The Start-up of My Clothing Brand New Angels

Starting a clothing brand is quite the adventure

When the idea of starting my own clothing brand first came up, I knew I wanted to work with my own designs and only use natural and organic fabrics. I made the conscious choice that all clothing should be animal-friendly and natural — it just feels right to me.

I think it’s important to care for our beautiful flora and fauna. After all, we share this planet, and everything is connected. That’s how it feels to me, so I want to take that into account in everything I do.

Working with 100% natural fabrics turned out to be easier said than done — and as a small, starting fashion brand, it was quite the challenge!

This is how I started my own clothing brand

Having clothes made and starting out as a small business is quite a task. The first issue I ran into was that it was difficult to find affordable fabrics that were truly 100% sustainable — not mixed with ‘wrong’ materials like synthetic polyester or conventional cotton.

Secondly, producing in small quantities often turned out to be impossible, or ridiculously expensive. And on top of that, I had a clear requirement: everything had to be made fairly and ethically — absolutely no child labour or exploitation of garment workers.

Cost-saving but time-consuming

On top of that, I wanted to figure everything out myself and not hire someone to arrange it for me — so I got stuck at every turn, simply because I had no idea how the fashion industry worked. And no one seemed willing to share their knowledge either. All of this combined is basically the perfect recipe to make starting a brand extra challenging ;)

I’ve run my own business before, and luckily, I do enjoy a challenge — so I just decided to go for it! And you learn as you go, right?

I’m proud that I managed to keep the costs fairly low, which also helps me keep the clothing affordable.

Finding manufacturers

Before working with a manufacturer, there were lots of conversations, photos, and videos going back and forth so we could come to an agreement and both know exactly what to expect from each other. Close contact is really valuable — you can act quickly and save a ton of extra costs.

And most importantly: it allows you to stay in control. Maybe it’s a bit perfectionist of me, but personally, I find it the most comfortable way to work. That way, you know exactly who you’re doing business with and what to expect. Because I’ve learned that “creative interpretation” from the manufacturer is quite a common thing!

I looked in countries where most fabrics are produced (for more options), and where most garments are sewn (with ethical labels, so fair made). I searched in China, Pakistan, India, and also in Europe: Turkey, Italy, and Portugal.

So much can go wrong...

It turned out that a sample of my own design leggings in size S was suddenly made much larger — at least XXL, no joke, just a loose fitting and way too long ‘pair of pants.’ The manufacturer’s explanation? “You look so tall, we made it bigger.”

On one hand, it’s kind of hilarious, but on the other, it’s frustrating because it’s such a waste of all the time and money already invested, and you haven’t made any progress.

There were quite a few valuable lessons along the way. Luckily, I kept thinking: “Just keep going!” and started again from scratch. Setbacks are just part of the process.

The first collection from fashion brand New Angels

In the end, I had samples made in Turkey, Portugal, the Netherlands, China, and Pakistan. For the first collection, I ultimately chose China, because of the great communication I had with Liz, my contact at the company NTG.

I’ll be honest — there were moments when I thought I might go bankrupt before ever holding my clothes in my hands. I had to overcome so many obstacles, including major delays due to Covid.

But luckily, things turned out well — partly thanks to Liz! Out of gratitude, I named the first shirts in the collection after her. See the fun photos she sent me wearing my design: the hemp shirt ‘Liz’ in black, together with Liz herself!

The production of our first shirts

Our first collection was made at NTG in China, a manufacturer I found through Alibaba.com. The company was founded in 1998 and has since grown into a modern business with around 200 employees.

They offer a wide range of textiles and specialize in natural, eco-friendly fabrics. NTG even has five stores in the International Textile City – thanks to their high quality, they’ve built a solid reputation.

Working with natural colors and dyes

The concept is Natural, Eco-friendly, Fashionable, and Comfortable. We specialize in eco-friendly fabrics and natural, plant-based dyes. This also includes the increasingly popular Tie Dye: hand-dyed, you probably know it – those beautiful colorful “splotches.” It’s a mix of modern and traditional techniques. I’ve always loved these kinds of fabrics – the prints are just stunning.

Fair made in China

NTG takes good care of its employees – and of course, no child labor (I just want to really highlight that). Another great plus: women hold high positions here, which is quite special in a male-dominated industry. My contact person was Liz Zheng, with whom I had – and still have – a very good connection.

They mainly sell fabrics, but for New Angels, they also took on the production (even though our order was actually way too small). They were willing to support a starting brand, so now you probably understand my excitement about Liz and NTG.

Working together smoothly makes all the difference

I've come to realize just how incredibly important the connection and collaboration with people is – and the trust you have in them! It can really become a problem if, for example, a manufacturer refuses to return your sample or suddenly changes the prices.

After lots of trial and error, the perfect little shirt was finally developed. And I have to say, the result is something to be proud of! The very first New Angels off-shoulder shirt, made from 100% hemp. Hemp, which Liz herself calls “The king of natural fibres,” became a reality partly thanks to her dedication. That’s why this shirt carries her name – as a huge thank you.

In the photo, you can see Liz Zheng wearing our hemp shirt ‘Liz’.

Sustainable choices – even in China

Now you might be thinking: “China? Isn’t that the opposite of sustainable?” The image of “Made in China” isn’t exactly great, but that’s not entirely fair. China invests just as much in renewable energy as the U.S. There are also well-run production facilities and quality certifications, like fair trade labels. So yes – sustainable production in China is definitely possible.

Many sustainable products actually come from China, like bamboo and hemp-based items. These simply can’t be produced locally. The positive impact often outweighs the negative impact of shipping. There are plenty of certified factories in China – like those with the GOTS label – so a lot of effort is being put into building a more sustainable fashion industry.

It does cost a bit more, but that price difference makes all the difference when it comes to safe workplaces and fair wages. And honestly, that just feels right, doesn’t it?

New Angels – a genuinely ‘green’ fashion label

All New Angels clothing is sustainable, fair, and vegan. Of course, always with reason and practicality in mind. Because what can’t be done, simply can’t be done. For example, there’s still no sustainable alternative for elastane, and sometimes you want something that’s impossible to get or just doesn’t exist (yet).

Still, I truly believe there’s always room for improvement, and we’ll keep exploring new and innovative techniques and fabrics. Like textiles made from banana fibers or soybeans, and vegan leather made from pineapple or cactus. How cool is that!?

Our second collection

The second collection was produced in the Netherlands. I had already cautiously started working on it while the first collection hadn’t even hit the stores yet. By then, I had realized that producing close to home is easier to oversee and has the most benefits—for both me and the buyer. Locally made is always better, after all. It’s literally closer to home.

The second collection, featuring sweaters and dresses, was made by myself in my own home sewing studio. As a startup, it’s nice to work with small batches, while clothing manufacturers usually require minimum order quantities. This way, I was able to create the second collection fairly quickly and launch this winter collection smoothly right after the first summer collection.

Buy New Angels apparel here

Feel free to browse the shop for New Angels’ sustainable pieces. At the moment, I sell my clothing brand exclusively through Etsy. This way, New Angels is available worldwide — and the best part? There are no shipping costs.

A lovely sustainable label