Many people ask us "how is a mannequin made"? We should note that before we begin, there is a very vast difference in the factories that make cheap low quality mannequins and the factories that make premium high quality mannequins. From the materials used to the care taken during the process (i.e quality control) through to the working conditions, there is a great chasm between the (very) rare good factory and most of the others in China.
Our factory, we are proud to say, is one of the best facilities in the world, with a determined dedication to following environmental regulations and satisfactory working conditions, as well as a meticulous quality control program.
Most of today's retail shop display mannequins are manufactured from fibreglass moulds, and here is a brief summary of the process.
First there is the actual sculpting process - where a clay model is sculpted. This model when finished is submitted for approval and if all is ok, the sculpted form is made into prototype moulds - usually moulds are made for the heads, hands, arms, legs & torso. This process also allows for changes to these parts later (eg. a different head) without having to start from scratch with a new sculpture.
Once the moulds are completed, we can begin making the mannequin.
First the moulds are filled with fibreglass, sealed and cast - above is a video of the factory floor
during this process.
The next step after removing the moulds is the sanding. This is actually the part of the process where some of the most skilled workers are required. A very labour intensive process, sanding is one of the areas where the quality level of a mannequin is determined. For instance, at our factory, the general manager is very reluctant to use workers from other mannequin factories - as their workmanship is not up to the right standard and it is hard for them to correct bad habits learnt at inferior factories. During the sanding process, all the rough edges left from the moulds are sanded back, and the surface of the mannequin is prepared properly for painting. At this point the pieces of each mannequin are inspected by the quality control team before moving on to the next part of the manufacturing process.
Next the mannequins are sent off to the painting floor, vast areas which can look like a macabre body shop, with dismembered bodies in all shapes, sizes and positions waiting to be painted! The mannequins go through spray booths and then ovens to dry, before once again, the mannequins are subject to rigorous quality control procedures - if something is not right, even if it is microscopic, it goes back to be rectified before the mannequin is allowed to progress. Notice in the first part of the video below, little stickers over the skin colour mannequins - these are the areas identified by quality control to be rectified - you can see how thorough they are!
For the headless mannequins, this is almost the end of the journey, but for the realistic mannequins, the heads and torsos now move on to the make up department, where - in a high quality factory - the make up is actually done by hand. Eyelashes are added (purchased from a local doll maker factory) and the team of make up artists work with a sample head in front of them, to ensure the mannequin's make up is correct.
Make up can either be standard designs, or can be customised to suit clients or brands.
From here, the mannequins go through one last quality control inspection - are fully assembled to make sure all the parts align correctly, and then are packed together with their base and from there, the clients order is packed into a shipping container and sent to the port.
So that's a crash course in how a mannequin is made!

