Hi Sarah,
My name is Mike, and I'm a sourcing and production expert. I've run sourcing through production for brands like Justin Timberlake's brand William Rast, Rampage, tokidoki, and Brian Lichtenberg Homies. I have many contacts with fabric mills, sample makers, and manufacturing contractors, both here in Los Angeles where I am based, and overseas.
If you're starting out with smaller quantities, I think your best bet is to do sampling and low-level production here in the US. I can help you cost out the line to project/estimate final cost per SKU, establish what kind of mark-up you need to aim for at the wholesale price, and advise you what that will translate into for suggested retail price. I can connect you with sample makers and contractors here in L.A. and even help handle your development and production, liaising between you and the vendors here. Also, if you haven't sourced your fabrics yet, I can help you source which fabric options to consider at the price you will need, depending on what the material cost does juxtaposed with the labor, trims, and after wholesale mark-up.
Let me know if you'd like to explore this as an option.
Thanks,
Mike Vizcarra