Welcome back to the Velvet Runway features and today, I am delighted to share with you this interview with Zack Hurley, Co-Founder and CEO of Indie Source. 

interview with Zack Hurley,

Indie Source is an apparel manufacturer and fashion consultancy that is redefining the way clothing is developed, produced, and distributed in the United States. 

Based out of Los Angeles’ fashion district, they provide fashion designers with a personalized, in-house product development team which includes a dedicated project manager and the best sourcing specialists, patternmakers, and sample makers that the industry has to offer. 

Thank you so much for joining us, Zack! 

Exclusive interview with Zack Hurley, the co-founder and CEO of Indie Source

Can you tell us what inspired you to launch Indie Source ? 

We saw the apparel industry as an extremely exclusionary industry that really inhibited people from taking their creative ideas and bringing them to life. If you are an outsider there are not easy paths to get inside. We started out mostly doing production for established brands but soon realized how massive the need to help new brands was. We built out a product development team that would work hand in hand with our clients to guide them through the complex supply chain that is the apparel industry.

They work with our experts, find fabrics and trims, dye goods, create custom materials, make patterns, samples and ultimately build a totally unique collection that they can then put into the market. We have been inspired to create an ecosystem of makers in the industry and outside that can work together to bring great products to market while focusing on ways to produce more sustainably and ethically. 

How much did your previous experience influence your decision to launch Indie Source, and also impact the values you have for the company?

My previous experience in the corporate world showed me what I didn’t want to do and that served as a guiding light. I had always been a creative person who knew how to bend the rules a bit. But for most of my life it never occurred to me that I could make a career out of changing things that don’t work.

In any job I’d had in the past there were so many things that didn’t make sense to me. Unfortunately, my bosses didn’t always want to take my ideas seriously which led me to a life of entrepreneurship where I knew I’d be able to make more of an impact. 

Can you tell us a little about your career path prior to launching Indie Source?  Did you always know that you wanted to be in the fashion industry? 

My background is more on the marketing and sales side of things. I studied international business as well and was very excited to create a global business that was mission driven. I never had thought of joining the fashion industry but as with many things, the more I spent time in it, the more I fell in love with it. 

What are the biggest challenges facing aspiring fashion entrepreneurs at the moment and how does Indie Source help? 

The apparel industry is extremely fragmented and is set up to keep newcomers from joining and being successful. The learning curve is steep and often takes brands years to get going. Indie Source takes the industries most seasoned veterans and puts them together on a dedicated team working for our brands. We cut the learning curve down significantly not just by doing the work but by educating and mentoring our clients. 

Do you remember the board game shoots and ladders? Navigating the apparel industry is just like that. At every turn there is something that can force you down a shoot to have to start over. Indie Source works with our vendors to help you go up the ladder faster than if you tried to do it all yourself.

interview with Zack Hurley,

We are navigating hundreds of vendors across buttons, elastics, zippers, drawcords, all kinds of fabrications, dye houses, print houses etc. Would you want to have to figure out how to work with all those different vendors? It would be a nightmare. We know where to go and who to go to. 

Can you take us through the process that Indie Source goes through with its customers from developing an idea, sourcing materials, pattern making, prototyping through to manufacturing and sales?  

The first and most important step is to gain clarity around the project priorities and “non negotiables”. What is the brand’s “WHY”? Understanding this becomes a guiding light for the entire project. For example, a brand may have a desire to be a cause for good and to not damage the planet. This will indicate that we’ll only search for the most sustainable fabrics even if they cost more. Then this story can be communicated to their clients and shared as brand values that are lived by. 

Once the WHY is clear and the collection is defined our clients set up a kickoff meeting with one of our brand consultants. These are experts in the industry who have launched many brands before and know what a proper collection looks like. They flesh out your ideas, give advice and ultimately make sure that we’re starting on the right foot. 

From there our project managers take over and begin sourcing materials, trims to present to our clients. We also manage taking our brands artwork files and creating screens, heat transfers, labels and lab dips so that everything is organized before we get to production. We simultaneously work on costing exercises to get an idea of production pricing based on quantities the clients are hoping to produce. 

After materials are sourced we create digital patterns using reference samples that our clients provide from the market for inspiration. 

Then we begin cutting and sewing the products, measuring them and then setup fittings with our clients. We go through multiple rounds until the products are approved and the visions of our clients have come to life. 

Lastly we move into the production process for those who place orders. We produce a minimum of 300 units per style which can be broken down into colors and sizes. We have produced for over 500 brands and are looking forward to bringing the next generation of fashion brands to life ethically and sustainably. 

I understand that Indie Source is committed to ethically made fashion. Could you explain to our readers what this means? 

Ethically made means that all of the people involved in the creation of our products were treated fairly. We do not work with any partners that pay below minimum wage or use child labor. This is just the baseline. We also select vendors who also have commitments to their workforce and treat them well. 

What are your aspirations for the future? Where would you like to see Indie Source 5 years from now and are there any imminent plans for the company that you’d like to share?

Our future plans revolve around utilizing technology and innovation to streamline our processes. For example right now we’re launching a 3D system which shows clients their avatars before samples are made, 3D body scanning technology, as well as creating a library of in stock fabrics and patterns that our clients can leverage to keep development costs down. Lastly we’ll be launching some educational programs that help our entrepreneurs navigate this challenging industry better. Our goal is not only to be a great clothing manufacturer, but to create an ecosystem where fashion brands can learn, share and form a community. 

What words of advice do you have for any young designers trying to get started in the fashion industry? Can you share your top tips? 

You have to get good at making quick decisions. The biggest difference between great entrepreneurs and those who fail are those who take action and then pivot along the way, those who freeze up make it impossible to be successful. 

interview with Zack Hurley,

 Thank you for taking the time to talk to me , Zack.  

Handing off one’s product vision to a manufacturer is often a disconnected, impersonal and slightly scary experience – but Indie Source has changed all that!  They open doors which traditionally have been closed to the newbies in the industry.

Starting with fabric sourcing, pattern making, sample making, and fittings to simultaneously finalizing marketing plans which include creating a website, photoshoots and branding, Indie Source is able to swiftly move through each of the steps enabling the entrepreneur to have a smooth and timely transition into production, without the usual stress associated with a new business launch.

Zack’s mission is to help fashion entrepreneurs bring their visions out from the depths of their creative minds into the market and to push them outside of their comfort zones to get what they want in life, and I am delighted to announce that I have just entered into a partnership with Indie Source to help newbie fashion designers launch. You can find out more here.

https://indiesource.com/julia-rees

If you are an aspiring fashion designer, then Indie Source could be just the help you need to get your business launched!