Case Study: Custom Combed Cotton Fabric for a Theatre Costume Workshop in France

Combed Cotton Fabric for a Theatre Costume Workshop in France

A Theatre Costume Workshop approached us with a combed cotton fabric requirement for the France 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
• Shrinkage that only showed up after the first wash
• Shade drift between the approved lab dip and the bulk lot

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around Neoprene and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Glossy Enamel Coating after strike-off tests showed better durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result

• 20,000 pieces delivered inside the 8-week window.
• Unit cost held within 4.5% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.0%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Approve a pre-production sample made from the actual bulk base material. Substitute material behaves differently in finishing.

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.