How to Find a Clothing Maquila in Mexico?

Locating a clothing maquila in Mexico could be a somewhat challenging task if you don't have a clear idea of the service you're looking for or the type of factory your brand or company requires.

That's why it's crucial to have the right information to begin your search. Below, we offer a simple guide on how to find a clothing maquila in Mexico and everything you need to consider before hiring the services of such a company.

Types of Garment Manufacturing Services

The function of a clothing maquila is often simplified to think that it's the only garment manufacturing service available. However, the offerings of a clothing maquila may not include certain aspects that people prioritize in such a service.

In the textile industry, there are various types of services, including:

• Maquila service
• Full package
• Private label
• Dressmakers/Tailors

Let's explore them in detail:

Recommended: How to find a maquila or clothing factory in Colombia? Quick guide

Maquila Service/Maquilar/Maquiladora

A maquila or dressmaking workshop are smaller-scale companies that focus exclusively on garment assembly or sewing.

These businesses don't engage in designing or creating patterns and, at times, may not offer cutting services.

The working process in these establishments generally begins with the receipt of:

• Pre-cut fabric pieces.
• Detailed instructions or sewing guides.
• In some cases, a physical sample of the finished garment.

Maquilas often have bulky operating equipment. However, not all of them specialize in making the same type of garments; some are specialized in specific sectors such as:

• Underwear
• Sportswear
• Swimwear
• Urban fashion (t-shirts, sweaters, etc.)

At GAT Fashion Lab, we specialize in manufacturing women's upper garments. To start your process with us, click here.

Full Package

The service known as "full package" covers all aspects of the garment manufacturing process. Unlike a maquila, companies offering this service take care of:

• Researching trends
• Designing collections
• Creating patterns
• Producing physical or digital samples
• Fabric cutting
• Garment sewing
• Managing shipping logistics, among other aspects

Basically, they handle the entire production process, allowing the client to focus solely on sales. Since it's such a comprehensive service, its cost tends to be higher compared to a traditional maquila.

Some companies offering the full package also provide these services individually, depending on the specific needs of the client. However, this may vary depending on the company and its internal policies.

At GAT Fashion Lab, we are a full package company, experienced in the market and in meeting the needs of our clients. To learn more about our service, click here.

Private Label

The service known as Private Label involves a brand or company acquiring pre-existing designs without any branding, label, or logo from the original manufacturer.

In the realm of Private Label, you have the flexibility to:

• Customize labels.
• Customize brands.
• Make modifications to the design or change the garment color.

This service is especially suitable for new or emerging brands, as its cost is considerably lower compared to a full package or maquila. Additionally, it allows products to be brought to market more quickly than if they were manufactured from scratch through a maquila or full package service.

At GAT Fashion Lab, we have a Private Label catalog. To view it and learn more about this service, click here.

Dressmakers/Tailors/Seamstresses

These are individuals who represent a smaller, scaled-down version compared to a dressmaking workshop or maquila. They are usually small businesses where between 3 and 5 people work, dedicated to dressmaking, garment repairs, or custom garment making.

For brands requiring garment production on a larger scale, this option is not viable due to limited experience, production capacity, scalability, and other factors.

To delve deeper into these topics, visit our blogs here.

What should I consider when looking for my ideal clothing maquila?

• Define what your brand or company needs.
• Define selling prices.
• Define units per design.
• Production capacity.
• Location.
• Previous experience.
• Good labor practices.
• Sustainability.

To delve deeper into this point, click here.

Where can I find clothing maquilas in Mexico?

• Fairs and events.
• Directories/online search.
• Recommendations.

Mexico, being a country where some of its strengths lie in clothing maquilas, has spaces such as fashion events and fairs where you can find clothing maquilas:

Fairs and events:

This method is very effective as you are in direct contact with both manufacturers and suppliers. In Mexico, some of these fairs include:

- Intermoda Guadalajara:

-Expo 15:

-Expo Eres:

-Design Fest Guadalajara:

To learn more about these types of fairs and events in Mexico, click here.

Directories/Online Search:

There are online directories on various websites where you can find clothing maquilas in Mexico. Here are some:

-Directorios de fabricas.com

-DIRECTORIO

-Kompass

-InfoMaquila

Recommendations:

This approach is traditional but still highly reliable. To carry it out, it's essential to have contacts within the industry. You can ask your acquaintances about the manufacturers they have worked with or the companies they have collaborated with. This way, you can obtain detailed information about the quality of their service and evaluate the possibility of contacting them in the future.

Conclusion

Now you have all the tools to identify whether your brand or company needs a clothing maquila or a full package. You also have the tools to search for your ideal manufacturer in Mexico and the fairs you can attend. Start boosting your brand today!

At Gat Fashion Lab, we offer full package and private label services. You can complement this information with our weekly informative blogs. To access them, click here.

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