Fabric & Trim Sourcing for Clothing Manufacturers in the UK
At Hook and Eye UK we offer fabric and trim sourcing services that cater to premium fabrics with low MOQ’s to help start-up and growing fashion brands build high quality garments that last! Our industry expertise and strong supplier relationships streamline the sourcing process, save brands time, are cost effective and always maintain high standards.
Our team of designers and garment developers will discuss any fabric and trim requirements with you in your tech pack and design session and from there will source options from trusted suppliers. Our focus is on sustainability, innovation and quality. We help clients source fabric and trims that meet the design requirements and budget.
Why choose Hook and Eye UK for Fabric & Trim Sourcing?
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Extensive Supplier Network
With over 12 years of experience in the industry, we have built an extensive network of reliable fabric suppliers. That offer premium quality fabrics available in low MOQ’s.
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Sustainability Focus
Hook and Eye UK has a multifaceted approach to sustainability within the fabrics we offer and source. We offer a wealth of eco-friendly fabrics, recycled fabric options and follow several protocols to ensure our fabrics are sourced as sustainably as possible. For example, we only source fabrics that are made in China, as our integrated factory is based in China this dramatically reduces the carbon footprint in comparison to sourcing fabrics globally. China’s technical approach ensures we have the latest developed fabrics available. Sourcing fabric local to our manufacture team also means that no waste fabric is being transported.
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Trend & Innovation Expertise
Ensuring that we stay up to date with emerging textile trends is a main priority of our in-house fabric sourcing guidelines. We have a fabric library of hundreds of fabric options that are continuously added to, based off the latest styles.
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Time-Saving Efficiency
By utilising our teams existing textile knowledge base, you ensure your fabrics meet the quality standards expected and avoid the hassle of trying to do your own supplier research.
Types of Fabrics We Source
As explained in our sustainability section above we aim to get your samples to ‘sign-off’ stage in just 1-2 rounds of separate sampling. Once you’re happy with your samples we will then offer free Pre-Production (PP) samples with commitment to bulk manufacture. PP samples are intended to sign off any final tweaks before moving into bulk production.
Hook and Eye UK can source a diverse range of fabrics construction types including woven fabrics like, twill, satin, plain weave, and canvas. Knitted fabrics like, Jersey, ribbed and interlock. Also, non-woven fabrics like bonded fabric.
The fabric compositions we offer cover a wide variety of fashion and product development needs. See General fabric compositions below.
There are two main ways to efficiently get to the perfect fitting sample:
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Plant-Based Fabrics
Cotton (Organic, Pima, Supima, Eco-Friendly)
Linen (Organic, Blended, Eco-Friendly)
Hemp (Organic, Blended, Eco-Friendly)
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Synthetic Fabrics
Technical Mesh (Polyester, Nylon, Acrylic, Spandex)
Polyester (Recycled blends)
Nylon
Acrylic
Spandex
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Semi-synthetics
Viscose (Rayon – Sustainable
Blends)Modal (Sustainable Blends)
Lyocell (TENCEL™ -– Sustainable Blends)
Our collection of high quality fabrics for you to use during your design session with us.
Types of Trims We Source
We offer comprehensive trim sourcing services to accompany your sampling process. Our team covers both custom-developed and ready-made (stock) garment trims to meet your design requirements. We’re used to working within low MOQ / high quality permeameters to offer fashion brands of all sizes a wide range of options that fit your quality and budget requirements.
• Zippers (Metal, Invisible, Waterproof)
• Buttons (Natural, Resin, Metal)
• Labels & Tags (Woven, Printed, Recycled)
• Elastics & Tapes
• Laces & Embroidery
• Custom Trims (Branded, Decorative)
Our Sourcing Process
1. Initial consultation: Our team will start by asking the kind of fabric composition / weight / look / feel you’re aiming for. From there we’ll work out if we already have fabric options available in our fabric library or if fabric sourcing is required.
2. Material Brief & Specification: Once a general idea of the fabric requirements is understood our designer will then go through your fabric needs in more depth, asking questions on areas like use & quality durability needs. This takes place in your one-on-one tech pack and design session. our designers are trained to help and guide on fabric choices.
3. Supplier Matching: Now we have your specific fabric sourcing needs our team of garment developers can get to work, locating the perfect fabric options for you, utilising the best fabric suppliers and mills. Fabric sourcing is only charged if your needs are particularly complex and is always redeemable against sampling costs. We’ll always let you know ahead of time if a charge is required.
4. Pricing: Once you have selected your preferred fabric, we’ll cost your samples and bulk production based on your choices and then provide you will full transparent costing.
5. Sampling & Testing: Fabrics are sourced with quality level, durability and compliance in mind. At Hook and Eye UK our standard protocol is to have samples made (without commitment to bulk production) so our brands can fully test fabrics before taking any further steps.
6. Bulk Ordering & Logistics: On confirmation of sampling our team will then order your chosen fabrics in preparation for bulk garment production. Your bulk garments are made by our construction team and then shipped directly to you.
Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing
Hook and Eye UK is committed to sourcing more responsible fabrics and offering sustainable fabric options, helping brands meet eco-conscious consumer demands. Our protocols include:
• Focusing on offering premium quality fabrics that are durable and long lasting (there is no poor-quality fast fashion here!)
• Sourcing fabrics locally to our manufacture team– this dramatically decreases the carbon footprint of fabrics and stops waste fabrics being transported.
• Offering eco-friendly cotton fabrics – these are fabrics that use less pesticides and are less damaging for the environment.
• Sourcing fabrics with certified sustainable fabric suppliers (GOTS, OEKO-TEX, FSC-certified).
• Offering a range of organic, recycled and low impact fabric options.
Feel free to contact us here and ask about our extensive fabric library featuring hundreds of curated fabrics across natural, sustainable, technical, and luxury categories. Whether you're looking for stock options, need support sourcing specific fabrics or want to develop custom trims, our expert team of garment developers and designers are here to help!
FAQs
Q. I have a vision, but I have no idea where to start. Can you help?
A. Yes! Our team of designers and garment developers are trained to help brands with any level of knowledge. Having a reference to a fabric is enough for us to start from!
Q. I want sustainable fabrics, but will they cost a fortune?
A. There is no denying that they do cost more in general. Fabrics that are organic or recycled for example are simply not made in as large quantities as those that are not, and this drives the price up. The MOQ is also usually higher for these fabrics as fabric suppliers generally sell them in larger quantities. A key point to remember is that if you’re paying more for an item to be made then you should be charging more to your customer and being transparent about the reason why. Most sustainably-driven customers are happy to pay more for garments that meet their ethical standards.
Q. Do you have fabric samples? I need to feel it before I commit!
A. Yes! We have a large fabric library in our Birmingham UK studio that has hundreds of fabric cards with examples of all stock colours available and large hand feel swatches. We also have a range of samples in the studio made up in our most popular fabrics. If you require fabric sourcing we’ll order fabric cards in, select best options and send them out to you for your selection (with our thoughts on the fabrics too).
Q. Can you help me find unique or custom fabrics?
A. Yes, we can help you find unique fabrics with specific requirements, just get in contact with our team and we’ll guide you from there. We do not custom make fabrics for low MOQ orders.
Q. Where do you source fabrics from?
A. All our fabrics are sourced locally to our manufacturer to align with our sustainability protocols. Our garment construction team are based in China.
Q. What if I need a small quantity? Do you only work with big brands?
A. No! We specialise in helping start up and growing brands. Our MOQ is only 50 units per design/style (this can be split in upto 5 sizes).