Case studies

Programmes we can describe without naming the client.

Client names and designs are confidential. Each case below states the product, the problem, what we changed and what happened. Figures are included only where they are confirmed.

Case 01 · Women's bags · Europe

Duplicating a core line in a second country

Challenge

A European label needed a second production source for a best-selling tote. The approved sample had to remain unchanged: same leather, same hardware, same edge finish. Previous attempts elsewhere had produced visible differences.

Approach

We rebuilt the pattern set from the sealed sample rather than from the original drawing, matched leather by article and lot, and ran a pilot lot in Bangladesh with the China technical lead on site. The first pilot was compared side by side with the China-made reference.

Result

The pilot was approved without a design change. Production is now split between the two sites, with a single inspection plan and a shared defect library.

What it shows: duplicating a line is a pattern and material problem before it is a labour-cost problem.

Case 02 · Small leather goods · North America

Reducing edge-paint rejects on a wallet range

Challenge

A bifold wallet programme was losing yield at the edge-painting stage. Rejects showed cracking and a dull finish after packing, and the cause had been attributed to the paint supplier.

Approach

We traced the failure to substrate preparation: sanding grit and drying time were inconsistent between shifts. The process was standardised, a primer step added, and an in-line adhesion check introduced after the first coat.

Result

Edge-related rejects fell substantially within the first production lot. [TBC: exact rate] The revised process is now standard for painted edges in this category.

What it shows: most finishing defects are process defects, not material defects.

Case 04 · Hardware co-development

When the hardware wasn't in the catalogue

Challenge

A client wanted a lock that "sounds and reads like the brand" — nothing off the shelf matched the silhouette or the price band.

Approach

Started from a hand-written feel description: 3 sculpt rounds fixed the grip, 2 plating boards set tone and sound, then mounted samples ran open/close on the real construction. Sealed into the record with its revision number, shared by both countries.

Result

A custom piece that became brand identification, archived with its BOM and tolerances — next season's colourway ran without re-tooling. [TBC: round counts & test standard]

Case 03 · Men's bags · Asia-Pacific

Three sample rounds in five weeks

Challenge

A brand with a fixed launch date needed a messenger bag developed from a mood board, with three sample rounds and a bulk decision inside five weeks.

Approach

A dedicated sample cell was assigned. Material and hardware approvals ran in parallel with the first proto instead of sequentially. The customer reviewed samples by video with measurements taken on the bench.

Result

Three rounds were completed and the pre-production sample was sealed on schedule. Bulk started the following week. [TBC: dates]

What it shows: calendar compression comes from parallel decisions, not from rushing the sample room.

How we report a programme

Every development programme has a written status: sample round, open issues, material approvals and dates. The format is deliberately plain — a shared table, updated weekly, rather than a narrative report.

Open issues list with owner and due date
Material and hardware approval status
Sample photographs with measurement notes
Production readiness checklist before bulk

Discuss a programme