Fashion Forward Success: Uniting Leicester’s Fashion Community

The first Fashion Forward Leicester networking event took place on Tuesday 30th September at LCB Depot, drawing over 70 attendees from across the fashion ecosystem including start-ups, scale-ups, factories, students, and established industry players.

Organised to spotlight innovation and collaboration in Leicester’s fashion sector, the afternoon event featured a powerful lineup of speakers offering practical insights and inspirational guidance to support the city’s vibrant creative and manufacturing community.

Kicking off the event, Peter Gallagher-Witham from The Fashion Guild led an engaging and interactive session exploring the evolving role of AI in fashion. Attendees, including students from De Montfort University, posed thought-provoking questions that highlighted the opportunities and challenges AI presents to the future of design, production, and retail.

Next up, fashion entrepreneur Russell Hammond captivated the audience with an honest and enlightening talk on the realities of starting a brand. Emphasising the need for “renaissance” thinkers in every business, Russell shared his own experiences and actionable advice with warmth and wit.

The final presentation came from the team at Midori, with Kelly and Miles delivering a compelling session on e-commerce strategy. Their key message: “There’s no point having a website that isn’t your best sales assistant.” Their practical tips on how to optimise online retail platforms resonated strongly with emerging brands and established businesses alike.

The event concluded with an open networking session followed by the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF) general meeting. Chair of ATMF and CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL), Jenny Holloway, captured the spirit of the afternoon, stating:

“There was one resounding theme today – Leicester is FANTASTIC! There is an abundance of talent and skills, and now it’s time to get behind this glorious city and support the factories. It’s time for a new platform that showcases what Leicester’s jewels really are.

“Thank you to everyone who made the event a great success. This is only the start of the journey!”

Guest speaker Russell Hammond echoed the sentiment, adding:

“I thought it was a great cross section of the Leicester creative community coming together to share ideas and learn from the well-informed and inspirational speakers.”

Attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as:

“Leicester’s spirit is inspiring. Talent, craft, and entrepreneurial drive converging with purpose… Fashion’s future depends on enablers who create low-friction pathways for start-ups and scale-ups.”

“Really insightful and engaging event. Would love to go to another in the future.”

“Three fantastic speakers, lots of practical insights and great networking.”

“Learnt a lot, especially in the section about online marketing and websites. Very insightful.”

Plans for the next Fashion Forward Leicester event are already underway, with further details to be announced soon.