Charlie Giannetti is in the business of bringing fashion ideas to life.
Based out of a former auto repair shop in Los Angeles, the young factory owner works with designers of all sizes to take their concepts from sample to delivery, working with them every step of the way to test what’s possible. From Japanese denim to Italian cashmere, the factory works with a range of materials and partners in order to transform dreams into reality.
“The commonality between all the brands we work with is they want to push the limits of design,” Giannetti told Rivet. “Working with brands of all different sizes means we can leverage our relationships with vendors to offer services to clients who might not get to use those services. I think this is what has made us successful.”
Services include design, sourcing, pattern making and sampling, production, and even photography—all with the added benefit of being under one roof. The multi-level factory houses a showroom, creative office, photography studio and production team of sewers and pattern makers working together to help brands grow quickly without sacrificing ethos or quality.
However, just because the factory is able to produce quickly—it can provide samples in just a matter of days—doesn’t mean it’s in the business of fast fashion. According to Giannetti, it’s the total opposite.
“There are enough clothes in the world,” he said. “Realistically, we don’t need to keep making more. My goal is to make things that will last and match the vision that the designer has.”
It’s a business model from which both small and large brands can benefit: small brands don’t need to worry about meeting a minimum (as is the case with other partners), and large brands can rest assured that quality will never be compromised for speed. For large-scale production, the factory works with a network of sewing facilities, greatly expanding its capacity.
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Put simply, Giannetti helps designers navigate what others have referred to as the “manufacturing maze” of L.A.—a space he knows his way around only because he was once in their shoes.
After graduating from New York University, Giannetti began working at streetwear e-tailer Karmaloop and handled graphic design for a range of brands. There, he started manufacturing his own products and realized how difficult it was to launch a new brand. He ended up returning to L.A. and working with a small team of sewers and pattern makers before expanding and opening the factory in 2017.
Since then, he’s worked with names such as Reese Cooper and Mr. Saturday—the latter of which recently showed its Spring/Summer 2021 collection in “Not In Paris,” an online exhibition hosted and curated by Highsnobiety.
“The partnership [with Giannetti] has been really strong,” said Mr. Saturday creator Joey Gollish. “After two seasons, I’m starting to feel like we speak each other’s language.”
Mr. Saturday faced a lot of pressure surrounding the virtual show, said Gollish, who needed his collection to honor both his vision and the gravity of the world’s events.
“Set on the backdrop of COVID-19 and the largest human rights movement of our generation happening simultaneously, I knew we needed to use this [platform] to send a message,” he said, adding that the 98-piece collection was finished in a three-week span. “The crazy thing is, the process didn’t feel rushed and the quality of the product wasn’t sacrificed at all. I think a lot of that is due to Charlie’s willingness to experiment with his understanding of my vision.”
Perhaps what fuels Giannetti’s fast-track creativity is his ability to listen rather than sell—he noted that he will never push fabrics or processes on his clients—combined with his close partnerships spark inspiration.
“Experimenting and pushing the limits of what has been done before is only possible when you are able to communicate and learn from your suppliers and partners,” he said.
Next up for the factory is a blanks program that will help new brands get started with high-quality basics.
“I’ve found that nobody is offering a good blanks program that has the flexibility young designers need to launch their brands,” Giannetti said. “A good T-shirt, hoodie and crewneck are the staples of a young brand, and it’s clear that nobody has figured out how to make these items with sustainability in mind.”