Bridging the Distance: 5 TOP TIPS for Optimising Offshore Fashion Manufacturing in the Wake of India’s Free Trade Agreement

The UK - India Free Trade Agreement, finalised in 2024, opens new possibilities for fashion brands seeking skilled, cost-effective overseas production. India’s craftsmanship, especially in embroidery, embellishment, and surface design, is exceptional. But the road to production is not without potholes. For UK labels unfamiliar with offshore workflows, it’s easy to get stuck in sampling purgatory, misaligned expectations, and costly corrections. We share our expertise with our TOP FIVE TIPS...

The Pull of Indian Craftsmanship

India accounts for over 11% of global textile and apparel exports, according to the WTO, and is the world’s leading producer of cotton, jute, and hand-embellished goods. The FTA makes collaboration more attractive by reducing tariffs on key fashion inputs. But great production needs more than access – it needs understanding.Without clear creative direction or local context, brands risk delays, miscommunication, and spiralling sample costs. McKinsey’s State of Fashion report found 40% of brands outsourcing to South Asia cite quality issues and communication gaps as top concerns.

The Real Challenges of Going Abroad

We’ve worked with UK brands facing stalled development after multiple failed sampling rounds. Common frustrations include misinterpreted briefs, fit issues, unrealistic pricing expectations, and underestimating the time needed for techniques like hand beading or applique. Even larger brands aren’t immune, but for SMEs, one mistake can throw off an entire season.

What’s Missing Is Strategy, Not Skill

The failure of offshore production is rarely about talent – it’s about misalignment. When teams underestimate briefing needs or fail to understand cultural and technical differences, production stalls. Slowing down, simplifying, and prioritising precision over pace can yield better results and more respectful collaborations.According to Fashion Revolution’s 2023 Transparency Index, 65% of UK brands working overseas say they need stronger production support, particularly in pre-sampling.

Our Approach: Creative Production Consultancy

At Print Pattern Archive, we’ve built a bridge between UK brands and Indian partners that is rooted in creative clarity. Cheryl brings decades of experience in heritage textiles and design, while Kerri leads contemporary development and collaboration with Indian factories."Working with Indian suppliers has been an enriching journey. Years of hands-on development have deepened our appreciation of their skill. We saw early on that many UK teams lacked creative support when working offshore. That inspired us to build a studio that blends commercial design with production insight."This dual perspective allows us to guide clients through design translation, supplier selection, and early-stage sampling with greater accuracy and less friction.

A New Way Forward

The Free Trade Agreement may unlock access, but only experience unlocks success. In a cost-sensitive industry, building lasting, thoughtful partnerships with Indian manufacturers takes more than great design – it takes shared understanding.By treating production as a creative collaboration, brands can move beyond outsourcing into real partnership – where care, clarity, and craftsmanship combine to create collections with soul.

PPA Embellishment in collaboration with our Indian manufacturing partners

OUR TOP FIVE TIPS

For brands aiming to scale responsibly, what’s needed now is a smarter, more strategic approach. Based on our experience, here are five tips that help bridge the gap between design and successful production:

1. Know the factory’s capabilities – assess their showroom, swatch quality, and production contacts.

2. Choose the right products – consider cost, fabrics, and timelines when assigning production ranges.

3. Design with materials in mind – align artworks with available fabrics and embellishments.

4. Build in time – plan your calendar around artisanal processes and avoid rushed deliveries.

5. Expect a learning curve – refining a new production relationship is an investment in future consistency.

About the Authors

Cheryl O’Meara is the Founder and Co-Director of Print Pattern Archive, a UK-based textile archive and consultancy with over 30 years’ experience supporting brands from archive to garment.Kerri Rigby is Co-Director of Print Pattern Archive and a fashion and print designer with over a decade of experience working with UK brands and Indian suppliers across the full product lifecycle.