Be A Designer, Gallarate. Private-label T-shirts, Made in Italy.
Well-made T-shirts for your brand.
T-shirts in two ranges: high-quality private-label ready-to-wear, with DTG or DTF printing included, or ‘Made in Italy’ with premium finishes. First we select the fabrics and trims, then we create the prototype, followed by production in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate.
12 years part of the ‘Made in Italy’ supply chainOver 200 people supporting them as they launch their brandTrustpilot 4.2/5, all the 5-star reviews
In brief.
Be A Designer is an agency based in Gallarate (Varese) which has been supporting emerging designers and brands in the creation and production of their collections for 12 years. For T-shirts, it offers two ranges: high-quality ready-to-wear private label items, with DTG or DTF printing usually included in the price, and ‘Made in Italy’ items with bespoke premium finishes, produced in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate. The indicative minimum order is around 50 pieces per design (approximately 10 per size), with typical costs of €8–25 per piece for a batch of 100 and a lead time of 3–4 months from concept to sample production.
Service details T-shirt
- Who
- Be A Designer, Gallarate (VA)
- What
- Ready-to-wear, ‘Made in Italy’ private-label T-shirts with premium finishes
- Where
- Workshops within 30 km of Gallarate
- Minimums
- Around 50 items per style, around 10 per size
- Times
- 3–4 months from concept to sample production
- For those who
- Emerging designers and brands; pure contract manufacturing for self-employed individuals and established companies
Fabrics, printing, embroidery.
An Italian T-shirt stands out in terms of feel, washability and durability: flat seams, reinforced hems to prevent stretching, and a ribbed collar that retains its shape. That is why the fabric is chosen before the prototype is made.
Jersey and yarns
GOTS-certified organic cotton, jersey with elastane for a modern fit, Tencel/Lyocell and regenerated ECONYL® for sustainable designs.
DTG or DTF printing
Digital printing of your brand’s graphics, which is usually included in the price of the private label range.
Embroidery and labels
Embroidery at an additional 5–6 € per item, with a one-off set-up charge; brand labels produced industrially.
Private label or Made in Italy.
These are two different options in terms of price, timing and positioning. The choice depends on where you want to sell and at what price: we’ll decide together during our first call.
Private-label ready-to-wear
You start with an existing high-quality T-shirt and customise it with DTG or DTF prints, labels and your brand’s details. The quickest way to test a capsule collection.
Made in Italy with premium finishes
The T-shirt is designed and manufactured in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate, with the jersey fabric, weight, collar, stitching and embroidery all chosen especially for you. The range is aimed at the premium market.
In both cases, before the prototype is made, we carry out research into fabrics, finishes and trims. For us, it’s never just a matter of a prototype and a paper pattern: as a result, the prototype is already very close to the final garment.
A supply chain spanning 30 km.
The ‘Made in Italy’ range is produced in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate. We do not relocate the supply chain: this is a sustainability choice, involving less transport and in-person supervision of prototypes and production.
Be A Designer doesn’t just handle production. We only undertake pure contract manufacturing for VAT-registered individuals and established companies. Those starting from scratch go through the full programme: it’s the safest way to avoid spending money on production before knowing what to sell, to whom and at what price.
Prototypes and production go hand in hand: let’s head to the lab – we don’t send emails.
From idea to product, in six stages.
The complete Be A Designer programme. If you already have a collection and suppliers, we’ll start with the stage that suits your needs.
Strategy
Who is the brand aimed at, who are its competitors, and at what price does it remain viable?.
Collection
A carefully curated selection, not an endless catalogue.
Materials
Fabrics, leathers, trims, small fittings and buttons selected before the prototype is made.
Prototype
The design takes shape: it is tested, revised and approved.
Production
From a short supply chain within 30 km of Gallarate, with quality control.
Launch
Content, e-commerce and distribution: a brand only sells when people know it exists.
Why ‘Be A Designer’ and not just any manufacturer?.
| Generic manufacturer | Be A Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | He’s asking you for a ready-made technical data sheet. | Let’s start with your idea and work with you to create capsule collections and graphics. |
| Materials | You make a prototype with whatever you’ve got. | Research into fabrics, finishes and small components prior to prototyping. |
| Supply chain | Often far away; sometimes you don’t know where. | Workshops producing the ‘Made in Italy’ range within 30 km of Gallarate. |
| Quantity | High minimum stock levels, full warehouse. | Carefully curated capsule collections of around 50 pieces per design. |
| After production | Get the T-shirts – the rest is up to you. | Content, e-commerce and launch: the same team supports you right through to the sale. |
How much does it cost to produce a T-shirt in Italy?.
These are indicative costs per item for a batch of 100. The exact quote depends on the fabric, quantity, type of personalisation and finishes.
| Entry | Approximate cost | What does it depend on? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic cotton T-shirt | €8–12 each | Grammage, colour and quantity |
| T-shirt made from regenerated ECONYL® | €10–15 each | Fabric and quantity |
| Premium jersey with digital print | €15–25 each | Jersey, size and number of prints |
| DTG or DTF printing | usually included | Included in the price of the private-label range |
| Embroidery | +5–6 € each | Plus a one-off installation fee of €25–60, depending on size and complexity |
| Brand labels | €0.15–0.20 each | Manufactured on an industrial scale, in a batch of around 1,000 items |
| Prototype | around €80, €250 including the pattern | Always preceded by research into fabrics, finishes and small details |
The indicative minimum order quantity is around 50 items per design – that is, around 10 per size – but this depends on what is being produced. With a premium positioning, the retail price of a ‘Made in Italy’ T-shirt ranges from €35 to €65.
Questions we’re often asked.
With Be A Designer, the minimum order quantity depends on the type of T-shirt and the production processes involved. As a realistic guide, we generally consider around 50 items per design, i.e. around 10 items per size. The exact minimum is determined once the fabric, print or embroidery and finishes have been chosen.
For a batch of 100 items, the typical costs quoted by Be A Designer are €8–12 per item for organic cotton, €10–15 for regenerated ECONYL® and €15–25 for premium jersey with digital printing. In the private label range, DTG or DTF printing is usually included in the price. Embroidery adds €5–6 per item plus a one-off set-up fee of €25–60.
Be A Designer offers two ranges of T-shirts. The ready-to-wear private label range is based on an existing high-quality garment, customised with DTG or DTF printing and your brand’s labels. The ‘Made in Italy’ range produces T-shirts with bespoke premium finishes in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate. The choice depends on where you want to sell them and at what price.
Be A Designer offers a pure contract manufacturing service exclusively to VAT-registered individuals and established companies that already have a collection, specifications and sales channels. Those starting from scratch go through the full process: strategy, collection, fabric and trims research, prototyping, production and launch. This is the way to avoid producing T-shirts that won’t sell.
No. Be A Designer does not offer white-label services for teams, events or merchandise. It works with fashion brands on capsule collections, using a co-creation process for graphics, labels and prints that takes a few months.
With Be A Designer, it generally takes 3–4 months from the initial idea to the sample collection. As a guide, allow 2–3 weeks for pattern-making and drafting, 4–6 weeks for prototypes and fittings, and 6–10 weeks for actual production. Those selling wholesale need to start 6–9 months before the sales season.
Be A Designer’s ‘Made in Italy’ T-shirts are produced in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate, in the province of Varese. The short supply chain is a sustainable choice and allows us to oversee the prototypes and production in person.
Let’s talk about your T-shirt capsule collection.
A free phone call to help you work out which plan is right for you, in terms of duration and budget. No obligation.
Or write to [email protected]
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