How to Work With Ashanari: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide for New Brand Founders

Most people who find Ashanari for the first time fall into one of two groups. The first group has a clear design concept, knows roughly what they want to produce, and just needs to understand the mechanics of how to start the process. The second group has an idea, a dream, and approximately zero idea what they're supposed to do first.

Both groups end up at the same starting point — and this guide is for both of them. Here is exactly how working with Ashanari works, from your very first contact message to the moment your finished garments land at your door. No jargon, no assumptions about what you already know, and no steps skipped.

Before you read further — what you do NOT need to start

You don't need a tech pack. You don't need a finished design. You don't need a registered company. You don't need a minimum budget. What you need is a clear idea of what you want to make and a realistic sense of how many pieces you're thinking of. Everything else we can work through together.

Your first message to Ashanari doesn't need to be perfect. But it should give us enough to tell you something useful in return. Here's what to include:

• ✓What you want to make: "A loose linen shirt dress with block print detail" is useful. "Clothes" is not. Be as specific as you can about garment type, silhouette, and any surface treatment you want.

• ✓Approximate quantity: "50–100 pieces" or "I'm not sure yet — starting small" both work. We need to understand whether you're thinking about 30 units or 3,000.

• ✓Your timeline: When do you need the finished goods? Working backwards from a launch date helps us tell you whether your timeline is realistic and what needs to happen when.

• ✓Reference images: Screenshots, Pinterest boards, competitor products, a mood board in a shared Google Drive folder — anything that shows us the visual direction you're heading in.

• ✓Your market: Tell us where you're selling and to whom. A sustainable brand selling to German boutiques needs different documentation than a DTC brand shipping to US customers from a Shopify store.

Send this to us at our contact page. We respond to every genuine inquiry within 24 hours. If you don't hear from us within 48 hours, check your spam folder — occasionally our emails land there for new contacts.

Step 1: Prepare Your First Message (Before You Contact Us)

Step 4: Design Documentation — What We Need and How to Prepare It

Before sampling can begin, we need enough design information to produce a garment that matches your vision. You can provide this in three formats:

Option A: You have a tech pack

Send it. We'll review it, flag anything unclear or incomplete, and confirm we can proceed. Most tech packs need minor clarifications — this is normal and not a reflection of tech pack quality.

Option B: You have sketches and reference garments

Send your sketches (can be hand-drawn — legibility matters, artistry doesn't), reference garments or images, fabric preferences, and any measurement references you have. Our team will develop the working specifications from this. We may need 1–2 rounds of email clarification, but this is a completely viable starting point.

Option C: You have an idea and not much else

This is more common than most founders admit and nothing to be embarrassed about. Tell us what you want the garment to feel like, what your customer looks like, what price you're selling it at, and show us reference images of the direction you're heading. We'll help you develop the brief from there. Tech pack development is part of our pre-production services. Read more about what goes into a tech pack in our complete tech pack guide.

Step 2: Your First Response from Ashanari — What to Expect

Within 24 hours of receiving your message, our production team reviews your brief and responds with:

• Feasibility confirmation: "Yes, we can make this" — or if there's a challenge, an explanation of what the challenge is and how we might address it.

• Clarifying questions: We'll ask about anything unclear in your brief — specific fabric preferences, size range, whether you want custom block print or a standard fabric, your label requirements.

• Indicative cost estimate: Not a binding quote at this stage, but a realistic range so you can assess whether the economics work for your brand.

• Recommended next steps: This will vary depending on where you are in your process — it might be "let's get on a call" or "please send a more detailed brief" or "we can proceed to sampling whenever you're ready."

Step 3: The Discovery Call (Optional but Recommended)

For most first-time founders, a 30-minute video call with our production team is the single most useful thing you can do before committing to anything. We use this call to:

• Walk through your concept in detail and make sure we understand your vision

• Ask the questions a brief can't answer (fabric hand-feel preferences, customer body type, how you want the garment to feel worn)

• Explain our production process and what you'll need to prepare at each stage

• Give you an honest assessment of timelines and costs before you're committed to anything

This call costs nothing. It doesn't obligate you to place an order. And it routinely saves first-time clients 3–4 weeks of email back-and-forth. Book it through our contact page and suggest two or three time slots that work for your timezone — we work across UK, EU, US, and AU time zones.

Step 5: Fabric Sourcing and Swatch Selection

Once your design documentation is in place, we source fabric options matching your specification and send physical swatches. This is important: we send physical swatches to your address (UK, EU, US, Australia — wherever you are). Screen colours are unreliable. Fabric quality is something you need to feel, not look at.

We typically send 3–5 swatch options so you can compare weights, weaves, and feel side by side. You select your preferred option, confirm the colour direction, and we proceed to sampling.

📦 Swatch Timing Physical swatch delivery to Europe takes 5–8 days by standard international post, 3–4 days by courier. If your timeline is tight, ask us to courier the swatches — the added cost (typically £12–£25) is worth it if it saves you a week of waiting.

Step 6: Sampling — The Stage Where Your Garment Becomes Real

Once fabric is approved, we produce your first pre-production sample. Here's how this works in practice:

• You pay the sample fee (typically £50–£150 per style depending on complexity). This is credited against your first bulk order in full once you proceed.

• Production of the sample takes 10–18 days in our Jaipur workshop.

• We dispatch the sample to you by air — 4–7 days to most international destinations.

• You receive it, try it on, measure it against the spec, and give us feedback.

• We make revisions if needed (most first samples require some revision — this is normal).

• You approve the final sample in writing. This approval is the trigger for bulk production.

For a complete guide to evaluating your sample, see our tech pack and sampling playbook — it covers exactly what to check and how to write revision feedback that gets results.

Step 7: Bulk Order — Placing Your Production Order

Once the sample is approved, you confirm your bulk order in writing. This includes: final quantity by size and colour, confirmed fabric, and confirmed delivery timeline. At this point:

• You pay a production deposit — typically 30–40% of the total order value.

• We schedule your order into our production calendar and confirm your production start date and estimated completion date.

• You receive a production tracker — we send photos at cutting, sewing completion, and packing stages.

Step 8: Quality Control and Shipping

Before dispatch, our QC team inspects a statistical sample of your order against your approved spec. We check measurements, construction quality, print or embroidery accuracy, label placement, and packaging. Any significant deviations from your approved sample are corrected before dispatch.

We then dispatch with complete export documentation: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and airway bill or bill of lading. You pay the balance of your order (typically 60–70% of total) before dispatch. Goods arrive at your door in UK, EU, US, or Australia within the agreed timeline.

Step 9: Your Second Order — Where the Relationship Gets Better

After your first order, the second is faster, smoother, and often cheaper per unit. Why? Approved samples exist. Your tech pack is in our system. Your fabric preferences are documented. Your size spec is confirmed. A second order of an approved style starts at Step 7 — no sampling required. Production timeline drops to 25–35 days. And we know each other.

The brands that grow fastest with Ashanari are the ones who treat the first order as a test and the second order as the real launch. Use your first 50–100 units to validate the market. Use your second order to scale what works.

Your First Message Is One Minute Away

You've read the whole guide. You know what to expect. Now send us the brief — your product idea, your approximate quantity, your timeline, and your reference images. We'll respond within 24 hours with honest guidance, a realistic cost estimate, and a clear path forward. No vague answers, no gatekeeping, no pressure.

Contact Ashanari — Start Today →

Common Questions First-Time Founders Ask Us

1) Do I need a registered company to work with Ashanari?

No. Many of our clients start as sole traders or individuals and register their business as it grows. We can work with you as a private individual for your first order and transition to business-to-business invoicing as your company establishes itself.

2) What is the minimum I can spend on my first order?

Our minimum order is 50 units per style. At a typical production cost of £12–£25 per unit depending on garment type and complexity, the minimum first order investment is approximately £600–£2,500 for goods, plus sampling costs (£50–£150 per style, credited to your order) and shipping. Our manufacturing cost guide has detailed breakdowns by garment type.

3) Can I visit the Ashanari workshop in Jaipur?

Yes — and we encourage it for brands considering ongoing partnerships. We offer production facility tours by appointment. Many of our longest-standing clients visited before placing their first order. If you're planning to travel to Rajasthan, get in touch and we'll arrange a visit.

4) What languages do you communicate in?

English is our primary business language. We communicate via email, WhatsApp, and video call (Zoom or Google Meet). For European clients, we can provide invoices and documentation in formats that work with EU customs and accounting systems.

Contact

Reach out for custom orders or questions

call | Whatsapp | email

ashanariindia@gmail.com

Nitin +91-9351612343

Deepti +91-9549123654

Address:

Ashanari Pvt. Ltd.

A-68, Vidhyut Nagar, Ajmer Road, Jaipur,

Rajasthan, India -302021

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info@ashanari.com