Be A Designer, Gallarate. Menswear manufacturing, Made in Italy.
Menswear for your brand.
Shirts, trousers, jackets, coats, T-shirts and sweatshirts for your capsule collection. First we select the fabrics, finishes, trims and buttons; then we create the prototype; and finally, production takes place in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate.
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, for the past 12 years, has been supporting emerging designers and brands in the creation and production of ‘Made in Italy’ menswear collections: shirts, trousers, unstructured jackets, coats, T-shirts and sweatshirts. We work on capsule collections, in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate. The indicative minimum order is around 50 pieces per style, i.e. approximately 10 pieces per size. As a guide to production costs, a shirt costs €40–80, a pair of trousers €35–70, an unstructured jacket €80–150 and a coat €120–250.
Service details Men's clothing
- Who
- Be A Designer, Gallarate (VA)
- What
- Shirts, trousers, jackets, coats, T-shirts and sweatshirts in a capsule collection
- Where
- Workshops within 30 km of Gallarate
- Minimums
- Around 50 items per style, around 10 per size
- Lead times
- On average, 3–4 months from the initial idea to the sample collection
- Who it's for
- Emerging designers and brands; pure contract manufacturing for VAT-registered businesses and established companies
Shirts, outerwear, basics.
A men’s collection hinges on a few exceptionally well-made garments: fit, fabric and details such as collars, lapels and buttons. That is why fabrics, linings and trimmings are chosen before the prototype is made, not after.
Shirts and trousers
The key items that form the backbone of a collection and sell all year round: €40–80 for a shirt, €35–70 for a pair of trousers, with a recommended retail price of 3–3.5 times the cost.
Jackets and coats
The garments with the most complex construction and the highest retail price: €80–150 for an unstructured jacket, €120–250 for a coat.
T-shirts and sweatshirts
The basics that create volume and brand recognition: T-shirts from €8–25 each for a batch of 100, sweatshirts from €20–35 for a customised basic design or from €40–60 if made from scratch.
Contract manufacturing or the full programme.
These are two different approaches, and the choice depends on how far along your project is. We’ll explain them to you during our first call and choose the right one together.
Contract manufacturing
For VAT-registered individuals and established businesses that have a product range, technical data sheets and sales channels: we can handle pattern-making, prototyping and production within the supply chain within a 30 km radius of Gallarate.
Full programme
For those starting with an idea: strategy, collection, sourcing of fabrics and trims, prototyping, production and launch – all with the same team. This is the way to avoid spending money on production before knowing what to sell, to whom and at what price.
In both cases, before the prototype is made, we carry out research into fabrics, finishes, trims and buttons. For us, it’s never just a prototype and a paper pattern: as a result, the prototype is already very close to the final garment.
On a tighter budget? Some items, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, can be produced as private label: you start with a ready-made, high-quality garment and customise it with your brand, rather than developing it from scratch. Discover private label →
A supply chain within 30 km.
We work with workshops within a short supply chain, within 30 km of Gallarate. We do not move production to other regions: this means greater quality control, less transport and greater sustainability.
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 stay close: we go to the workshop instead of sending 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 the brand is for, who it competes with, and the price at which it stands up.
Collection
A carefully planned capsule, not an endless catalogue.
Materials
Fabrics, leathers, trims, small fittings and buttons selected before the prototype is made.
Prototype
The garment becomes real: it is tried on, corrected and approved.
Production
In the 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 | Asks you for a ready-made tech pack. | We start from your idea and build the collection and tech packs with you. |
| Materials | The prototype is made with whatever is at hand. | Selecting fabrics, linings, trims and buttons before the prototype is made: no surprises when it comes to the cost. |
| Fit | Standard sizes – take it or leave it. | The prototype is tested and refined before production, followed by the development of the sizes. |
| Supply chain | Often far away; sometimes you don’t know where. | Workshops within 30 km of Gallarate. |
| After production | You get the garments; the rest is your problem. | Content, e-commerce and launch: the same team supports you right through to the sale. |
How much it costs to produce a menswear collection.
These are indicative production costs per ‘Made in Italy’ garment, alongside the market-driven retail price. The exact quotation is provided once the fabrics, finishes and trimmings have been selected.
| Item | Approximate cost | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Shirt | €40–80 | Fabric and craftsmanship. Recommended retail price: €120–280 |
| Trousers | €35–70 | Fabric and fit. Recommended retail price: €100–250 |
| Unstructured jacket | €80–150 | Fabric, construction and finishes. Recommended retail price: €250–500 |
| Coat | €120–250 | Fabric, construction and lining. Suggested retail price: €400–900 |
| T-shirt | €8–25 | Private label range or premium ‘Made in Italy’ range, in a batch of 100 pieces |
| Sweatshirt | €20–60 | Customised basic top: €20–35; Made in Italy sweatshirt made from scratch: €40–60 |
| Prototype | around €80, €250 including the pattern | Always preceded by research into fabrics, finishes and trims |
The selling price is generally between 3 and 4 times the production cost. The indicative minimum is around 50 items per model – that is, around 10 per size – but this depends on what is being produced.
Frequently asked questions.
The minimum order quantity depends on what is being produced, but a realistic figure is around 50 items per model, i.e. around 10 items per size. Be A Designer works with capsule collections, so the minimum is calculated on the basis of the collection as a whole rather than individual garments.
The approximate production cost of a ‘Made in Italy’ shirt ranges from 40 to 80 euros, with a recommended retail price of between 120 and 280 euros. Be A Designer will provide an exact quote once the fabrics, finishes and buttons have been selected.
As a rough guide for ‘Made in Italy’ items: a deconstructed jacket costs 80–150 euros, a coat 120–250 euros and a pair of trousers 35–70 euros each. The retail price is generally between three and four times the production cost.
With Be A Designer, it takes an average of 3–4 months from the initial idea to the finished sample collection, including material research, pattern-making, prototyping and revisions. To be ready for a season, it’s best to start 8–10 months in advance.
At Be A Designer, a prototype costs around 80 euros, or 250 euros including the pattern. Before the prototype, however, there is always the process of sourcing fabrics, trims, small fittings and buttons: it’s never just the prototype plus the pattern.
Be A Designer manufactures in workshops within 30 km of Gallarate, in the province of Varese. The short supply chain is a sustainability choice and allows the company to oversee prototypes and production in person. The supply chain is not relocated to other industrial districts.
Yes, but pure contract manufacturing is reserved for VAT-registered individuals and established companies that already have a collection, technical specifications and sales channels. Those starting from scratch go through the full process: strategy, collection, sourcing of fabrics and trimmings, prototyping, production and launch.
Yes. Be A Designer works with capsule collections: a small number of designs created together, rather than an endless catalogue. It’s the safest way to test the market without filling up the warehouse, with a recommended minimum of around 50 pieces per design.
What else do we do for brands?
Let’s talk about your menswear collection.
A free call to help you work out where to start, the timeframe involved and the budget required. No obligation.
Or write to [email protected]
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