Strategic Product Development for Modern Apparel Brands
Whether you are a new founder just starting out or an established brand looking to grow, Thread & Method helps you accomplish your goals with a clear, proven method.
What We Do
Thread & Method helps apparel founders and growing brands bring product ideas to life through structured product development strategy and execution. From early concept through production preparation, we provide the clarity, process, and guidance needed to develop strong, commercially viable products.
Strategy
Define product vision, target customer, assortment structure, and development roadmap before production begins.
Development
Translate product ideas into design direction, materials, and product concepts ready for development.
Pre-Production
Refine specifications, organize development workflows, and prepare brands for sampling and manufacturing.
Processes
Create or update how your product development processes work to have the best efficiency and workflow.
Who We Work With
Thread & Method partners with founders and emerging apparel brands preparing to bring products to market.
We work with businesses that have clear product ideas and are ready to move into structured product development and production preparation.
Category Focus
Our experience is strongest in:
Baby, children's & youth apparel (all categories)
Active + athleisure apparel
Casual everyday comfort & loungewear apparel
Denim + lifestyle apparel
Seasonal apparel + accessories
These categories benefit most from structured development processes, material guidance, and production-ready preparation.*
Ideal Client
Our clients are typically:
First time apparel founders
Emerging brands preparing for production
Small apparel teams needing development support
Brands improving their development processes
Established brands looking to grow or improve sales
While our typical clients are early-stage and growing brands, we also partner with established apparel companies seeking experienced product development guidance or process improvement.
* Thread & Method can also support brands in other categories through strategic product development guidance and process improvement.
Our Method
A clear, structured approach that guides ideas from concept to production.
Brand Foundation
Defining the brand identity, customer, and product vision.
Product Strategy
Specifying assortment structure, development timelines, and production goals.
Design Direction
Translating ideas and research into product concepts and design direction.
Product Development
Developing the final product and supporting documentation needed for production.
Production Preparation
Refining specifications and preparing products for sampling and manufacturing.
Every brand and product is different, but a clear method ensures ideas move forward with structure and confidence.
Services
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This stage focuses on defining your brand, identifying your customer, and building a product strategy that makes sense for your business. It’s where high-level ideas are refined into clear direction, including early sourcing considerations and what to launch first.
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This stage focuses on translating your brand and product strategy into a cohesive design vision—before any full product development begins. From color, fabric, and silhouette to packaging and how your product shows up, we define the system behind your collection so everything works together.
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This stage focuses on translating your design vision into clear, production-ready products. From design development and technical detailing to sourcing and sampling, we define exactly how your product is built and prepared for manufacturing.
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This stage is about supporting your brand through production, selling, and scaling—while building the structure needed to sustain it. From refining your product development process to providing ongoing strategic leadership, we help you move from launching products to running a more efficient, scalable business.
Meet the Founders
Thread & Method was founded by Sandy Graef and Kellie Teixeira—seasoned apparel leaders with over 40 years of combined experience across design, merchandising, sourcing, and product development. Their careers span major retail organizations including Kohl’s, JCPenney, Target, Walmart, Saks Fifth Avenue, Belk, Justice, and Carter’s, where they led multi-category apparel businesses and developed product at scale.
Throughout their careers, they worked across the full product lifecycle—from concept and brand positioning through development, costing, and production—leading teams, building brands, and driving product strategies that deliver both creative and commercial success.
Through this experience, Sandy and Kellie saw a consistent gap: many brands struggle not from lack of ideas, but from a lack of structure, clarity, and alignment throughout the development process.
Thread & Method was created to close that gap—bringing a clear, proven approach to product development that helps founders build focused brands, make better decisions, and move from idea to market with confidence.