NYC Apparel Manufacturing Tour for Fashion Designers
Small-group walking tour to vetted factories and resources in the Garment District.
👗🧵✂️ Get insider access to proven NYC sourcing and production factories – many are not listed in any guide books or online directories (and it’s taken YEARS for us to make these contacts). You’ll meet the owners, walk the factories, and see their work.
When is it?
Date: TBD (dates will be posted here as announce them)
Time: 9 AM – 1 PM -ish
Location: NYC’s Garment District
Meeting point: 344 W. 38th St, #402 (the V. Mora office)
Your Investment: $189 (includes the tour, full list of contacts visited, bonus handouts, and lunch)
Hosted by: Anna Livermore (V. Mora) and Jane Hamill (Fashion Brain Academy)
What to Expect
There are multiple stops on the this small-group walking tour (all in NYC’s Garment District) as well as a brief overview of manufacturing best-practices and common mistakes from Anna and Jane, plus we’ll allow time for you to time connect with the other attendees.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Below is the description of the stops from our last Tour. These are subject to change due to potential last-minute scheduling issues with the factories. We expect the stops to be similar to what’s listed below but if a factory needs to cancel or their production capacity is completely full, we’ll adjust the visits. We reserve the right to update the stops on the tour for what’s best for the factories.
Overview of the stops on the tour:
1: Small-Batch NYC Manufacturing, Sample Making & Pattern Making
- We’ll visit the space and operation, you can ask questions, see examples of their work. They’re not listed in any guide book and they have no website. It’s taken us YEARS to find and vet a resource like this.
2. Digitizing and Grading
- We’ll tour the space with the owner himself. He’s worked in the industry for the past 30 years and is a proven, reliable resource. Digitize, grade, plot, mark — there’s a lot that goes into sewn product manufacturing besides just sewing. We often hear from designers, “what is a marker and why do I need one?” We’ll show you real-life examples.
3. Fabric and Trim Sourcing Company
- This place is the holy grail for sourcing anything you’ve ever dreamed up for fabrics, trims, buttons, materials. These are offshore resources and all available in small minimums. If there’s a fabric or trim you’re been searching for, they can source it for you and with low MOQs.
4. Embroidery House
- When you need something special for your products, this is the place. You can’t get embroidery done in a regular factory. Embroidery is a “send-out” and not done by the same manufacturer that produces your garments.
5. Expert Pattern Making and Samples
- This resource has been around over 30 years and is trusted by many brands. (On the last tour, they were making patterns for a brand I love and I was wearing one of their tops – bought it at Nordstrom 🤩.) They work with big and small brands alike and are open to startups.
You'll Walk Away With
- Real, vetted industry contacts for NYC manufacturing, pleating digitizing, materials & fabric sourcing, and embroidery.
- A full list and Folder of all the contacts and resources on the tour. We’ll print it out for you to carry on the tour and take notes as we go
- Checklists and Templates: “Are You Ready for Production?” from Anna at V. Mora, and a cheat sheet for “How to Build an Audience for a Product Launch” from Jane at Fashion Brain Academy
- The confidence and knowledge to take the next step for your manufacturing process
- New colleagues and designer-y friends! 😀 No more lonely entrepreneur! We all need a crew and you’ll make life-long friends and industry contacts on this tour. Note from Jane: Tour attendees are SO FRIENDLY and we have a great time sharing resources and helping each other. You’ll find your people here. – JH
Who Should Attend?
This walking tour is ideal for:
- Emerging Designers seeking a comprehensive introduction to the manufacturing process.
- Executives & Established Brands looking to streamline operations and uncover fresh ideas for growth.
- Fashion Entrepreneurs eager to network with like-minded professionals and learn directly from industry experts.
Who’s Leading the Tour?
Anna Livermore (V.Mora) and Jane Hamill (Fashion Brain Academy).
Anna and Jane are industry experts with experience in manufacturing, design, product development, DTC and wholesale sales, retail buying, and product marketing.
See pics of a past tour here. Anna and Jane are very honest and will give it to you straight
What Past Attendees Say
“Worth every penny!”
“Seeing the factories in action and learning directly from Anna and Jane was worth every penny. Highly recommend this tour to anyone serious about fashion!” – Michael T., Brand Manager
“Practical tools I could apply immediately.”
“The factory tour was an eye-opening experience! I walked away with practical tools and insights I could apply to my own brand immediately.” – Sarah K., Emerging Designer
“Meeting the other designers was great!”
“I signed up to see the factories and meeting the other designers was great! An unexpected bonus for sure.” Erica N., Apparel Designer
Video Testimonials from attendees
What’s it like to experience the NYC tour? They say it better than we do. 🙂
Anita Costello. designer and founder of Biita.com.
Questions about the tour?
Just reach out to Anna from V.Mora at anna@vmora.com.
