber shape and weave construction - so cool, literally.
ECLAT
If you didn’t know, now you do: Eclat is one of Lululemon’s earliest supply‑chain partners.
Yes, those viral leggings we couldn’t grab fast enough, they were behind them.
They’ve also helped brands like Beyond Yoga launch, thanks to MOQs as low as 1 yard of fabric. You’ll get top‑quality without committing to order sizes your brand isn’t ready to handle yet.
CASLA
There is a lot of tariff drama, and it just never ends.
If you didn’t know, many brands in the industry are moving to Colombia, which has very favorable trade agreements. There is even a special economic zone that significantly reduces your duties.
MOQs start at only 300 pieces, so it’s great for small brands. They also have a domestic office in LA, which is ideal for brands interested in moving overseas but nervous about the learning curve and who want someone nearby to help if a problem arises.
And, so many other cool manufacturers
I could go on and on for pages about all the cool manufacturers you can meet, but you’ll just have to attend to see for yourself.
I want to challenge you.
In a world where everyone is getting more basic and more bland, do something that helps you stand out and creates a truly unique product for your customer.
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I can’t wait to see you at the show!
-Melanie
What are we doing here?
Moving forward, more and more of my really good content, like supplier contacts, how-to guides, and actual information that helps you with your business, is going to be behind a paywall.
Don’t worry, it’s super cheap, only $5 a month, but thankfully, this week it’s all free thanks to Functional Fabric Fair sponsoring this post.
PS - In case you are curious…
We’re still in Goa, about to head to Jaipur, then the United States.
We’ve been in Asia for over nine months, and while we’re excited to return to New York to see friends and family, it still feels like we haven’t finished everything we set out to do.
I’ve been working on a very cool, top-secret project in Jaipur, and I’m putting the finishing touches on it this week. I can’t wait to share it with you soon.
Lastly, before I go, a few cool things…
How I would build a legging brand in today’s saturated and competitive market
Stop wasting money on influencers. Do this instead.
Are these Lululemon running shorts overpriced? Let’s break down how they were made.