01 · CORE
Standard Real
FRP/PU body, hand-finished skin, removable arms and hands, molded hair or a smooth head.
- Boutiques, showrooms, department stores
- Best balance of cost and durability
- Core serial version
Investor project
Premium retail
Ultra real mannequins
Modular construction
Atelier RealUltra Real Mannequins
Mannequins that do not diminish the clothes they present. Real faces, dimensional skin tones and a dependable modular system for windows, showrooms and flagship stores.
01 / scale
Three product levels, six skin tones and a fully transparent financial model
3product levels: Standard Real, Premium Real, Hyper Real.
6launch skin tones, each with its own undertone map.
$345kfull pre-revenue funding: development, tooling, first batch and six months of runway.
58 / 68units for operating and full recovery of the investment.
02 / investment thesis
In premium retail, a mannequin is part of a brand's visual capital. The garment is often worth more than the object presenting it.
Atelier Real bridges the gap between a low-cost serial mannequin and an expensive museum figure. Realism is concentrated where customers see it: face, hands, proportions and skin. Inside is a serviceable structure designed for frequent dressing.
The launch model is small-batch customization for fashion brands, department stores, exhibitions and visual-merchandising agencies. Scale comes from reusing the body platform, molds and connectors.
Real without looking waxyFacial micro-asymmetry, translucent color layers and controlled satin highlights.
One platform, many collectionsInterchangeable heads, hands, skin tones, hair and poses on one engineering base.
Repair instead of replacementRemovable modules, spare parts and a service kit reduce ownership cost.
03 / construction
Human on the outside. A clear industrial product on the inside.
A modular FRP and PU shell, load-bearing metal parts, bayonet joints and separate hands. Magnets only locate components; a mechanical lock carries the load.
ModulesHead, neck adapter, torso, pelvis, shoulders, forearms, hands, thighs, lower legs, feet, base and support.
Main shell2.5–5 mm fiberglass: rigid, repairable and familiar to serial manufacturers.
Detailed partsDense PU for face, ears, hands and feet; platinum silicone is a Premium and Hyper option.
Hardware304/316 stainless steel, 6061 aluminum, M6/M8 brass inserts, EPDM and PTFE.
OperationTool-free dressing, replaceable hands or heads, local coating repair and refinishing.
04 / product line
Three levels of realism for three purchasing cases
The first run should start with Standard Real: the intended visual result without excessive service risk.
02 · FLAGSHIP
Premium Real
Advanced painting, glass eyes, interchangeable heads, detailed hands and local silicone zones.
- Flagship stores and fashion shoots
- Strong customization
- High-margin small batches
03 · LIMITED
Hyper Real
Silicone zones or full silicone skin over a rigid structure, with hand-punched hair.
- Museums, pop-ups and PR installations
- Maximum visual impact
- Made-to-order limited product
05 / materials and specification
Every material has a specific job
Silicone alone does not make a mannequin convincing. The result comes from precise form, surface preparation, layered color and controlled sheen.
| Component | Material | Specification | Reason | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torso and limbs | FRP / fiberglass | 2.5–5 mm, 2–4 layers, local reinforcement | Rigidity, repairability, serial hand lay-up | Thickness, voids, weight, geometry |
| Face and hands | PU resin | Dense casting with fine detail | Captures eyelids, lips, ears and fingers | Chips, pores, finger distortion |
| Soft zones | Platinum silicone | Face, neck or hands in premium versions | Optical depth and tactility | Tear, tack, pigment adhesion |
| Load-bearing joints | SS 304/316 + Al 6061 | M6/M8, bayonet, anti-rotation | Repeated assembly without play | 250 cycles, torque, pull test |
| Finish | Primer + pigments + clear | Translucent glaze layers, satin matte | Skin reads as volume, not flat color | 2700K / 4000K / 5600K |
| Packaging | EPE/EVA + crate | Separate inserts and soft sleeves | Protects fingers, face and clear coat | Drop / vibration pilot test |
06 / skin system
Nine operations instead of one coat of flesh-colored paint
PreparationP240–P800 sanding, degreasing, primer and seam leveling.
Base toneAn even coat matched to the approved skin-tone library.
UndertonesRose, olive, amber, red-brown and cool brown.
Hand detailEyelids, lips, ears, nails, joints and subtle natural asymmetry.
Protection and sheenTranslucent glaze, satin-matte clear and localized sheen.
07 / tone library
Six launch tones, each with its own undertone map
Deep skin needs warm transitions on raised areas, cool shadows and a controlled satin highlight. A single dark-brown coat looks flat.
ST-01 Porcelain Fairneutral / rose
ST-02 Warm Fairpeach / warm
ST-03 Oliveolive / muted
ST-04 Tangold / brown
ST-05 Deep Brownred / cool brown
ST-06 Ebony Satinamber / deep neutral
08 / manufacturing route
From digital model to packed product
Prototype work and quality standards stay close to the core team. Once the first article is approved, repeatable FRP work can move to a specialist OEM.
Anthropometry
Size grid, garment fit, pose, balance and retail scenarios.
Digital sculpt
Body, original faces, hands, mold seams and concealed joints.
CAD engineering
Wall thickness, inserts, connectors, base and paint allowances.
Master prototype
Large-format print or CNC, sanding and surface approval.
Molds
Split composite molds, hand tooling and connector jigs.
Casting and FRP
Gelcoat, hand lay-up, PU castings, embedded inserts and trim.
Skin finish
Primer, base, undertones, details, glaze and protective clear.
Assembly and QC
Joints, stability, lighting, fit test, packaging and product passport.
09 / where to produce
A hybrid supply chain reduces launch risk
A dedicated factory is unnecessary. The project needs a small control studio and suppliers governed by clear first-article criteria.
| Stage | Recommended location | Logic | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and prototype | Local studio + specialist CAD/3D suppliers | Fast face, skin and garment-fit iterations | Master and golden sample |
| Molds and pilot | Composite shop near the team or in EU/Türkiye | Close control of seams, inserts and first 5–10 shells | Tooling and pilot batch |
| Serial FRP | Audited OEM in China, Türkiye or Eastern Europe | Hand lay-up expertise and lower repeat-operation cost | Batches of 25 / 50 / 100 shells |
| Finish and QC | Control studio near the sales market | Skin finish carries the value and reputation risk | Finish, assembly and QC passport |
10 / unit economics
Numbers designed to be recalculated
The model starts from BOM and labor routing, not a desired sales price. Blue workbook cells can be replaced with supplier quotes.
Standard Real
Full unit cost$3,197
Wholesale price$7,612
Channel price ex-tax$10,150
Cash unit cost$2,770
Premium Real
Full unit cost$4,926
Wholesale price$11,728
Channel price ex-tax$15,638
Cash unit cost$4,499
Hyper Real
Full unit cost$8,203
Wholesale price$19,532
Channel price ex-tax$26,042
Cash unit cost$7,777
Model status
Formula-driven investor model pending supplier RFQs. Base case: 120 units per year, 55% / 35% / 10% mix, 25-unit first batch and 58% gross margin. Freight and a placeholder duty are included; VAT, income tax and financing cost are excluded.
11 / cost drivers
The main cost is skilled handwork, not resin
| Line item | Standard | Premium | Hyper | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct materials | ≈ $977 | ≈ $1,480 | ≈ $2,382 | FRP, PU, silicone zones, pigments, hardware, base and packaging |
| Direct labor | ≈ $825 | ≈ $1,455 | ≈ $2,574 | Face and hand finishing is the most sensitive operation |
| Tooling amortization | ≈ $427 | ≈ $427 | ≈ $427 | $64k allocated across 150 products |
| Overhead and reserves | included | Overhead, scrap, warranty/rework and FX buffer | ||
12 / complete economic model
From one BOM component to the annual result
All values are in USD excluding VAT. The fields below change annual volume, target margin, first batch and runway; product mix remains 55% Standard, 35% Premium and 10% Hyper.
Unit cost by product version
Formulas include waste, overhead, rejects, warranty, freight, placeholder duty and allocation of the $64k launch package.| Line item | Standard | Premium | Hyper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct materials | $977 | $1,480 | $2,382 |
| Direct labor | $825 | $1,455 | $2,574 |
| Factory overhead | $396 | $646 | $1,090 |
| Rejects and rework | $110 | $286 | $726 |
| Warranty reserve | $92 | $155 | $271 |
| Freight, duty and procurement buffer | $370 | $478 | $735 |
| Cash unit cost | $2,770 | $4,499 | $7,777 |
| Development and tooling allocation | $427 | $427 | $427 |
| Fully loaded unit cost | $3,197 | $4,926 | $8,203 |
| Ex-tax price at selected GM | $7,612 | $11,728 | $19,532 |
Annual P&L · Base
120 units, $348k fixed OPEX and 3% variable sales cost.Units sold120
Revenue$1,229,372
Fully loaded COGS$516,336
Gross profit$713,036
Sales and payment cost$36,881
Fixed OPEX$348,000
Operating profit$328,154
Fixed operating OPEX
Control studio and commercial team; serial FRP remains outsourced.Product / operations$108,000
Finish and production lead$60,000
Sales and partnerships$48,000
Studio, utilities and safety$60,000
Travel, samples and content$36,000
Software, insurance and admin$36,000
Fixed OPEX$348,000
First full-year scenarios
The downside case is loss-making: 60 units do not support the current team and studio footprint.| Scenario | Units | GM | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating profit | Operating margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downside | 60 | 50% | $516,336 | $258,168 | -$57,322 | -11.1% |
| Base | 120 | 58% | $1,229,372 | $713,036 | $328,154 | 26.7% |
| Upside | 180 | 60% | $1,936,261 | $1,161,756 | $683,669 | 35.3% |
What is not yet validated
The selling prices validate the mathematics of a 58% gross margin, not market willingness to pay. Before an investment decision, obtain RFQs from at least two OEMs, a freight quote for the actual crate, HS classification, a country-specific tax model and 5–10 customer LOIs.
13 / complete launch budget
$345kBase cash requirement before revenue: development, tooling, contingency, first batch and six months of fixed operating cost.
Development, tooling and launch package$64,000
Prototype and tooling contingency · 15%$9,600
First production batch · 25 units$96,903
Operating runway · 6 months$174,000
Total before stable revenue$344,503
14 / execution plan
Test the most expensive uncertainty before committing to production
Start with the face, one hand and a tone board. Then build the grey body and joints. The finished prototype follows only after form and assembly tests pass.
Proof of realism
One head, one hand, 12–18 color panels, adhesion and lighting tests.
Gate: face and skin approvedEngineering prototype
Grey full-body prototype, joints, base, balance and three fit-test cycles.
Gate: geometry and assembly stableGolden sample
Molds, first finished mannequin, 250 joint cycles and packaging test.
Gate: first-article report signedPilot batch
10–25 units, two heads, two skin tones and first customer installations.
Gate: repeat orders and 50+ run15 / assembly and quality
Quality is recorded by measurement, not by impression
| Test | Method | Acceptance criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Height map, key circumferences and joint symmetry | Within the approved tolerance sheet |
| Stability | Base tilt and controlled lateral load | No tipping, foot rotation or residual play |
| Joint life | 250 remove/install cycles for head, arms and hands | Locking remains secure and coating does not chip |
| Color and gloss | 2700K / 4000K / 5600K + photo record | No grey cast, spots or plastic shine |
| Dressing | Three outfits: tailoring, knitwear and dress or shirt | One employee can assemble and dress without damage |
| Packaging | Drop / vibration pilot test | Face and fingers cannot touch walls; all parts are labeled |
16 / risk control
Six risks that must be resolved before production
Neutral expression, multi-light tests and an independent review panel before tooling.
Master panels, mixing map, photo archive and measured color tolerance.
Recessed edges, EPDM, controlled gaps and 250 assembly cycles.
Operation-level routing, training against a master and separate customization pricing.
Ownership of CAD and tooling, second supplier and team-held golden sample.
Separate inserts, soft sleeves, labeling and a pilot shipment.
17 / investor proposition
Fund a proven manufacturing system, not unsold inventory
Stage 1Proof of realism, CAD body, skin-tone library and quotes from 2–3 suppliers for every critical part.
Stage 2Golden sample, full QC protocol, 10–25 unit pilot and installation with first design partners.
MetricsActual finish hours, reject rate, landed cost, dressing time, merchandiser score and repeat orders.
RevenueDirect brand sales, paid customization, spare parts, refurbishment and rental for shoots.
18 / renders and diagrams
Product, manufacturing, assembly and packaging
19 / project files
Documents for investor and factory discussions
This page is the overview. The workbook and technical files contain assumptions, BOM, assembly routing and the RFQ structure.
Financial modelBOM · labor · CAPEX · unit economics · break-even
↓
Full execution reportProduct, manufacturing, team, risks and economics
→
Materials and assemblyShell thickness, connectors, coating and QC
→
Supplier RFQ packageQuestions and quote-comparison table
→
Project auditModel errors, risks, scenarios and investment gates
→
20 / calculation basis
Verifiable anchors and model limits
The links confirm material and process availability and the price gap versus standard mannequins. They do not replace quotes based on our CAD and volume.
Merton's · Polyester Resin
Polyester laminating resin price dated June 4, 2026.
Reynolds · TASK 16
PU reference for detailed casting; a current quote is required.
Makelab · Large Format Printing
Large-format SLA/FGF availability for full-scale master parts.
Store Supply · Fiberglass Mannequin
Lower market anchor for a serial fiberglass mannequin.
Zing Display · Realistic Fiberglass
Construction example with removable parts, base and supports.
Model methodology
Assumptions, accuracy limits and mandatory RFQs.
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