Question 1

What is the difference between FOB, CMT and full package?

Accepted Answer

They differ on who buys the materials, which changes everything else. Under CMT you supply the fabric and trims and pay only for cutting, making and trimming — the lowest headline rate, because it excludes the largest cost in the garment. Under full package, quoted FOB, we buy everything and hand you finished goods loaded onto the vessel, so you get one comparable number and one accountable party. FOB is what most brands should quote, particularly first-time importers, because fabric is 50 to 65 percent of a garment's cost and sourcing it badly from another continent is the most expensive mistake available. If you compare a CMT rate against someone's FOB price without adding your fabric cost back in, you are not comparing the same thing.

Question 2

Which service should I choose?

Accepted Answer

If you do not have mill relationships in Asia, start with full package — it puts material sourcing on the party who does it daily. If your brand depends on a specific fabric you have developed or certified yourself, CMT or nominated fabric gives you that control. If you want to move fast from an idea to a sellable range, private label starts from proven blocks and cuts sampling rounds. If the product itself is your differentiator and needs to be legally yours, that is OEM. And if you cannot commit 500 pieces yet, start at 100 through Collective Studio and move up when a style proves out. Tell us your situation and we will tell you which of these fits, including when the answer is that we are not the right supplier.

Question 3

Can I mix services across one order?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is more common than you would think. A range often runs full package on most styles with one nominated fabric where the brand has a specific mill relationship, or private label on the core basics with OEM on the one signature piece that has to be original. What matters is that the arrangement is written down per style before costing, because the price basis, the risk allocation and the lead time all differ. Ambiguity about which model a style is running under is where disputes start.

Question 4

Do you charge for samples?

Accepted Answer

Yes — roughly $200 to $600 per style across development, fit and pre-production rounds, with much of it non-refundable, though we credit it against bulk on committed orders. Charging properly for sampling is deliberate. A free sample is paid for somewhere, usually in a rushed development cycle or a unit price you will not notice until later. Paying for a real sampling process is how a fit problem gets found on one garment rather than on two thousand, at which point it stops being a sampling cost and becomes rework, air freight and markdowns.

Service	Who buys fabric	Price basis	Minimum	Best for
Full package (FOB)	We do	FOB per piece	500 pcs per style/colour	Brands without a sourcing team in Asia, first-time importers, and anyone who wants one accountable party rather than a chain of them.
CMT	You do, or you nominate the mill	CM rate per piece, labour and overhead only	500 pcs per style/colour	Established brands with their own mill relationships, proprietary or certified fabrics, and someone on the team who can manage material flow.
Private label	See page	FOB per piece	500 pcs per style/colour · 100 via Collective Studio	New and growing brands, retailers adding an own-brand line, and anyone who wants to move quickly without building a technical team first.
OEM	See page	FOB per piece, plus development	500 pcs per style/colour	Brands with a distinctive product, technical constructions, or a silhouette that has to be theirs alone.
Low MOQ	See page	FOB per piece — expect a short-run premium	100 pcs per style, via Collective Studio	New brands testing a first range, established brands trialling a style before committing, and anyone who has been quoted a suspiciously low minimum elsewhere.

Five ways to work with us, and an honest read on which one fits.

The four questions that separate these models.

Full package production (FOB)

CMT — cut, make, trim

Private label manufacturing

OEM manufacturing

Low MOQ manufacturing

Choosing between them.

Tell us what you're making and how much control you want.