The role of a manufacturer is quickly evolving from a producer to a partner, as demands for differentiation drive brands toward companies that can support product development from start to finish.
South Korea-based original design manufacturer Hansae has been building up its design capabilities to meet the market and separate itself in a crowded factory field. Although adept at large-volume production, the garment maker is responding to sourcing strategy shifts, as brands seek out faster turnarounds and closer collaboration with their suppliers. In 2021—slightly more than a decade after opening its New York design office—the group added a design office in Barcelona, Spain, planting roots in Europe.
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Currently, around 95 percent of Hansae’s business comes from the U.S.—with clients including major retailers like Gap Inc. and Carhartt—but Europe is quickly scaling. Looking to accelerate this growth and narrow the reliance on the U.S. amid tariff uncertainty, the manufacturer is putting resources toward strategically expanding its European revenues. Per Hansae, it is the first and only South Korean firm to establish a research and development center in the EU, distinguishing it from its peers.
Situated in a major retail and fashion district in Barcelona, the office puts Hansae closer to its European customers, allowing for easy visits for in-person collaboration. Although Hansae has a New York office, some U.S.-based clients will also visit Barcelona to get a fresh take or incorporate a more European design sensibility to their collections. U.S. teams trying to sell into Europe also turn to Barcelona for market intelligence on reaching the continent’s consumer base.
All the Barcelona office’s design staff are native Spaniards, bringing a localized touch. At the helm is branch manager Sharon Riumbau, who brings over two decades of experience, including work as a buyer at Mango. Head designer Yolanda Ortin has worked in the industry for more than 25 years, including time within European fast-fashion companies.
Barcelona was a strategic choice since it is a destination that already attracts international design teams for trend hunting. Hansae’s design office does this legwork for partners, and its team is constantly on the lookout for trends. In addition to following and sharing insights from forecasting firms, the team mines social media, pop culture and television, runway collections, people watching and more to determine where style is headed. Taking each brand partner’s DNA into account, Hansae creates mood boards and presents trends in a way that fits their image.
“They not only need you to produce. They also need you to give them the latest trends in design, fabrications, colors and so on,” said Riumbau. “They are searching for a global supplier who can offer mass production, small production and also design.”
After researching trends, Hansae’s Barcelona team proposes designs to customers in a few weeks’ time. The customer then places an order, and the team in Spain coordinates with the group’s manufacturing facilities to bring these looks to life, starting with sending design assets and tech packs. Most of this production happens in Vietnam, since the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement provides tariff relief if garments are made of fabrics from Vietnam, South Korea or countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Because the design office is tied into a manufacturing group, the team is presenting and creating designs that it knows will be feasible to produce and at the price point customers need. The trend research also feeds into factory preparedness, as facilities platform fabrics in the anticipated textile and color trends for major season moments. All this interconnectivity shortens leads times, allowing for quicker iterations and faster trend response. Over time, Hansae gets a better sense of a client’s needs, while the customer gains an understanding of the manufacturer’s strengths, creating further efficiencies.
Eyeing additional growth in Europe, Hansae plans to expand the Barcelona office’s headcount and square footage. These additions will give the team more bandwidth and space to serve the needs of local clients.
The office in Spain reflects Hansae’s shift toward becoming a fully global, design-led company. Today, it has more than 130 designers and technicians working across its facilities worldwide, helping customers develop garments that will resonate with consumers. With a mix of regional expertise and global execution in factories across Asia and Central America, Hansae is building strong partnerships and establishing itself as a go-to source for more than just manufacturing.
“We think it’s important as suppliers to just keep on chasing after our customers and be in the same strategic mindset, so that we understand what they’re doing or what they’re looking for,” said Riumbau. “This lets us prepare in advance, so that we don’t just respond, but we act more proactively.”
Click here to learn more about Hansae.
