Garment Manufacturer Un-Available’s New Factory Is Cut From A Different Cloth

In 2004, Un–Available, an aspiring garment manufacturer, moved out of a bedroom studio that doubled as a production floor into a designated manufacturing facility.

16 years and many premium streetwear clients later, Un-Available is moving again — this time into a 9,000m² custom-designed factory befitting a manufacturer for iconic global streetwear brands like Saturdays, Palace and Stüssy.

The move was mostly driven by the need to accommodate the company’s growth spurred by increased customer demand. Paul Norriss, Un-Available co-founder and COO, used this opportunity to build a sustainability-led space that would be the visual translation of the brand identity. Designed with the creative juices from Saigon-based creative agency The Lab, the new factory defines the forward looking approach of the company.

The company is evolving from a mostly streetwear clothing manufacturer to a hi-tech, all-brand adaptable operation that responds in real time to what customers are buying and saying, adjusting production accordingly. This office is part of that revolution.

Although functionality led the brief, style and aesthetics are a pervasive theme, with design-forward furniture by Un-Available’s sister business District Eight mixed seamlessly in.

For Paul it was important to have the factory floor and office space under one roof as proximity helps bridge the teams and facilitates communication and speed. There were also certain functional challenges of the factory’s large-scale operation that needed to be addressed -- all while elevating the aesthetics of manufacturing. 

One such challenge, visual clutter, was tackled by utilizing just three materials — concrete terrazzo, wood and steel — to craft 99% of the interior. Staircases not only tie it all together but also serve a utilitarian purpose by improving the workflow.  

Both the factory and the brand were designed to be ageless and adaptable. Paul’s vision for the factory is for all brands, streetwear included, to be able to walk into Un-Available space and feel like together they can tackle any brief and challenge with precision and with no bias for any particular style or trend.