Texworld LA: Star Fades International Founder Explains Why Manufacturing in LA Makes Sense
Apparel producers that bring their talents to the U.S. can help open up access for a critical new generation of creatives, according to Murtaza Ahmed, CEO of Pakistan-based denim manufacturer Artistic Milliners.
At Texworld LA, he spoke with Edward Hertzman, CEO of Hertzman Global Ventures, about “Why Making in the U.S. Makes Sense Right Now.” Three years ago, amid increased interest in diversification, nearshoring and onshoring, Ahmed founded L.A.’s Star Fades International (SFI), an end-to-end denim design and production facility.
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Ahmed noted rising interest in American manufacturing from major brands and national retailers as well as emerging designers and startups. “It could be an entrepreneur who knows nothing about denim, or a brand that sells Made in the USA product, or a big retailer,” he said. That diversity exists because L.A.’s garment sector is an entirely different landscape than traditional overseas production hubs, Ahmed added.
Where Artistic Milliners’ Pakistan operations are vertically integrated, SFI depends on the ecosystem around it for trims, inputs and services that can’t be managed in-house. L.A.’s Fashion District runs on these partnerships, Ahmed said. “Domestic manufacturing is essentially about being part of the community, so in L.A. we put a lot of work into that,” he said. “In Asia, the factory next door is competition. Over here, the factory next door is working with you, and you have to embrace that.”
“We’ve been a part of launching denim brands for people who could not necessarily go to Asia” due to high MOQs and other barriers to entry, he said, adding, “It’s about making fashion more democratic… whereby anyone can come in with any idea, no minimums, no limitations, and we see what we can do together.”
Ahmed has also spearheaded the launch of facilities in nearshore markets like Mexico and Guatemala. “I think the growth opportunity is in the Western Hemisphere,” he said. “When you place goods in Asia, you’ve got a 10-week disadvantage on lead time, and you’ve got working capital stuck for that much longer. In today’s interest-rate environment, that’s an issue.” Just-in-time manufacturing closer to home gives companies more time to make decisions, and means they can jump on trends as soon as they hit. “If you look at the carbon footprint of product coming from thousands of miles away versus across the border, there’s also a massive sustainability benefit,” Ahmed added.
Both nearshore and onshore strategies come at a higher expense to brands, making Los Angeles denim production cost-prohibitive for many. “The product and the service you’re going to get [in Asia] is not going to match the personalized service, speed, fashion, quality, attention to detail that you get,” he said, speaking to the upsides of working with a small, domestic cut-and-sew operation, or a denim laundry such as SFI. “It’s like people working on art; they are skilled on another level.” This is why Ahmed believes L.A.’s future lies in manufacturing specialized, high-quality products and incubating new talent.
“I don’t think it’s is a scalable destination, and I don’t think it should be perceived as such,” he said. “It’s a location where we can inspire entrepreneurs to make something of their ideas, and where professionals in the industry can convene.”
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