What is Fason (Contract Manufacturing)?

Fason is the Turkish term for production, or one stage of production, that is placed with another firm while the party commissioning the work supplies the materials. The Turkish Language Association (TDK) dictionary defines “fason üretim” as production placed with another firm with the materials supplied by the brand owner; “fason imalat” means the same. English has no single equivalent: the Turkish Competition Authority’s English guidelines say “subcontracting agreements,” while contract manufacturing is a broader term that also covers full-package suppliers, as our contract garment manufacturing guide explains. When the buyer supplies the fabric for cutting and sewing, the garment trade says CMT (cut, make, trim).

What does fason mean? The dictionary definition

TDK records “fason” with three senses and traces it to French façon (translations ours). The first sense reads only “► kesim” (cutting), and the kesim entry, in its sixth sense, lists “fason” as a synonym for a tailor’s work of shaping fabric. The second is a trade term: goods made by another firm with the materials supplied by the brand owner (“fason mal”). The third, “an imitation product made illegally,” is marked dialectal (ağızlardan), not slang; Tekstil Rehberi, not TDK, treats it as unrelated to commercial fason.

What does fason mean in garment production?

In garment production, the first question is who supplies what. If the brand or manufacturer commissioning the work supplies the fabric (the main raw material) and an outside workshop cuts, sews, prints, embroiders or washes it, the job is fason. In everyday speech the word sometimes also covers jobs where the workshop brings the fabric, but TDK looks for materials from the commissioning party. As of October 16, 2026, the Turkish VAT General Implementation Communiqué (the Communiqué) asks for the raw materials, above all the main raw material, to come from that party.

Hypothetical example: a brand buys fabric and accessories, has one workshop cut, a second sew and a third wash, and pays each only for its process. The Communiqué says a product can be contracted out whole or split by production stage. This entry covers fason in textiles; to find Turkish workshops, start with clothing manufacturers in Turkey.

Fason job types: cutting, sewing, printing, embroidery and washing

Sewing cut panels that arrive at the workshop is fason, but it is not CMT, because the workshop does not cut. See also all contract services.

What do fasoncu, fason takipçisi and fason işçilik mean?

The fasoncu is the workshop or business that does fason work with the commissioning party’s materials. TDK has no entry for the word (checked October 16, 2026); it is trade language, used in a Ministry of National Education training module as “fasoncu işletmeler,” contract-work enterprises (MEGEP, 2008). The fason takipçisi, or subcontract production coordinator, works for the firm placing the work, sending materials to the workshop and following production, lead time and quality. Fason işçilik is the fee for the process, not the product: in CMT the factory earns a processing fee, not a garment price (Gereffi and Frederick, 2010). To screen workshops, see how to choose a CMT workshop.

Fason, CMT and full package: what is the difference?

CMT is the garment version of fason in which the buyer supplies the fabric: the factory cuts and sews it, and the fabric belongs to the buyer. A full-package manufacturer sources and finances the fabric and trims itself; the trade also calls this model OEM, FOB or package contractor (Gereffi and Frederick, 2010, p. 12).

If a quote says “fason,” have it state who supplies the fabric and trims, which processes the price covers, who keeps wastage and leftover fabric, and which MOQ and lead time it assumes.

Are private label and alt fason the same as fason?

Frequently asked questions

What does fason mean on a Turkish quote?

It usually signals contract work: the party commissioning the work supplies the materials, and the workshop is paid for its process. Ask in writing who supplies the fabric and trims, because the word is also used loosely for jobs where the workshop brings the fabric.

Does fason mean counterfeit?

No. The dictionary’s “imitation product made illegally” is a dialect sense. In commercial fason the party commissioning the work is the brand owner and supplies the materials; making unauthorized copies falls outside that definition. Ask a lawyer about the legal consequences.

Does fason work have special VAT rules in Turkey?

Yes, if conditions are met. As of October 16, 2026, the Turkish VAT General Implementation Communiqué covers contract textile and clothing work under partial withholding in section I/C-2.1.3.2.7, applied by commissioning parties that are VAT taxpayers or designated buyers listed there. Thread, buttons and interlining supplied by the workshop count as part of the fason fee. If you buy from outside Turkey, ask your supplier in writing how the order will be invoiced, and confirm the VAT treatment with an accountant.