The Clothing Collective

Project 2014-03-01 14:57:45 +1300

Contribute to the manufacture of a shirt just for you. Be a part of a group manufacturing run where all the shirts are for the group.

The Idea

When I needed to buy a few new shirts I went looking through the usual stores and websites and couldn't find anything that was reasonably priced and good quality. The cost of clothing in New Zealand is prohibitively expensive and the profit margins are very high. Buying online can be cheaper but individual shipping adds up quickly.

I thought, instead of having shops manufacture and buy in bulk and then selling to us, what if, everyone got together and organised the manufacturing and international shipping as a group.

The Goal

To allow people to get high quality goods of their choice and design at decent prices. Collectively as a group you will be able to take advantage of a large buying power and own something that you have all been a part of creating. Initially, I want to start with a run of mens shirts, because I know the manufacturers and I have bought from them before.

I want to raise enough money to cover the cost of manufacturing a run of shirts and have them sent to New Zealand and distribute the shirts to every contributor.  I know suppliers and manufacturers of high quality mens shirts, from the time I spent in Asia in 2012.

The Shirts

The three colours available that will be manufactured will be Black, Navy and Light Blue. The actual colours may vary slightly due to slight variance in fabric and picture colours.

The specifications will be:

• 100% cotton oxford fabric
• White buttons
• Button down collars (not seen on the photos)
• Custom made shirt tag just for this campaign
• Slim fitting

The sizes available are M, L and XL. The sizing measurements are as follows. Keep in mind these are slim fitting, so read this carefully and compare the size to another shirt you own.

The quality of these shirts is above what you would expect from many mens fashion stores in NZ, such as yd, Cotton On, Tarocash, Hallensteins etc. It would be more similar to Barkers or many of the small fashion brands in NZ. These shirts will be made in Thailand, because of the quality control and ease of doing business compared to other Asian countries such as China. I personally have been to Thailand on three occasions and have bought shirts from the manufacturer before and wear the shirts myself. I would never buy another shirt from a store in New Zealand again.

The minimum quantity required is 200 shirts, and 1 roll of fabric per color. 1 roll of fabric makes approximately 70 shirts. There will be 3 colours available, Black, Navy and Light Blue. For this reason there will be a limited number of each colour available (but every size will always be available). I will keep the remaining quantity available updated below:

Every contributor needs to email at [email protected] as soon as possible to confirm size and colour, so I can update the remaining quantity.

Rewards

The rewards for funding this campaign are simple. You will all receive a shirt of your choice, or shirts if you are a big contributer. You may choose the colour and size of your shirt. Please read the measurements for each size carefully, as I cannot be responsible for choosing the wrong size. See the rewards sidebar for more details.

Remember that you are not funding me, you are funding yourselves and it is only possible if everyone gets together and joins in.

Get in quick to secure your preferred colour. I need to fill the minimum order for each colour of 70 pieces and have very little room to go over that number due to the size of the fabric roll. If this campaign gets funded and there are more people wanting to contribute, it will be possible to add another colour or do a double run of one of the existing colours.

Where the money goes

Below is a break down of where the money is going and the approximate cost for each shirt (assuming quantity of 210)

• Manufacture of the shirts ~$12.5 - $13
• Shipping costs from Thailand to Christchurch ~$2.75
• Customs clearance and associated fees ~$1.25
• Pledgeme fees and credit card fees $1.70
• Courier costs to everyone in New Zealand ~$3.30

What's in it for me? I will get a few free shirts and to test this concept. I would like to run more of these campaigns in the future to give myself and others access to cheap, high quality goods. If this campaign goes well I will look into the possibility of more runs for different products, and different business models related to this.

Delivery

The manufacture of the shirts will take approxiamtely 4-6 weeks from the time of order. I will keep all contributors updated with progress and expected delivery date. Once the shirts have landed in NZ I will send them out to everyone by courier (I have access to cheap courier parcels so it is better than using NZ Post).

Team

This is a one man band. I am Stefan Warnaar, a University student from Christchurch. I have been involved in small business ideas online for around three years now trying to break the mold of many NZ retailers who have ridiculous margins. I try to work with high volumes so people can get the best deal possible. This project is about testing the viability of crowd-manufacturing and other possibilities. 

Now is your chance to get yourself an awesome shirt or three at a price only possible when buying as a group. Contribute now!

Comments