Who this is for
Brands that produce in Kyrgyzstan, or are about to, and can't be at the factory when it matters. The typical risk: goods ship, and defects are found at your warehouse, by a retailer, or by customers. By then fixing them costs far more than an inspection.
Large inspection companies operate mainly in China, South and Southeast Asia. Their published rates are per man-day, for example $268 per man-day for pre-shipment inspection in major Asian manufacturing countries (V-Trust). Kyrgyzstan is not on most of their lists, and travel to the factory is often billed on top (Guided Imports). I am based in Bishkek, so there is no travel surcharge inside the city.
Who I am
Irina Tsoi, Bishkek. Twenty years in the garment industry as a fashion designer and pattern maker, including quality control at every production stage. Because I build patterns, I can tell whether a fit issue comes from the pattern, the cutting or the sewing, and tell the factory exactly what to fix.
Communication: in Russian; English via written messages. I speak to the factory in Russian on the spot; you receive everything in writing in English.
What I check
- Conformity to the approved sample and tech pack: style, colour, fabric, trims.
- Measurements of garments in each size against your chart and tolerances.
- Workmanship: stitching, seams, finishing, symmetry, pressing, loose threads.
- Fabric: faults, shade variation within the lot and against the sample.
- Labels: care and content labels, size labels, hang tags, barcodes.
- Packing: polybags, inserts, carton marking, assortment by size and colour.
- Quantity by size and colour.
Types of inspection
| Inspection | When | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Factory check | Before you order | Choosing a workshop that can't handle your product or volume |
| Pre-production | Fabric, trims and PP sample ready | Wrong fabric, shade or trims going into the whole run |
| During production | First 10–20% sewn | The same defect repeated across the whole order |
| Final (pre-shipment) | Goods packed or nearly packed | Shipping defects you then pay to return or discount |
For a first order with a new factory, I recommend a during-production visit plus a final inspection. Errors caught in the first garments are cheap to fix; errors found in packed cartons are not.
The report
Same day or next day, you receive:
- what was checked and how many pieces;
- a measurement table by size with deviations marked;
- defects by type and count, classified as critical, major or minor, with photos;
- my conclusion: ship, rework, or a decision for you with the options;
- notes for the factory you can forward as they are.
If rework is needed, the factory corrects it and I can re-inspect by arrangement.
Typical defects in garment runs
From production practice, the issues an inspection most often finds:
- sizes drifting from garment to garment, especially in the largest sizes;
- a different fabric shade in bulk than in the approved sample, or shade variation between rolls;
- uneven or skipped stitches, untrimmed threads, poor pressing;
- labels mixed up by size, or care labels that don't match the fabric content;
- packing that doesn't follow your instructions: wrong polybag, missing inserts, cartons mixed by size.
Each of these can mean a rejected delivery, a retailer chargeback or returns. Many of them start in the first garments, which is why the during-production visit pays for itself.
Independent from the factory
I work for you, not for the factory. I don't take commission from factories, and my fee doesn't depend on whether the goods are accepted. If I find a problem, the report says so, with photos and counts, in a form you can forward to the factory and use in your contract.
What I need from you
- Tech pack or specification, measurement chart with tolerances.
- Photos of the approved sample (better: the sample itself, or a counter sample at the factory).
- Factory contact and the ready date.
- Your sampling plan and defect criteria, or we agree them together.
Pricing
- Inspection visit in Bishkek: $350 per visit.
- Factory sourcing and check before ordering: $650.
- Diagnosis of a defect or fit issue from photos: $150.
- "Batch" package (preparation and control of one production run, including inspections): $2,400.
Payment is by card via Stripe. Visits outside Bishkek are quoted separately. All prices are on the pricing page.
My responsibility is an honest, accurate inspection and report. Quality of sewing and delivery dates are the factory's responsibility under your contract with them. If you want one person responsible for the whole chain, from patterns to shipment, see garment manufacturing in Kyrgyzstan.