Below are the questions we get asked most, answered plainly. The first section covers the basics of working with us. The second walks through the situations brands actually find themselves in, and how we handle each one. If your question is not here, get in touch and ask us directly. We are happy to talk through anything specific to your project.
The Common Questions
What is Prototype?
Prototype is an American-owned fashion product development and manufacturing services company, founded in 2016. We are Indonesia specialists. Our team works between California and Java, the heart of the Indonesian garment industry. We do not own a factory. We coordinate a network of vetted partner factories across Indonesia, and we handle the development, the technical work, the quality control, and the coordination that most small brands cannot get a good factory to do for them.
What’s the difference between Black Label and White Label?
Black Label is custom product development. We design and build your product from concept to a production-ready prototype. White Label is catalog manufacturing. You order from our existing catalog with your branding and customization choices. Black Label is for unique products and brand differentiation. White Label is for speed, predictability, and testing a category before you commit to it.
Who owns the patterns and tech packs we develop?
In Black Label Elite, you own the pattern, the tech pack, and the right to manufacture it anywhere. In Black Label Essentials, the pattern stays with us, because it is one of our existing patterns, but you own the tech pack and the right to use it for your order. In White Label, all patterns and base products belong to Prototype.
What is your minimum order quantity?
It depends on what you are ordering. White Label minimums are listed alongside each catalog product. Black Label development has no minimum. Production runs after development have factory-level minimums that vary by category. Some specialized intimates and swimwear projects carry higher minimums, in the range of 1,000 to 5,000 pieces, for components like custom lace, embellishments, or structured cup elements. We confirm the specifics for your project before you commit to anything.
How long will my project take?
Black Label Elite typically runs 4 to 6 months from contract signed to production-ready package delivered. Black Label Essentials runs 3 to 4 months. White Label orders run 3 to 4 months. Your responsiveness to feedback affects the calendar significantly. We do not guarantee timelines, but we work toward your target.
What does pricing look like?
Every service has published pricing, and you can see all of it on our pricing page. Black Label development is priced per style, White Label is priced per product in the catalog, and Advisory runs from a single-day engagement up to an ongoing monthly arrangement. If you want to know what your particular project will cost, ask us and we will walk you through it.
Do you produce in-house?
No. We do not own a factory. We work with a network of vetted partner factories in Indonesia, and we coordinate production through them. This is intentional. It lets us match each project to the factory best suited to it, without the limitations of being tied to a single facility.
Where are your factories?
Indonesia. Our team is based in Java, the heart of the Indonesian garment industry, and our partner factories are spread across the region. Indonesia is what we specialize in, and a decade of building those relationships is the thing we are most quietly proud of.
How many prototypes are included in Black Label?
Black Label Elite includes two prototypes. The first focuses on fit and construction, and the second incorporates color and customization. Black Label Essentials includes one prototype. Additional revision rounds are priced per round, and you can see the figure on our pricing page.
How is quality controlled?
Our team in Java inspects every prototype and every Pre-Production Sample before it ships to you. Two identical samples are produced for every run. One stays with us as a reference, and one ships to you, so we are both looking at the same physical object when we talk. During production, we coordinate factory quality control and run a final inspection before goods ship. We deliver a Final Inspection Report at the end of every manufacturing order.
Do you guarantee timelines?
No. We work toward your target schedule, but the actual timeline depends on project complexity, materials availability, your responsiveness on feedback, and a handful of other variables. Custom-order fabrics and special materials can stretch the schedule.
Can I take the work elsewhere after Black Label development?
Yes. The package belongs to you in Elite, and includes the rights you need in Essentials. You can take it to any factory you choose. You can also continue with us under Black Label Manufacturing, which is a separate contract.
Can you sign an NDA?
Yes. For prospective clients who need to share sensitive materials before deciding to work with us, we can sign an NDA so we can review the materials and put together a quote. For clients who sign on with us, NDA language is a standard part of our contract.
How do payments work?
Most services use 50/50 milestone billing. Half at contract signing, half at the appropriate delivery point. A few services work differently. Sourcing Discovery is paid in full up front, and the Advisory Retainer is paid monthly in advance. The specifics are in each service’s contract, and the numbers are on our pricing page.
Do you offer size grading during development?
No. Size grading is part of the manufacturing phase, not the development phase. Black Label development produces prototypes in your sample size only. Size grading and any size samples are handled when you move into the manufacturing order.
What languages do you operate in?
English on all client-facing communication. Our team is based in Indonesia, but client conversations happen in English.
What If: The Situations Brands Actually Land In
These are the situations brands actually land in, and how we typically approach each one.
What if I have a sketch but no tech pack?
You are in Black Label Elite territory. We start with a brief, build the design with you, then turn it into a tech pack and digital pattern as part of the standard process. You do not need to come in with a tech pack. Most clients do not have one at the start.
What if I already have some of the development work done?
We reduce development fees when you bring portions of the work already finished. A working tech pack reduces the tech pack work. Existing patterns reduce or eliminate the pattern work. Reference samples or fit notes can shortcut design iterations. How much we reduce depends on the quality and completeness of what you bring.
The development phase drops away entirely only when you arrive with a professional, production-ready tech pack and graded cutting patterns. At that point you do not need development at all. You go straight into Black Label Manufacturing.
If you are not sure whether what you have is complete enough to skip development, send it along with your inquiry. We will review it and tell you honestly.
What if my factory stopped working with me and I need a replacement?
If you have your own designs and tech packs and just need a manufacturing partner, you are looking at Black Label Manufacturing. We can step in mid-stream as long as your existing files are usable. Bring us your tech pack and pattern files and we will tell you whether we can manufacture from what you have.
What if I am not sure I need full custom development?
Talk to us before you commit. Sometimes a project that feels like custom turns out to be doable through White Label with the right customization. Sometimes a project that feels small turns out to need full custom development to deliver what the founder actually wants. That first conversation is meant to figure out which path fits.
What if I want to test a category before fully committing?
White Label is built for this. Lower minimums, faster timelines, less commitment. If our catalog has something close to what you want, you can launch with it, see how the market responds, and decide whether to invest in full custom development later.
What if my budget is tight?
The two real options are to simplify the project so it fits the budget you have, or to take a beat and raise adequate funding before starting. Simplification can mean fewer styles, smaller production runs, less complex construction, or starting with White Label instead of Black Label.
We are honest with clients about this. Half-funded projects tend to produce half-finished outcomes, and we would rather have a clear conversation up front than start a project that runs out of fuel halfway through.
What if sustainability and ethical sourcing matter to me?
They matter to us too, and they have been part of how we operate from the beginning. Our partner factories in Indonesia are selected with worker conditions, fair wages, and responsible production practices in mind. We do not work with factories we would be uncomfortable walking into.
Prototype itself does not hold third-party certifications. Many of our partner factories carry their own, covering manufacturing standards, labor practices, and material sourcing. If your brand requires production through certified facilities, tell us during onboarding and we will match your project to a partner factory that holds the certifications you need.
Specific requirements like recycled materials, organic content, end-of-life programs, or supply chain transparency are easier to deliver when we know about them up front. The earlier in the project we discuss them, the more options you have.
What if IP protection is a concern?
IP protection is covered extensively in our standard contract. The agreement protects your designs, your patterns, and your tech packs from being used or shared outside the scope of your project.
If your project is particularly sensitive, say a patentable construction or a unique design you want exclusive rights over, we strongly recommend applying for patent or design protection before bringing the project into development. We can advise on timing and what to consider, but we do not file patents on your behalf.
What if international compliance is part of my project?
Compliance with import regulations, customs duties, certifications required by your market, and other local regulatory requirements is the responsibility of the importer, which is you, the buyer. We do not handle customs paperwork, navigate import duties, or take responsibility for local market regulations.
We do ask that you disclose any regulatory requirements that affect production during onboarding. That means care label language requirements, country-of-origin labeling, fiber content disclosure, certification labels, market-specific safety standards, and anything similar. That way we build them into the project from the start, rather than discovering them mid-production.
What if my fabric of choice requires a huge minimum order?
Some fabrics, especially custom-order or specialty fabrics, have factory minimums in the thousands of yards. We tell you about those early so you can decide whether to commit to that fabric, choose a similar fabric we already work with, or adjust the project to fit a fabric with smaller minimums. The decision is yours.
What if my timeline is very tight?
Tell us during onboarding. Some products can move faster than our standard timelines. Some cannot. We will be honest about what is feasible. Tight timelines also depend on your responsiveness, since most of the calendar time in a project is feedback and approvals.
What if I want a custom color on a White Label product?
That moves the project to Black Label. Any change outside the published Customization Guide is a Black Label conversation. We will help you figure out whether Elite or Essentials makes more sense for what you want.
What if I want to add a custom hardware part?
Custom hardware that requires bulk minimums, like custom snaps, custom zippers, or branded buttons, will not appear on prototypes unless you pre-purchase the bulk quantity. If you do, we hold the items for use in your prototype and your production run. We talk through this during onboarding.
What if I am not satisfied with the prototype?
The prototype review process exists for exactly this. After you receive a prototype, you fill out the Client Sample Feedback Form with detailed feedback, and we discuss it on a review call. The second prototype incorporates the revisions. If you have substantial concerns about the project direction, tell us directly. Substantial concerns get escalated and we bring in the right people to address them.
What if I want to manufacture with you but my development is already done?
Black Label Manufacturing covers this. It is a separate contract from Black Label Development, designed for clients who already have their tech packs, patterns, and prototypes and just need a production partner.
Still have questions?
If your question is not covered here, ask us. Submit an inquiry through the site or email us directly. We are happy to answer anything specific to your project.
