We met in 2008 as university interns, drawn together by a shared love of clothing and the craft behind every garment. Since then, each of us has built hands-on experience across product development, order negotiation and follow-up, production management, and inspection. We have learned this industry from the inside—working through the details that turn an idea into a finished product. We share a simple belief: good apparel takes curiosity, care and expertise at every step. That belief still guides the way we work today.
Follow our journey ↓
From our first meeting to a team serving brands across borders, every chapter grew from the work we learned side by side.
We met during a university internship at an apparel trading and manufacturing company. We came from different cities, but shared a curiosity about clothing and how it is made. That first connection became a lasting friendship—and the beginning of a shared professional journey.
Over the next decade, we built our experience across three sides of the apparel business. One of us focused on international client development, travelling across more than 20 countries and markets. Another specialized in order negotiation and follow-up, including direct work with major retailers and fast-fashion labels in previous roles. The third focused on production and inspection, visiting factories across China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Lesotho. Together, those years taught us how decisions at every stage—from product concept and costing to quality checks and delivery—shape the final garment.
Large fashion businesses can draw on dedicated teams to manage product development, production and quality. Independent designers and growing brands often have strong market ideas and product designs, but fewer resources to manage costing, production quality, delivery schedules, shipping and customs.
We believed they deserved dependable support, too.
In Qingdao, we built an apparel service that can support a project from concept and product development through production, inspection and logistics. We bring the discipline we learned from working on large-scale programs together with the flexibility growing brands need. Orders can start from 100 pieces per style, and we have supported more than 30 small and medium brands.
In 2026, we brought our experience to Toronto and established Astera Fashion, carrying forward a passion for apparel that has shaped our work since we first met in 2008. We hope to connect with brands and people who love this industry as much as we do.
Being based in Toronto lets us talk during North American business hours and meet face to face when it helps. From there, we connect your ideas and feedback with our experienced team in China, coordinating each step from product development and costing to sampling, production, inspection and shipping.
Across both locations, we bring local communication, production expertise and a shared commitment to apparel—from the first idea to final shipment.
Our work spans the practical details that help bring an apparel idea into production.
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