FX Website | Manufacturing

George Brown College’s Fashion Exchange (FX) is a vibrant hub where fashion education, design, production, entrepreneurship and engagement come together under one roof in the heart of downtown Toronto. With global fashion industry facing challenges of over-consumption, exploiting labour force and environmental resources, FX was designed to share the growing impact and become a leader in sustainable fashion production. With the people and the planet in mind, it fosters a new generation of industry leaders - committed, professional, and ethical.

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Manufacturing

Fashion Exchange offers sample making and small production run services i.e. pattern making, cutting, sewing and finishing of apparel and textile products. Pattern digitizing and marker making services are also available. These services are offered on a fee-for-service basis that is competitive with local contractors, but that is also fair for clients. At FX we are committed to providing professional services by experienced industry personnel at fair pricing, helping small, local fashion companies compete in today’s market.

Fashion Exchange is set up as a lean production facility, which allows for smaller orders to be produced more efficiently in a modular production system. Our fair pricing structure that doesn’t penalize small businesses for samples and small batch production enables a greater number of emerging designers and homegrown brands to build their businesses.

FX Apparel Production Services

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PRODUCTION SERVICES

Sustainable Production – Local sourcing reduces shipping logistic footprint – Reduces overproduction, only making what you need – Maximize fabric usage and reduce cutting waste with digital software – Ethical production when made in Canada meeting Canadian labour standards.

FX Sample Production

FX sample services make your product in your fabric, working through the technical challenges for a professional finish to provide the physical blueprint for production.

Manufacturing Short Runs

Quantities as low as 24 pieces in various sizes and colourways per style reduce waste of over-production. Capacity is available to do larger production runs.

Design Mentoring

Bring us your ideas, we will help you make them reality. Whatever stage your design is at, work with an experienced design team through the product development and manufacturing process

Product Development

This process includes:

- Technical sketch
- Pattern creation
- Sizing range
- Tech pack specifications
- Materials and trims to be used
- Finish details
- Packaging

Digital Pattern Making

- Using PAD pattern making software patterns are created. This digital process reduces error of version control, ensures patterns are true for sewing, and are maintained in computer memory for future reorders or new variations on styles.
- Seamless process as digital patterns are graded for size, pattern layouts and markers can be developed for cutting

Pattern Digitization

- Bring us your hard paper patterns to upload to design software
- FX uses PAD software
- Other digital pattern software are compatible to import to PAD if designers are using a different digital system

Marker Making

- Print paper pattern marker for manual cutting
- Also offered as separate service if needed

Automated Cutting

- Computer controlled cutting machine
- Cuts with blades
- Precise cutting even with slippery or fine textiles
- Vacuum table bed holds fabrics in place while cutting
- Ideal for samples and difficult fabrics

Cutting

Manual spreading and cutting

- Done by experienced team
- Allows spreading multiple layers of fabric
- Multiple colourways and sizes can be cut together

Sewing

FX team of experienced sewers all have a high level of skill with a wide variety of fabrics, various types of products providing high quality sewing results

Pressing & Finishing

- All products are checked to conform to the sample and technical package specification.
- Packaging on hangars or according to your requirements.

The Leading Innovation in Fashion Technology lab (FX LIFT) includes the following technologies: Epson dye sublimation printer for custom textile printing, Trotec laser cutter capable of cutting and engraving textiles, ZSK technical embroidery machines designed to embroider circuits for development of wearable electronics or smart textiles, and Passen 3D digital fitting booth. CLICK the image to know more.

Special Projects

Curtain Project Book

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Want to read what our esteemed clients are saying?

The Fashion Exchange is grateful for the active support and participation of our local business, community and governmental partners. Together with the George Brown Foundation and the School of Fashion, these organizations have been instrumental in helping to transform the Fashion Exchange vision into reality.

Hilary MacMillan

I have been working with Fashion Exchange for almost 3 years now and it has been a wonderful experience. As a Canadian brand, keeping a Canadian supply chain is a brand commitment and Fashion Exchange is our reliable partner, making this commitment possible. As an emerging designer it was always a challenge to find a reputable manufacturer willing to work on smaller run production cycles. Fashion Exchange has always been willing to work with us in a manageable way whereby we produce lower units and master our sell through, manage inventory efficiently and don’t get trapped in the pitfall of overproducing. Fostering Canadian manufacturing and capacity is no small feat, and FX does it so well. Finding a good production partner is one of the most valuable things a designer can do, we have 100% found that in FX.

Marina Dempster

Working with FX was a delightful experience every step of the way. I was so happy to be able to work with sewers who were also so enthusiastic about our project and who did an incredible job of working to our deadlines with such care and impeccable finish. I looked forward to our meetings, despite masks and protocols, as there was always meaningful connection and inspiration shared. As a curator of this series of artful textiles, I had a vision yet I was new to this production process. FX gave me confidence that I could trust we would succeed beyond expectations.

Kate Holland

“I love working with the entire team at FX! They have done such an amazing job taking my vision and bringing it to life! I am so happy to have found them!! “

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Teeny Weeny Bikini/Ashley Eady

The FX Program is the best thing to happen to the Fashion industry in Canada in a long time. It’s an amazing example of a symbiotic relationship. Giving small design houses an opportunity to survive, while also using the space to teach future designers about production. Potentially bringing back an industry that has gone off shore. I have been producing my fashion line in Canada for 12 years now. As the years past it became very clear to me that production here was becoming impossible for one reason or another. The FX Program has made it possible for us to keep with our company mission, to produce Locally made fashion. I was a Fashion graduate from George Brown college in 2005. It’s amazing to me how life has come full circle, to now be working with the college to produce my fashion line. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a trend here in Canada, a trend that will stick.

Fred & Bean/Katherine Palmer

FX provided us with a support system which was required to take our product to a next level. It offered a great environment to work in and great people to work with who were willing to go above and beyond in order to assist designers in making their production dreams a reality. They have interest in the success of your company which really differentiates them from your traditional production experience, and helps to secure both of our investments. I give FX a high recommendation and am grateful that they have reacted to the real need of bridging the disconnect in the local fashion production scene, while also reducing the waste and pressure to over produce your collection in order to meet the demands of the traditional minimum quantities, which can alternatively become counterproductive. I look forward to establishing our company and styles further moving forward with The Fashion Exchange.

Heather Campbell

As George Brown Fashion Exchange’s first production client I was impressed with the facility, the experienced management, and the expert sewing. Overall, a fantastic team! Knowing the facility was just getting started I was prepared to put in a few extra hours assisting with cutting and layout of which I enjoyed and learned much about efficient production practices. The brand new FX Regent Park facility is well equipped for professional production including steam press, fit Judy’s, cutting table, and beyond production a kitchen, washrooms, meeting room etc. Because the space is shared with students of the sew and fit technician programs it was very rewarding to see these students producing work daily, to a standard they are proud of. The facility plays a vital role for smaller Canadian designers who value outstanding local, sustainable production. The ongoing reward is knowing your production is contributing to a community that is moving toward its own sustainability.