A New Way Forward: FEL Partners with Makers Unite from Amsterdam!

11-10-2023
Over the last 12-months the bulk production side of the business has been slow here at Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL). It wasn’t long ago FEL proclaimed that they could produce up to 30,000 units a week from their sites in Wales in London but that’s long gone!
Today, depending on the style, FEL can create up to 20,000 units, and that now normally comprises of lots of small orders for absolutely rewarding clients such as Community Clothing, Vivien of Holloway and live retailers such as N Brown and the Very Group. In the accompanying Fashion Studio FEL has over 75 clients ranging from Louise Laing and her innovative company PhygitalTwin to Louisa Parris!

FEL CEO Jenny Holloway commented: “This has been, quite frankly, the hardest time for us as a company. On one hand we totally support the surge in recycling and upcycling and the need to stop over consumption. This is exactly why we have developed the Micro Factory concept and also new made to demand models using Kornit, Zund and our in-house Galaxius systems. However, we need work and core retailers have been disappointing in their lack of adoption of new buying models. Everyone is obsessed with intake margin chasing production around the globe to save the very last cent! It’s shocking!
“But, it is changing…when I see our full recycling and stitching classes with Gen Z, Alpha and also Millennials, you can see the grass root changes going on in fashion today. Old is now the New New and it’s fantastic to be part of this pivotal change in fashion today.”
Over the last three months FEL has been in deep discussions with Makers Unite who are a textile creative agency rooted in ethics and sustainability based in Amsterdam. They shot to fame with their recycling use of the disbanded life jackets when migrants came on board to Europe and since then there has been no stopping the innovative Thami Schweichler and the Makers Unite team.
Today FEL is proud to announce a new collaboration with Makers Unite. The new partnership will create a London branch of the United Repair Centre situated at FEL’s Factory in Haringey. Officially commencing from 1st November the partnership will focus on repairing stock and returns from major sustainable brands such as Patagonia.
Jenny added: “We are absolutely delighted! This new collaboration means that our amazing stitchers can be fully employed on creating new garments out of old! We have already undertaken trials and these proved to be very successful. After such a long dark tunnel there is now a great bright light on the horizon and it’s right for the industry and our glorious artisans too.”
Tap here to read ‘Repair is the New Cool: How Amsterdam Started a Fashion Revolution’ by Emma Beddington featured in The Guardian 11th October 2023, the Makers Unite and FEL partnership is announced in this article.