ImagesMagUK_Digital_Edition_March_2018

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2018 images 31 BRAND PROFILE If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a hundred times: ‘We’ve been waiting for something like this for years’ Good looks – and good values The Bangladesh factory where the new Vanilla range is manufactured is an extraordinary place, reports product manager Clare Dwyer. “As brands, we have a responsibility to seek out factories that share our social and environmental ethics, and be prepared to pay a fair price for garments. In my 20 years in the industry, it is the best factory I have ever seen. It sets the standard of what can be achieved in terms of social and environmental responsibility. “The directors are committed to fair and ethical trading, be that in the progressive management of their workforce or the sustainable production of its garments. They understand that committed, trained staff are key to producing quality product therefore only employ educated adults, insisting on a skilled workforce, and provide an intensive training programme – this allows the operatives to command a higher wage in the industry. “Staff can take advantage of free medical care with the onsite doctor and nursing team, and hot meals. On-site childcare is also provided. “They are relentless in their pursuit of enriching ethical and sustainable production and are building their future projects with a goal of setting the standard for socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing worldwide.” Lay the transfer over the pocket Cover the dye-sub transfer and T-shirt with a Silicone Application Sheet, and press at 200°C for 50 seconds on the Adkins Beta Swing 20’’ x 15’’ press Remove the transfer paper to reveal the perfectly executed back neck print The final decorated garment with vibrant chest pocket and back neck sublimation prints 8 3 4 9 180gsm, 100% polyester and is slim-fit with long sleeves, while the women’s style (VAN503) has 3/4 length sleeves, a wider neckline and curved hem, and is made from 160gsm 65% polyester/35% cotton. “We felt the drape and shape of the ladies’ style with the curved hem was better with some cotton in it,” Ryan explains. The 65/35 Tee (VAN102 for men, VAN502 for women) is, as the name suggests, a 65% polyester/35% cotton style that comes in white, silver melange and light blue, with pink melange available in the women’s style only. “65% polyester/35% cotton is as low as we’re comfortable with and gives a terrific, muted look that is great for vintage logos and music merchandise, that sort of thing,” Ryan says. The Raglan Hoodie (VAN201) is made from 250gsm 65% polyester/35% cotton and comes in a choice of white and silver melange colours. The new hoodie, along with the brand’s 65/35 Raglan Sweatshirts (VAN200, women’s style VAN600), offers decorators and their customers the flexibility in styles that is required when creating a comprehensive fashion brand. The sweats can be teamed with the Men’s Jogger (VAN300) and Women’s Short (VAN701), which are both made from the same 250gsm polycotton fabric. The range is rounded off with the Subli Vest (VAN100, women’s VAN500) and the Subli Tee (VAN101, women’s VAN501), both made from a 180gsm, white 100% polyester and perfect for all-over prints. And, like all the Vanilla garments, they come with a sticker on the back neck rather than a label of any sort, making them quick and easy to personalise. Dye sublimation not only produces sharp, detailed images, it also provides a relatively cheap introduction to the decoration market. A sublimation printer costs a few hundred pounds, explains Ryan, as does a heat press – add in a computer and some inks and papers and you’re ready to go. And now, with the launch of Vanilla, there are even more markets to target. “Decorators are no longer constrained by their system. Whereas in the past it was just white polyester, that’s no longer true. There is a full range of products you can personalise with dye sublimation, including, now, a complete range of premium fashion basics.” www.yourvanilla.com