Be A Designer, Gallarate. Ready-to-wear fashion for brands and shops.
Ready-to-wear fashion, well chosen.
We can help you find reliable ready-to-wear suppliers and turn the garments into a collection under your own brand. Ideal for those who need to get started quickly, test the market or complete their product range.
12 years in the Made in Italy supply chainOver 200 people supported in launching their brandTrustpilot 4.2/5, every review is 5 stars
In brief.
Be A Designer is a design studio based in Gallarate (Varese) which has been supporting emerging designers, brands and shops for 12 years. In the ready-to-wear sector, it acts as an intermediary: it selects suppliers of ready-to-wear garments, checks samples, quality and fit and, where necessary, personalises the garments with the brand’s labels, prints, embroidery and packaging. It is the quickest way to get started or test the market; when a range proves successful, the same team guides the brand towards ‘Made in Italy’ production from scratch.
Service details Ready-to-wear fashion
- Who
- Be A Designer, Gallarate (VA)
- What
- Selection of ready-to-wear suppliers and customisation with your brand
- Leaders
- Women’s, men’s and children’s wear, and accessories, by supplier
- Minimums
- It depends on the supplier; with customisation, around 50 pieces per model
- Lead times
- Shorter than starting from scratch: the garment already exists
- Who it's for
- Up-and-coming brands, shops and anyone who wants to try out a range
The right supplier, then your brand.
Ready-to-wear fashion is quick and cheaper, but not all suppliers are the same: quality, fit and punctuality vary greatly. Our job is to help you make the right choice before you place your order, not afterwards.
Supplier selection
We’d like to introduce you to ready-to-wear suppliers that match your style, your price range and the quantities you need.
Inspection of garments
Samples, fit and quality are checked before the order is placed, so the goods you receive are exactly what you chose.
Your brand on the garments
Labels, prints, embroidery and packaging transform a ready-made garment into a product bearing your brand.
As it is, or with your own branding.
These are two different ways of using ready-to-wear fashion. The first complements a range, whilst the second builds a brand. During the first call, we’ll work out which one you need.
Ready-to-wear fashion as it is
Ready-made garments selected from reliable suppliers, to complete a shop’s range or trial a category without the need for in-house development.
Ready-to-wear fashion under your own brand
The same garments, personalised with labels, prints and embroidery: they become your own collection, with the speed of ready-to-wear fashion.
When a collection takes off, the next step is to develop it from scratch: fabrics, fits and details that are uniquely yours, produced in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate.
Made in Italy, when you're ready.
Ready-to-wear garments can be produced in Italy or abroad, and we’ll tell you this item by item: we don’t market anything as ‘Made in Italy’ if it isn’t. When the brand is ready to take the next step, production from scratch takes place in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate.
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.
When you move into production from scratch, prototyping and production go hand in hand: we go to the workshop; we don’t send emails.
From idea to product, in six stages.
The Be A Designer programme, in its ready-to-wear version. If you already know what you’re looking for, let’s start with the stage that suits you best.
Strategy
Who are you selling to, at what price, and who are you competing against?
Range
Which items, how many styles, which colours.
Suppliers
We select the right ready-to-wear suppliers.
Champions
We check the quality and fit before placing the order.
Customisation
Labels, prints, embroidery and packaging for your brand.
Launch
Content, e-commerce and distribution.
Why Be A Designer and not just any manufacturer.
| Generic manufacturer | Be A Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A catalogue and a minimum order. | Your positioning: we select the garments for your client. |
| Suppliers | You look for them yourself, amongst hundreds of showrooms. | Selected suppliers and verified samples. |
| Originality | The same manager as in so many other shops. | Labels, prints and packaging that make the garment your own. |
| Transparency | You don’t always know where it’s made. | We’ll explain, item by item, what is ‘Made in Italy’ and what isn’t. |
| After | You get the goods; the rest is your problem. | Content, e-commerce and launch. And when it works, production from scratch. |
How much does personalised ready-to-wear clothing cost?
The cost per item depends on the supplier and the quantity. These are the indicative costs for customisation and for some basic items.
| Item | Approximate cost | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-wear garments | from the supplier’s price list | Item, fabric and quantity |
| T-shirts, batch of 100 | €8–25 per item | Fabric and weight; DTG or DTF printing usually included |
| Sweatshirt: plain top + print, 50–100 pieces | €20–35 each | Chosen base garment and printing technique |
| Embroidery | +5–6 € each | Plus a one-off installation charge of €25–60 |
| Brand labels | €0.15–0.20 each | Manufactured on an industrial scale, in a batch of around 1,000 items |
| Packaging | subject to a quotation | Materials and quantities |
For customised items, the indicative minimum order quantity is around 50 pieces per model; for non-customised items, this depends on the supplier. The retail price is usually set at 3–4 times the cost price.
Frequently asked questions.
Ready-to-wear fashion consists of clothing that has already been manufactured and is available at short notice; shops and brands buy it in bulk rather than developing it from scratch. It is the quickest way to stock a range or test a category, but the quality varies greatly from one supplier to another.
No. Be A Designer is not a wholesaler: it acts as an intermediary and a design studio. It selects reliable ready-to-wear suppliers, checks samples and fit, and, if required, personalises the garments with the client’s brand.
Yes. With labels, prints, embroidery and packaging, the garments become a collection for your brand. Labels cost €0.15–0.20 each for a run of around 1,000 items; embroidery adds €5–6 per item plus a one-off set-up fee of €25–60.
It depends on the supplier: some garments are made in Italy, others abroad. Be A Designer specifies this for each individual garment and does not label items as ‘Made in Italy’ if they are not. For a ‘Made in Italy’ range, the process involves manufacturing from scratch in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate.
Without customisation, the minimum order quantities depend on the supplier. With customisation, a realistic figure is around 50 items per model, i.e. around 10 per size.
Ready-to-wear is cheaper and quicker, but a competitor might also stock the same item. Making garments from scratch creates a product that is uniquely yours and commands a higher price. You can start with ready-to-wear and move on to making garments from scratch once the range is selling well.
What else do we do for brands?
Let’s talk about your product range.
A free consultation to help you work out which items you need, from which suppliers and within what budget. No obligation.
Or write to [email protected]
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