Style + Performance = The Perfect Travel Shirt by Libertad
Created by Kyle, Libertad Apparel
Travel clothes that don't look (or smell) like it.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
On to Shirt Making…
about 8 years ago
– Sun, Oct 16, 2016 at 10:32:29 PM
Hi Everybody,
As you know, the current fabric order passed independent lab testing, so I went to the weaving mill in China last week to conduct the final inspection alongside our inspector (former contractor for Icebreaker).
Update
Visual inspection was successful, so now on to making the actual shirts.
We are in the queue at the garment factory with the estimated completion date of Dec. 15th. (Busy factories filling Christmas orders are dictating the timeline). The shirts will then be sent to the fulfillment company in Hong Kong where they will be packed and shipped to the backers.
Photos
The Weaving Mill
On the inspection machine, fabric rolls from bottom to top. Minor defects are corrected and major defects are cut out.
As the fabric rolls passed the inspectors, the swinging arm at the top lays it uniformly in the bin.
The Garment Factory
First, the fabric is laid onto the table and cut according to the pattern.
Then all the pieces are assembled at the sewing stations.
While I was in Shanghai, I had an opportunity to sit down with the president of the textile company and discuss the events of the last year. It was a difficult process for both sides and, at times, communication was unclear and we didn’t know what they were thinking.
It’s easy to surmise that the misfortunes were a result of this being a small order and not getting the necessary attention. But, it turns out that he took four separate trips to the mill in order to analyze and solve the problems that caused the failure of the first order. He had detailed knowledge of the entire project from the trials in 2014 to the failure of the first bulk order and the replacement order.
Over 2.5 years ago, no one was attempting to go as lightweight as we were, so it raised a few eyebrows at the mill. It turned out to be more of a learning process than either side anticipated because the trials went so well. But, after the ups and downs, we’re hoping this will lead to a stronger relationship and reliable supplier.
As we progress toward the conclusion of the project, let me know if I can assist with changes of address, etc.
Quality Control, Part 4
about 8 years ago
– Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 10:16:04 PM
Hi Everybody,
Some good news…the test results indicate the fabric meets specifications. With that, the weaver has begun to finish up the fabric. It will be ready for inspection and release on Oct. 10th and then shipped to the garment manufacturer on the 11th.
(NOTE: Just as there was a Chinese holiday last week slowing the lab results, there is another one next week. That is why the dates are what they are.)
I’m flying to China to oversee the inspection as well as meet with the shirt factory. At that meeting, they will give me an estimate on order completion. When I get back, I’ll update everyone on the info I received.
As always, thanks to everyone for their continued support.
Quality Control, Part 3
over 8 years ago
– Tue, Aug 23, 2016 at 11:18:34 AM
Hi Everybody,
A bit of positive news after months of delays. The fabric weaver has been making the replacement order and fabric tests have been conducted over the last month. It appears that the adjustments they made on the new order are a significant improvement over the rejected batch.
After a conference call last night discussing the fabric performance, we’ve decided it is ready to move to the finished garment testing phase.
At the end of this week, samples from the new order will be sent to the shirt maker. After new sample shirts are made of each color, those will be sent to an independent laboratory to be tested through three wash/dry cycles.
So, I’m optimistic at this point, but there is still data to be evaluated after the garment testing.
As for a timeline, the fabric samples will arrive at the shirt maker at the end of this week. Shirts will take 7-10 days and then garment testing about 5 days. All data should be compiled in 3-4 weeks.
Please let me know if you have questions and thanks again for all the support.
Production Update
over 8 years ago
– Mon, Jul 11, 2016 at 10:21:33 PM
Hi Everybody,
As you read in the update “Quality Control, Part 2” from last month, our fabric weaver accepted the responsibility of the failure of the bulk order and committed to replacing it.
This update is just a quick note that while the replacement order is in process, we were able to have a very detailed meeting with the company president on Friday.
Contract details and timelines were reaffirmed with top leadership, so that we could eliminate the risk of miscommunication by just dealing with our sales rep.
The weaving completion date is still on target for Aug. 2nd.
After that, we will go through the QC process which should take <2 weeks. If the fabric meets the contracted standard, we will then send the bulk to the shirt maker.
As always, I appreciate all the support I get in emails and comments…and even a phone call a couple of weeks ago! Hearing from backers is very motivating, thank you.
Quality Control, Part 2
over 8 years ago
– Sat, Jun 11, 2016 at 02:09:29 PM
Hi Everybody,
As you know from the May 14th update, we got an indication that the QC process implemented was not executed per the contract.
(Again, I apologize for that delay. I personally feel terrible about making our backers wait. Additionally, all delays cost the business money that could be better spent elsewhere.)
Essentially, this update is a continuation of the last. So, here is what has been happening behind the scenes since then…
We conducted our own testing of the finished fabric to determine if it was made according to the quality and performance standards set during fabric development.
Unfortunately, the fabric failed on a couple of critical points. Our contract has very specific clauses regarding end results as well as specific manufacturing processes designed to achieve such. So, legally, product quality is protected.
We presented our results to the weaving mill and they conducted their own tests and confirmed the unsatisfactory results.
At this point, it was clear to the weaving mill that they might have to replace the order. So, over the next 3 weeks they did two things. First, they launched an internal investigation to uncover what exactly happened. When moving from a trial stage to bulk production, there are new processing steps, which can cause problems only noticeable at a later stage of production. Before moving forward, it was critical that they understood what went wrong...and this took a bit of time.
Second, they made several attempts to repair/salvage the fabric. But, new tests were performed after each attempt and the fabric failed every time.
As of Tuesday (June 7th), the factory took total responsibility and has begun the process of remaking the order. This was critical for obvious reasons, but also because many factories & companies throughout the world simply avoid accountability. Our weaving partner stepped up and is living up to the contract and their well-deserved reputation.
Something I did not write about months ago was the very lengthy process of creating a contract with the weaving mill. Libertad’s wool expert spent weeks going over every detail to ensure the best possible product and maximum protection of the company. You never think you will need such protection when dealing with a company that makes millions of meters of top grade wool fabric every year. But, this time we did.
I can’t apologize enough for the delay. But at this stage, it appears the work of the Libertad team prevented the release of sub standard product to the backers, which could have turned into a catastrophe.
While I know that delays are inconvenient and frustrating for the backers (and financially draining for Libertad), this particular delay is a win for the company considering what could have happened. Some might consider that as spinning the real story, but this has been an agonizing process. The only thing that has given me any piece of mind is that the fabric was ultimately rejected and the quality of our product protected.
Yesterday, the factory confirmed the new completion date for the fabric as August 2nd. From there, it will go to the shirt maker and I’ll be able to update the timeline more accurately at that point.
As a way of maintaining your trust as backers, I want to reiterate that this fabric is not an experiment. It has been created before and extensively tested. Many crowdfunding backers support projects and find out later that the company never went far enough with R&D to know if they could even make their product at all. That is not the case with Libertad. I paid for R&D myself and Kickstarter funds are all being directed to production. Again, the fabric has been successfully created before and the standard established with the factory and early testers.
I appreciate everyone’s continued patience and support. Also, very grateful for the positive word of mouth that is driving consistent pre-orders that help keep the company afloat.
As always, I’m available for questions and further comment at:
