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Term entry
Collection Planning
The strategic process of curating styles, fabrics, colours, and price points for a fashion collection,capsule collections (5–15 SKUs) can generate over 150% ROI, while H&M × Karl Lagerfeld sold €50 million in weeks.
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What is Collection Planning?
Collection planning is the strategic process of deciding what products to design, produce, and sell in a specific season or launch. It bridges creative design with business strategy,the difference between a profitable $100,000 (₹91 lakh) collection and dead inventory sitting in a warehouse.
Collection size benchmarks (2026):
| Collection Type | Number of Styles | Total SKUs | Typical Budget (USD) | Typical Budget (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capsule collection | 4–15 styles | 20–75 SKUs | $2,000–$15,000 | ₹1.82–13.65 lakh |
| Standard seasonal | 20–50 styles | 100–300 SKUs | $15,000–$50,000 | ₹13.65–45.5 lakh |
| Large-scale collection | 50–100+ styles | 300–1,000+ SKUs | $50,000–$200,000+ | ₹45.5 lakh–₹1.82 crore+ |
SKU calculation formula: Total SKUs = Styles × Colourways × Sizes Example: 10 styles × 3 colours × 5 sizes = 150 SKUs
Collection structure,the 70/20/10 rule:
- 70% core staples: Reliable, repeatable styles that drive volume sales (consistent demand)
- 20% seasonal/trend pieces: Fashion-forward styles for freshness and social media content
- 10% experimental/hero pieces: Standout styles that define collection aesthetic and generate PR
The fashion calendar (global):
| Season | Design Phase | Production | Sales Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring/Summer (SS) | Aug–Oct (previous year) | Nov–Jan | Feb–June |
| Autumn/Winter (AW) | Feb–Apr | May–Jul | Aug–Dec |
| Resort/Cruise | Between main seasons | Varies | Nov–Jan (travel season) |
| Pre-Fall | Transitional | Varies | Jun–Aug |
Key trend: Gucci, Prada, and Saint Laurent are moving toward seasonless collections,designing for longevity and year-round relevance rather than rigid SS/AW drops.
Why this matters for fashion entrepreneurs.
Collection planning prevents the two most common startup mistakes: producing too many styles (spreading budget too thin) and producing all "creative" pieces with no commercial winners. Speed to market is the #1 goal for over 50% of fashion industry respondents.
Collection development costs by scale:
| Scale | Styles | Design Fees (USD) | Design Fees (₹) | Total Before Manufacturing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-launch | 5–7 styles | $1,500–$3,500 | ₹1.37–3.19 lakh | $3,000–$7,000 / ₹2.73–6.37 lakh |
| Standard startup | 10–15 styles | $4,000–$10,000 | ₹3.64–9.1 lakh | $10,000–$20,000 / ₹9.1–18.2 lakh |
| Established brand | 20–50 styles | $10,000–$25,000 | ₹9.1–22.75 lakh | $25,000–$50,000+ / ₹22.75–45.5+ lakh |
Per-style cost breakdown:
- Design/tech packs: $400–$2,000 / ₹36,400–₹1,82,000 per style
- Pattern making and grading: $200–$1,000 / ₹18,200–₹91,000 per style
- Sampling: $200–$1,000 / ₹18,200–₹91,000 per prototype (2–3 rounds typical)
- Fabric (per style, sample yardage): $5–$30/meter / ₹455–₹2,730/meter; MOQ 100–200 meters
Financial planning,budget allocation:
- 60% to core styles (reliable demand, proven sellers)
- 30% to fashion styles (test trends, generate content)
- 10% to hero pieces (brand building, marketing anchors)
Open-to-Buy (OTB) formula: Planned sales + planned markdowns + planned end-of-month inventory − beginning-of-month inventory = open-to-buy budget. Default timeframe: 6 months aligned with SS/AW split. Manufacturers require orders 6 months in advance.
Where to source.
Collection planning tools,global comparison:
| Tool | Type | Cost (USD) | Cost (₹) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WGSN | Trend forecasting | $5,000+/year | ₹4,55,000+/year | Professional trend intelligence |
| Heuritech | AI trend analysis | Contact for pricing | Contact | AI-based trend prediction from social |
| Pinterest Trends | Trend research | Free | Free | Visual trend discovery |
| Techpacker | PLM/Tech packs | $35–$100/month | ₹3,185–₹9,100/month | Tech pack creation and sharing |
| Centric PLM | Product lifecycle mgmt | Enterprise pricing | Enterprise | Large-scale collection management |
| Milanote | Digital mood boards | Free–$12.50/month | Free–₹1,138/month | Visual collection planning |
| Canva | Design/mood boards | Free–$15/month | Free–₹1,365/month | Quick visual presentations |
Collection planning process (industry standard):
- Research trends + analyse previous season sell-through data
- Define collection theme, colour palette, and fabric story
- Create styles and tech packs ($400–$2,000 per style)
- Source fabrics and trims (MOQ: 100–200 meters per fabric)
- Produce samples (2–3 rounds, $200–$1,000 per prototype)
- Internal review,edit collection using 70/20/10 framework
- Approve final collection; begin pre-production
- Production (typically 4–8 weeks for standard runs)
What it costs.
Collection budget planning,global comparison:
| Budget Item | USA (USD) | UK (£) | India (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design fees (10 styles) | $4,000–$10,000 | £3,000–£7,000 | ₹50,000–₹2,00,000 |
| Sampling (3 rounds) | $3,000–$8,000 | £2,000–£5,000 | ₹30,000–₹1,00,000 |
| Fabric + trims | $5,000–$20,000 | £3,500–£14,000 | ₹50,000–₹3,00,000 |
| Production (500 units) | $10,000–$35,000 | £7,000–£25,000 | ₹1,50,000–₹5,00,000 |
| Photography + content | $2,000–$8,000 | £1,500–£5,000 | ₹20,000–₹80,000 |
| Total 10-style collection | $24,000–$81,000 | £17,000–£56,000 | ₹3,00,000–₹11,80,000 |
Revenue targets: A collection investment should target 3–4× return in retail revenue. Plan for 60–70% sell-through at full price and 20–30% at markdown. Well-executed capsule collections by emerging brands have achieved ROI higher than 150%.
First-year operating benchmarks:
- Fashion retail launch CAPEX: $116,000 / ₹1,05,56,000 (inventory + website)
- Breakeven: estimated 5 months
- Fashion design business monthly burn: $33,258 / ₹30,26,478 base operational budget
Frequently asked.
A capsule collection is a small, tightly curated set of 4–15 styles with a common theme, colour palette, or material story. Capsule collections are ideal for brand launches, collaborations, and seasonal highlights. H&M's first capsule collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld (2004) sold over €50 million in weeks, with some items selling out in under 1 hour. For startups, a capsule of 5–10 mix-and-match styles minimises inventory risk while presenting a coherent brand identity.
First-time brands should start with 5–7 styles. Standard seasonal collections run 30–70 SKUs (styles × colourways × sizes). Each additional style adds $400–$2,000 (₹36,400–₹1,82,000) in design, sampling, and photography costs. The key formula: Total SKUs = Styles × Colours × Sizes. Example: 10 styles × 3 colours × 5 sizes = 150 SKUs. Start small and expand based on sales data,5 well-executed styles beat 15 mediocre ones.
The traditional fashion calendar has 2 main seasons: Spring/Summer (SS),designed Aug–Oct, produced Nov–Jan, sold Feb–June; and Autumn/Winter (AW),designed Feb–Apr, produced May–Jul, sold Aug–Dec. High-end houses add Resort/Cruise and Pre-Fall collections. Planning starts 7–8 months in advance (10 months if selling to buyers). However, Gucci, Prada, and Saint Laurent are moving toward seasonless collections for year-round relevance.
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