Case Study: Custom Crepe Fabric for a Workwear Distributor in the United Arab Emirates
Crepe Fabric for a Workwear Distributor in the United Arab Emirates
A Workwear Distributor approached us with a crepe fabric requirement for the the United Arab Emirates market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.
The challenge
- A spec that lived in an email instead of a tech pack
- A compliance document that arrived after the goods were already shipped
- Reorders that quietly changed supplier and changed the hand feel

What we specified
| Item | Crepe Fabric |
|---|---|
| Client type | A Workwear Distributor |
| Market | the United Arab Emirates |
| Order volume | 10,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | Genuine Leather |
| Standard size | 240 gsm |
| Finish | Laser Engraved Finish |
| Sampling rounds | 2 |
| Delivery window | 5 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the specification around Genuine Leather and locked the tolerance before bulk.
- The finish was moved to Epoxy Doming after strike-off tests showed better durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result
- 10,000 pieces delivered inside the 5-week window.
- Unit cost held within 4.5% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.5%.
- The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.
Planning something similar?
Send the reference sample or tech pack and we will come back with a costed specification, a sampling timetable and the compliance documents your market requires.



