Welcome to COsewn!

COsewn’s core is comprised of collaboration, community, communication, commitment, cohesion, and other connected co-creator concepts.

The garment and textile industry has changed dramatically over the course of the last handful of decades, with mass-production and overseas manufacturing dominating the fashion world with a constant supply of cheap, disposable clothing. The days of people getting their clothes custom made and fitted at the local tailor or dressmaker shop are a bygone era, and the knowledge and skills required to stitch together heirloom quality garments has subsequently dwindled in relation to the growth of huge corporate brands who in many cases have saturated the planet with fast fashion garments that utilize far from ethical or sustainable manufacturing principles throughout their supply chains.

The rise of the independent designer entrepreneur in recent years is a natural response from creatives who are passionate about designing and aspire to position their own unique brand’s story and style as an alternative to the often soul-less mass produced goods.  The global marketplace continues to change and evolve, and while it may be easier to start a business and develop an international market for your brand than it has ever been before, the garment industry remains incredibly complex to understand and navigate for the average designer.

Many aspiring designers have entered this industry without significant prior experience and education that covers all the necessary stages of designing, patterning, developing, sourcing, manufacturing, and marketing apparel. Huge fashion companies have entire departments dedicated to various stages of this process, but the independent designer entrepreneur has to either wear all of these hats themselves (which is nearly impossible), or seek out skilled professional assistance in order to successfully get from concept to market.

Finding skilled technical assistance in the development and production of a quality sewn product can be difficult and time consuming, as the garment industry in general has many barriers to entry – sourcing materials and labor being some of the toughest aspects to navigate, not to mention being an entrepreneur comes with its own set of responsibilities. Add to this the fact that the skilled labor pool is aging and dwindling to the point where we are developing a serious shortage of skilled domestic patternmakers and stitchers in relation to the number of aspiring designers who rely on their expertise to produce their products, and many aspiring designer entrepreneurs are struggling to figure out how to even get off the ground with their ideas.

COsewn is changing this – by building a bridge that connects designers to educational resources and contractors who can help them produce their lines.

COsewn supports the development of a professional, sustainable, domestic fashion industry by connecting emerging and independent designers with a full range of business and apparel development and small run manufacturing resources while creating awareness and opportunity for a new generation of creatives to learn the technical side of the sewn goods industry in an effort to keep artisan and specialized skills alive and thriving in a changing marketplace where local, domestic production is both desirable and still possible.

We are providing a platform for industry veterans to share their knowledge and experience with aspiring designers and technicians, while also facilitating cohesive communication between designers and contractors throughout the entire process of development and production.

Stay tuned….we have big plans in the works for this site, and will be sharing regular industry insights and information from professionals worldwide here on this blog in an effort to help educate designers on how to prepare themselves to successfully work with contractors throughout the process of launching a fashion line. We cannot stress enough the importance of educating and preparing yourself on how this industry operates. It’s not an overnight path (realistically more like months or even years) from concept to market, with an incredible amount of preparation and detail required throughout the process.

We are committed to collectively developing a roadmap that will help you navigate your way along this journey!