What Is ODM (Original Design Manufacturer)?

A manufacturer that contributes design and development support alongside production.

ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) describes a manufacturing arrangement where the manufacturer contributes design and product development expertise alongside production, rather than simply executing a buyer-supplied tech pack (as in OEM) or applying branding to an existing base style (as in private label). ODM support is useful for buyers who have a strong sense of their brand and market but limited in-house pattern-making or fabric-development capability.