Going vertical - how one fashion label opened its own sustainable factory in Turkey

For many successful fashion labels, the question arises if expanding vertically would make sense, for example investing in one’s own factory. Many shy away because much specialised knowledge is needed, also a good amount of staying power and asserting oneself. Especially for female entrepreneurs, this step seems an uphill task in the male-dominated world of manufacturing. 

FashionUnited spoke with Nadine Bejou, an Arab female founder of the labels Idina Bride and Nadia’s Eveningwear. Following her success of selling prom and bridal gowns and evening attire in the United States, Bejou decided to open up her own sustainable factory in Istanbul, Turkey. FashionUnited spoke to her about the challenges and accomplishments of this gutsy step in an email interview. 

Could you please elaborate on what prompted you to open a sustainable factory in Istanbul?

With two locations in the Middle East, it was fitting for me to return to my origins and create a sustainable factory I owned. Even giving Syrian refugees an opportunity for a better life by hiring them as workers and paying them a higher income than most in the fashion industry there. Nadia’s Eveningwear creates small batches of pieces that have sold, creating a beautiful and sustainable line. 

  

  

Initially, when we started to create our dresses, we used a factory that was owned and operated by a larger manufacturing company. This is typically the safest financial route when you’re first starting out, as these factories already have all of the necessary supplies, team and machinery in place. Many established designers in the industry operate this way, especially for larger scale production. 

However, the difficulty I faced when utilising a factory I didn’t own was that I had very little control of quantity, quality and sustainability. These types of factories expect a larger minimum order from you which contributes to waste if you’re not selling a larger volume of merchandise. Furthermore, quality checking the inventory became a difficult task as we started to notice many quality issues in the process that also contributed to a large waste of time and fabric. 

I started to run into fabric changes of my designs that I hadn’t approved, as well as the use of cheaper fabrics that I did not sign off on. I put in a lot of effort sourcing ethical and toxic-free fabrics but this was difficult to maintain with these factories that were very keen on utilising textiles from manufacturers who they already had a network with. 

  

  

We utilised a number of these factories for several years but with each came their own set of problems, from production delays to quality issues. This is eventually what prompted me to start my own factory at a smaller scale so that I could have a little more control of the quality and the amount of pieces we were producing as well as maintaining the fabric sourcing with the sustainable textile manufacturers I already started relationships with.

How many employees do you currently have and what is their primary work?

My entire team is made up of dedicated and hardworking individuals who fled the war in Syria. So we employ a full staff of six refugees. We have two pattern makers that help bring my designs to life, also a fabric cutter and three sewers.

How does your factory compare to others in terms of wages and benefits?

We provide benefits and wages that are 50 percent higher than the average wage in the industry. We maintain a maximum of 40 hour work weeks when the standard is 45 hours. All employees are paid well above the living wage in Istanbul with health insurance benefits as well as a weekly food stipend that our company pays for. They work no more than eight hours a day as well as get a two-week paid vacation, leave and paid sick leave that is offered to each employee. Being a smaller family-owned business, the care and wellbeing of my employees contribute to the success of our business. So we are actively maintaining the happiness of our team in the workplace by offering an environment that is safe and fun to work in.

What makes the factory sustainable?

As a factory that operates and works with other businesses, we ensure that we are working with like-minded businesses that are also prioritising sustainability efforts. We only work with mills and fabric suppliers that have sustainable efforts in place. This starts with their workforce and ensuring their team is well taken care of as this is definitely a problem in the industry with so many factories taking advantage of people on this side of the world.

What were some of the hurdles you had to overcome in this endeavour? Was it harder as a woman, given that the industry is quite male-dominated?

One of the main hurdles I had to deal with was the fact that I was a woman in a leading role in this industry. Historically, men have held the majority of jobs in the manufacturing industry, and in particular in leading jobs such as managing or owning different parts of the trade. Furthermore, many of these individuals are running businesses that have been in their family for generations. So breaking the cycle of tradition wasn’t exactly what I had set out to do. I had to learn how to introduce myself in these circles and definitely had to stand my ground a lot more so that I wasn’t taken advantage of.  So it took a lot of patience and conviction in myself to sell the business I was running so that I could get the same respect other businesses were getting.

What would be your advice to anyone inspired to open their own factory?

I think exposing yourself to the industry as much as you can is the first crucial step you need to take. I think that showed me many loopholes and taught me a lot about the system and how everything works. Not being afraid to consistently ask questions about everything and connecting with individuals in the industry who have done this for many years. It might sound easy to start sustainable but there is a reason why many are not. So realising why so many factories are not putting those efforts into action was the first thing I truly wanted to understand so I knew what to avoid and how to be successful in my pursuit.