FashionCapital will come full circle when, on Friday 11^th April, The Rt. Hon Stephen Timms MP, Government Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform and MP for neighbouring East Ham will be visiting Fashion Enter's flagship boutique in the Vicarage Field Shopping Centre in Barking.
 

The reason for the Minister's visit is quite unique.  Back in 2001, Stephen Timms, in his then ministerial role, actually launched http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/ at our first PROFILE fashion event which was, and still is aimed at new and emerging fashion designers who are looking to bridge the gap between Graduate Fashion Week and London Fashion Week. Now that FashionCapital is a world leader, we would like to show him what an amazing resource this site is and how it has grown beyond all expectations.

Today Fashion Capital is ranked 11^th in the world for the word ‘Fashion' in the Google search engine and has over 60,000 user members - from the designer, general fashion industry, and other business support organisation communities - generating more than 5,000,000 hits on the site each month.  We would like to show our grateful thanks to the Minister for starting such an amazing project.

Another important reason for the Minister's visit is to showcase the Fashion Enter flagship store in Barking.  Fashion Enter has been established in Barking for almost one year and is going from strength to strength.  Fashion Enter wishes to express its grateful thanks to Simon Green (Centre Manger), Derek Levy (Principal Regeneration Officer, LBBD) and John Middleton (Head of Operations, Skills and Economic Development at London Thames Gateway Development Corporation) for their continuing help and support over the year.

Fashion Enter is currently submitting a bid to Barking and Dagenham Enterprise for impetus and sustained funding under the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) programme, which, with additional match funding support, is designed to cement Fashion Enter in the area for at least three more years.

So Friday 11^th is a fashion thanksgiving day - and a day of celebration; for the success of FashionCapital; for the achievements to date of Fashion Enter in Barking. And it will be an opportunity to celebrate the work of the Enter Boutique, and some of the designers whose work is showcased and sold there.  Fashion Enter has also invited key individuals who have also played a specific role in securing the success of Fashion-Enter in Barking and Dagenham.

The event will also be covered by local press as well as the BBC online.

Please find below the agenda below...