Guangdong-based A-Sky produces midrange denim jeans, jackets and skirts mainly for US fashion buyers such as Apollo. In-house production facilities involve sewing and finishing. Garment washing, fabric weaving and component manufacture are subcontracted to other factories.

This private, locally owned company employs 850 workers who produce an average 150,000 denim garments each month. 70 percent of this total is shipped to the United States and the rest to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Located in Xintang town in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, A-Sky benefits from convenient access to materials and components, as Xintang is one of the four key production hubs for denim garments.

Products
Denim jeans account for 80 percent of total output, and are priced between US$5 and US$6 FOB. Lower priced jeans are made of handbrushed pure cotton with enzyme or monkey wash. Higher priced jeans are made of linen and cotton blends with other washes and finishes such as whiskering, grinding, embroidery and beading.

Each pair of jeans comes with a belt, which is offered in retail shops as a free gift with the garment. However, since the factory's production net margin is as low as 10 to 20 cents, the belt adds US 50 cents to US$1 to the price of a pair of jeans. The belts are made of wood or silk fabrics and embellished with beads or rhinestones.

Denim jackets are priced between US$6 and US$7, and miniskirts at US$4.50. A-Sky has not raised product prices despite higher operating costs to remain competitive.

A-Sky's in-house R&D team includes two designers and 29 sample makers. The designers use CAD systems to create new product patterns based on buyers' specifications.

Women's denim garments are made of fabrics that contain 1 to 4 percent spandex fibers. To avoid quota restrictions, all skirts and some jeans are blended with 55 percent linen.

Most denim fabrics are sourced from local suppliers and only a small portion is imported. Components and parts such as zippers, tapes and buttons are sourced locally as well.

Manufacturing
A-Sky's sewing lines have four fabric-cutting beds and 480 sewing machines in various types and functions. The finishing lines have sandblasting machines and handbrushers.

In-house production procedures involve fabric preshrinking test and cutting, garment sewing, finishing and packaging. Embroidery and printing are subcontracted. Delivery is within 30 days, inclusive of fabric weaving.

Garment washing is subcontracted to local factories. The combination of in-house facilities and subcontracting allows the company to offer various washes and finishes including enzyme, whisker, monkey, dirty and chemical washes, as well as grinding and sandblasting.

The charge for enzyme washing starts at US 36 cents per piece. An additional US 24 cents is charged for both monkey wash and handbrushing.

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