October 1, 2024
With over 80 years of experience, Baltija is one of the longest standing clothing factories in Lithuania, but their adaptability when it comes to production is anything but traditional. Having partnered with brands across occasion wear, formal attire, workwear and uniforms, through to sleepwear and activewear, one of their strongest production lines sits in occasion dresses.
Image: Pronovias by Baltija
Now, after building up this category over the last 80 years, Baltija are working with household names and high end brands across Europe, with their main focus including England, France, Spain, Greece and Sweden, showing perseverance and adaptability to make their partners' visions a reality. Working with initial orders of 50 pieces, Baltija have grown this production to 1000 plus pieces for just one style by adapting to the needs of each brand.
An example of this adaptability and perseverance lies with their partnership with Karen Millen, having worked together for a number of years since the brand's days. First approached to make a run of just 70 dresses, Baltija were faced with a material that looked impossible, but through perseverance and adaptability they switched to specialised needles which allowed them to complete the job, and achieved production for the same brand of over 25,000 pieces a month. Nowadays their skills and adaptability have expanded to offer Lectra, Diamino and 3D processes to create laser cutting, pleating, embroidery and more as their clients need.
The dresses and occasion wear category has been on an upwards trajectory over the last few years, with the return to real life events taking hold. In the aftermath of the pandemic, consumers have increasingly been seeking out statement dresses and occasion wear, bolstered by a return to office working that requires relaxed formal styles. As confidence in the dresses category continues to grow, it's important to invest in silhouettes which go the distance, partnering with the right suppliers to create items that offer quality and longevity.
Celebrity influence is permeating the dresses category, particularly in the higher end and mid-market levels, with everyone from royalty, to politicians and global leaders holding a greater influence. During the recent UK government election, the incoming Prime Minister's wife, Victoria Starmer, wore a dress by Me & Em with the impact of her sartorial choice causing a 300% increase in site traffic to purchase the style.
Elsewhere the so-called ‘Kate Middleton effect’ sees brands sell out of styles, placing repeat orders to keep up with demand when they are worn by the Princess. Baltija are one of the manufacturers who have seen their dresses on many household names, including Kate Middleton, Swedish Princesses and Michele Obama, bringing with them an increased demand for further batches of production, and ensured quality.
Image: Kate Middleton in Karen Millen
The rental category alone has increased exponentially, the research company Technavio suggesting an estimated value increase of 3 billion dollars from 2021 to 2026, as people opt to hire for events and keep up with trends. With this new business model emerging and gaining ground, understanding the needs for the category will mean building durability into the design and development process, along with the garment spec, in order to increase the clothing lifespan. Products made with longevity in mind will become a signifier of quality and value, and entrusting the right partner in production will become key.
When it comes to what’s next for the perennial dresses category, Baltija are noticing a substantial shift to a sustainable future with more and more clients across the board making the move. Increasingly brands are putting in more work to find better materials and systems, requiring clarity from manufacturers on the conditions of the company, their audits, and how they are giving back. Baltijas Lithuanian factory meets the Ethical Trading Initiative base code ensuring employee safety, conditions and wages reflect the work of their employees. In addition they donate any left over fabric to charities for further use, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Globally the amount of sustainable regulations has doubled over the last five years, with western europe alone accounting for 44% of all ESG policies. As legislation around sustainable practices is set to become increasingly stringent throughout the decade, with laws strengthening on issues such as responsible sourcing, waste and pollution through to workers rights, transparency and business accountability, it’s important to make sure brands and manufacturers alike are aligned on this.
BALTIJA CUTMAKESEW, founded in 1940 are a Lithuanian garment manufacturer specializing in producing occasion wear, formal attire, uniforms, workwear, casual wear, sleepwear and sportswear. Certificates; ISO9001
Please contact either Monika Vrubliauskaite at monika@cutmakesew.com or Alex Ingildsen at alex@ingildsen.com if you have any questions.
Alex is the owner of Byingildsen and member of the advisory boards or advisor for fourteen unique premium garment manufacturers and printing providers, including BATILJA CUTMAKESEW.
