Me When My Supplier Asks If I’ve Heard of Wuhan. I Haven’t. Never Heard of It. [start a clothing brand]

(He’s testing me. I’m failing. But I’m nodding anyway.)

We’re mid-factory visit. It’s hour three of polite banter, unidentifiable snacks, and passive-aggressive conversation about whether my target price is “possible” or “just a joke in spreadsheet form.” Then my supplier looks at me — dead in the eye — and asks:

“You know Wuhan?”

I panic. Not because I don’t know Wuhan — come on, we all know Wuhan.

But because I know this question isn’t really about geography.

It’s a test.

Am I plugged in?

Do I know what I’m doing?

Have I spent enough time in China to pass this arbitrary pop quiz on conversational regional politics?

So what do I say?

I smile.

I nod.

I go full awkward diplomat and reply, “Yes yes, of course — very strong production region.”

(Which, to be fair, is a thing I say about 8 different cities per trip.)

If you’re starting a clothing brand and you’ve ever felt like you’re one missed nod away from losing supplier respect — welcome to the club. These are the weird, in-between moments no one talks about, and they’re exactly why I built Garment Sourcing 101.

Because while everyone else is telling you how to launch in 5 steps or pick your font, I’m here to teach you how to survive the very real, very bizarre social gauntlet that is overseas production.

Starting a Clothing Brand? Prepare for Strange Conversations

Listen — the business of making clothing is rarely just business.

It’s:

• Relationship-building

• Strategic small talk

• Cultural ballet with layers of etiquette, power dynamics, and subtle cues

So when your supplier asks, “You know Wuhan?”

They’re not asking if you’ve seen a map.

They’re testing your experience level.

Do you really understand sourcing?

Do you know where things are made, what’s happening on the ground, how to talk about it with fluency — even if you’ve never been?

And if you’re still new to this — if you’re launching your first collection or scaling a small label — you’re probably just trying to get your fabric delivered on time and make sure the buttons match.

But suddenly you’re in a conversation about provincial production strengths and national logistics infrastructure like you’re running a government trade department.

The “Fake It Till You Make It” Trap

Every founder has done this.

The forced nod.

The vague comment: “Yes, very active region lately…”

The casual pivot to a safer topic: “So what kind of cotton base do you use for your pigment dyeing again?”

Because here’s the thing:

Starting a clothing brand will expose every gap in your knowledge.

And sometimes it won’t be during sampling or costing — it’ll be over tea, when your supplier asks you a totally offhand question and watches your face for the answer.

You don’t want to lie.

But you also don’t want to look clueless.

So you nod.

And inside, you spiral.

15 Years In, and I Still Get Caught Off Guard

I’ve been in this business for over 15 years. And still — there are moments when a factory owner or production manager will hit me with something like:

• “What do you think about changes in the logistics hubs in Jiangxi?”

• “Did you visit Changshu in 2017? Big sourcing event there.”

• “Is your market very affected by tariffs now or later?”

And I’ll pause for a second, regroup, and respond like I’ve got a whole team at the World Bank backing me.

Because in sourcing, part of the job is navigating the conversation as much as the contract.

That’s why Garment Sourcing 101 doesn’t just teach you the mechanics — tech packs, fabric types, MOQ negotiations — it also prepares you for the people part of the job. The casual tests. The trust-building. The culture.

Because if you’re trying to build a long-term brand, you need to understand the dance.

What These Awkward Questions Really Mean

Your supplier is asking “Do you know Wuhan?”

But they might as well be asking:

• “Are you new here?”

• “Can I move your production and hope you won’t notice?”

• “Do you actually understand how this industry works in real time?”

Sometimes it’s a flex.

Sometimes it’s a courtesy.

Sometimes they’re just genuinely curious if you know where Wuhan is and whether they should feel embarrassed that their cousin is subcontracting your PO there.

Whatever the case — you need to know how to respond.

Not with fake fluency, but with informed confidence.

And that comes from understanding how production works — what to track, what to ask, how to manage factory communication without playing 20 questions every time they bring up a new city.

If You’re Starting a Clothing Brand, Your Best Defense Is Clarity

It’s not about knowing every province on the map.

It’s about having your systems so tight that wherever the work happens — Wuhan, Wenzhou, or anywhere in between — you can trace, manage, and control your production flow.

You don’t need to bluff.

You need:

• Clear POs

• Tracked materials

• Transparent supplier agreements

• A workflow that covers communication, location, handovers, and lead times

When you have that?

You don’t need to fake knowledge.

You have it — because you’ve built it into your process.

Final Thought: Nod Less, Ask More (But Know What You’re Asking)

Here’s my advice to every founder sitting in a sourcing meeting, feeling that heat rise when a supplier casually drops a name or detail you weren’t expecting:

Pause. Smile. Ask.

Say:

• “I’ve heard of it — are you moving some operations there?”

• “Interesting — is that where the dyeing is being done now?”

• “Is that the origin on our logistics sheet?”

Because asking smart, casual questions builds trust.

Nodding along builds… vulnerability.

So yeah — I know Wuhan.

I’ve never sourced there, but I know when a question like that is really a test.

And after 15 years, I’ve learned how to pass — and how to teach you to do the same.

If you want the playbook for building real confidence in production — from fabric to freight to awkward banter over tea — that’s exactly what Garment Sourcing 101 is built for.

Because you don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to be prepared.