Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Buscemi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

Since day one I have managed Detroit Sewn’s social media. It’s hard for me to imagine an outside company being able to capture what’s going on in the factory from one day to the next, not to mention all the special moments that are only witnessed by being there. And I like our content to have that personal flair. It’s what makes us authentic.

I view myself as the voice of the factory. With the exception of encouraging our interns to submit social media content, I photograph/record/write everything we post. It’s helpful that I spent years as a writer and editor, and I minored in photography.

Since most of my roles are not very creative (hello sales and payroll!), this is an opportunity for to me have some fun. But more importantly, it allows me to connect with potential clients across the various platforms. Easily 30% of our business each year comes from our social media posts, so I darn well need to be present there.

Karen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been working within the fashion industry for 25 years. I started as a writer, editor and wardrobe stylist. I’ve styled and directed dozens of photo shoots, written for both local and national newspapers and magazines, and have helped grow budding writers and stylists. In 2012 I founded a 501(c)(3) called Detroit Garment Group. Our mission is to bring together our fashion community and educate them, specifically on the business of fashion, since that is not an area typically taught in fashion schools.

Over the years, I had been asked many, many times where people could go within Michigan for full-service apparel manufacturing. There were so few options, I decided to start a sewing factory in 2015. It was a really tough type of business to launch, but we are still here after seven years. We never stop learning, growing, upgrading and refining our processes.

We service a wide variety of clients around the country, and we are, indeed, full service: consulting, product development, pattern making, sample making, pattern grading, materials sourcing, tech pack creation, cutting, sewing, dye sublimating, vinyl transfers pressing and packaging. We provide as much or little as our clients want.

Predominantly we manufacture apparel, home goods and pet products, with a healthy does of miscellaneous sewn goods that I can only classify as really creative ideas. I love taking a client’s idea from that gnawing thing that won’t get out of their head to their first production run. Bringing an idea to life and seeing our clients’ excited faces when they first get to see and touch their products is so satisfying.

In October 2021, we finally launched our own brand, Detroit Sewn Apparel. It’s a line of high-quality basics that last. Consumers can purchase from our online shop (detroitsewn.com). Companies, schools, etc. can place bulk purchases and we can brand the apparel for them. We can also private label for other brands.

Everything we do happens within our factory. We aren’t outsourcing. When you walk into our factory, you see our team making your products. Manufacturing in the USA is everything. Treating sewers with kindness and respect is everything. We read story after story about the inhumane treatment of sewers overseas. People being paid next to nothing, working long hours in hot, unsafe buildings. And then there are the ones who are being held against their will to make OUR CLOTHES. It’s inconceivable. But it’s happening every single day.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

We predominantly attract new clients in three ways: social media, Google and referrals.

In regards to social media, there is no better platform for my business than LinkedIn. When I first began posting there, I was not expecting to have such incredible results. However, with much of what we do relating to companies, whether they want to add a sewn products segment to their company, purchase our hoodies for their employees and clients, or finally start that apparel line they’ve been thinking about for years, these types of people are on LinkedIn every day. So I make sure the content I post there appeals to these various managers and business owners.

Google is what I would call a two-for: Not only are we showing up in Google search results for apparel manufacturing, pattern making, etc., but as a business, Google allows me to create what I characterize as my second web site for free. And it gets looked at every single day. Once you prove to Google that you are the owner of the business, you get full access and can do many of the things you can do on your own web site, but it’s sitting right there on Google. You can create posts, add a photo gallery, add products, and even create sales and promo codes. And potential clients can contact me right from that same space. Not making a potential client click and click and click to get to contacting you gives you a better chance for them to actually do it.

Finally, there is nothing better than a client referral, and thankfully, we get them all the time. Producing a quality product combined with good communication and managing clients’ expectations means even when things don’t go perfectly, our clients respect us and trust us enough to recommend our services to their friends and family members.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We manufacture all of our products. We have a high-quality basics line. Think hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts and beanies. We had to make sure we had great products that felt good, wear well and wash well. They had to be priced right and then marketed regularly. That was all research. And then trying on the products and looking at them and looking at them and looking at them. Sometimes you love a product at first glance. But if you keep looking, you’ll start to see where improvements can be made. Ever had a hoodie where the hood won’t stay on your head when you are walking? You have to spend a lot of time walking around with that hood pulled up to know if it’s going to stay put. If it doesn’t, then you have to make pattern adjustments so it does.

You also have to understand what people will pay, and you have to know your competitors. You have to know what’s great about their products and what’s not so great so you can find your point of differentiation. What makes us different is that we are the manufacturer. We are making in the USA. And because we are right here cutting and sewing, we can customize orders. We have one client who purchases our hoodies on behalf of his clients, and they prefer longer garments. So we have a different size chart for him. Some clients want our t-shirts, but they want to use a different fabric, such as an organic cotton or a recycled fiber. We can do that.

And then we had to figure out how to sew our products well. How can we speed up the process and not lose quality? Where are we running into errors and how do we alter construction to eliminate the problem? Being able to control the quality of our products means our customer base is going to keep buying from us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://detroitsewn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitsewn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detroitsewn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenbuscemi/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/detroitsewn