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Newsletter 9th April 2014
Dear all,
The power of blogs and social media has become ever apparent with 92 per cent of consumers more likely to purchase goods through peer-to-peer recommendations than via adverts. It’s no wonder fashion retailers are collaborating in new and increasingly inventive ways with bloggers.
eBay predicts that by the end of the year the value of social media for retail will reach around £3.3bn, with direct social media sales totaling nearly £290m (up 44 per cent on last year). This growth goes hand-in-hand with increased consumer usage of photo and video-sharing social networks, such as Pinterest and Instagram, with the latter enjoying a 23 per cent usage growth in the last six months, according to GlobalWebIndex.
Food for thought for those wanting to promote their label / brand, social media is often seen as an additional after-thought but is rapidly becoming a powerful PR, marketing and sales tool.
You can find our activities on these social networking sites:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FashionCapital
Facebook Main: http://www.facebook.com/fashioncapital
Facebook Stitching Academy: http://www.facebook.com/thestitchingacademy
Facebook Editor JoJo: http://www.facebook.com/PrDispensaryBath
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fashioncapitaluk
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/fashioncapital/pins/
Tumblr: http://fashioncapitaluk.tumblr.com/
Polyvore: http://fashioncapital.polyvore.com/
Make It British – Meet the Manufacturer
 With less than 10 weeks to go Fashion Enter will be present at the first edition of Meet the Manufacturer. Held at the renowned Truman Brewery, Central London, Meet the Manufacturer is the first and only major sourcing event specifically for BRITISH ONLY manufacturers of clothing, textiles and leather goods. More than just a trade fair, Meet the Manufacturer will provide opportunities for UK factories, designers and buyers to network together under one roof, in an environment that is open and collaborative to doing business. This inaugural event has been developed due to the huge increase in requests through the website Make it British from designers, buyers and sourcing directors who are actively looking for quality British factories to make their products.
Save the Date: Meet the Manufacturer 11-12 June at The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1.
The ‘How to Succeed in Fashion’ Seminar Tomorrow
The last few places remain for the popular ‘How to Succeed in Fashion’ Seminar.
Tomorrow 10th April Fashion Enter will host an exclusive all day seminar for new business start-ups and up and coming fashion designers at The Factory in North London. Speakers include a Buyer from Marks & Spencer, Head of Technical Services at ASOS and Leading Solicitor Nick Gould from Collyer Bristow. The seminar will also include a tour of The Factory and Fashion Studio to review sampling and production capabilities with an overview on what is expected from a designer in the manufacturing process. This is one seminar you can’t afford to miss!
See below for the amazing line up of guest speakers confirmed so far:
Lauren Jolly, Assistant Buyer – Twiggy and Best of British M&S – The Buying Cycle
Nick Gould, Partner Collyer Bristow – The importance of copyright and IP
Gabrielle Rode-Hilbert, Buyer ASOS – What makes a winning collection
Tanya Elizabeth, Designer – Working as a French Connection Designer then owning my own label
Jenni Sutton, Development Manager – Should you hire an apprentice?
Jenny Holloway, Director – How to run a label successfully / important documentation
Tour of the Factory and The Fashion Studio
Maya Balcerzak, Studio Assistant – Sampling at The Fashion Studio
Caroline Ash, Production Manager – Large scale Production
Dan Sherfield, Investment Manager – Are you Business Ready?
Sophie Glover, Head of Technical Services ASOS – The importance of Garment Technology
This is one seminar you can’t afford to miss.
To attend please email jenni@fashion-enter.com for further details. This will be on a first come first served basis.
Do You Want to Work for ASOS?
FashionCapital is delighted to announce another exciting apprenticeship offer with global and leading e-tailer ASOS!
ASOS burst on to the scene in 2000 and hasn’t looked back. The UK’s number one fashion and beauty destination, and as a recent survey showed, is the second most visited fashion website on the planet. With over 60,000 product lines across womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery and beauty, they’re setting the pace in a worldwide fashion revolution. With around 1,500 new product lines being introduced each week, ASOS certainly know their stuff.
Based in the garment tech department, the apprentice should be passionate about ASOS and an enthusiastic quick thinker, ready to adapt quickly to new departments and situations.
Responsibilities include:
- Providing technical support to the design and buying team at product development stage
- Learning about the multi-faceted role of a Technologist within a fast fashion retailer
- Assisting the Technical team with quality issues. Providing support to the Technologist
- Learning to assess risks through fabric management and test reporting, ensuring all products are fit for purpose.
- Attending fit sessions – taking notes and measuring samples and models
- Proficient in analysing customer returns and action planning
- Gaining experience across all product areas with ASOS
To see the full role and how to apply, follow this link: https://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/Learning/Apprenticeship/26822-garment-technology-apprenticeship-with-asos.html
Our New Look Apprentices Gain Full-Time Jobs!
All four New Look apprentices have been offered full-time jobs with the High Street giant…
Left to right: Louise, Lily, Iga, Sof and Emma
Iga comments:
“Being an apprentice has been a real journey! With all ups and downs on the way I couldn’t have asked for more that this happy ending and a new beginning. After almost two years I have now completed the Level 3 apprenticeship and I’m miles above the knowledge and experience I had on my first interview with Fashion Enter 26 months ago! I have loved the course and the attention that was given to every single one of us during the process. I could not have done it without motivation from teachers and strong believe in me from Jenny Holloway that I saw every time she looked at my work. I know I have not only learnt so much but I have grown as a person. I am over the moon to now be offered a full time job at New Look as a Technologist Admin Assistant. My dream came true and I could not be in a better place with my life right now.”
Lily adds:
“I was only 16 when I joined the New Look apprenticeship programme after being interviewed by Fashion Enter and two years later I am now a Junior Garment Technologist on knitwear. I am so happy to be offered a job. I am so pleased that I now have this job; one of the top jobs for an amazing retailer. I couldn’t have done this without the apprenticeship so thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
Barbara Hulanicki & IconClub at Bath in Fashion May 2014
Barbara Hulanicki’s latest clothing brand, IconClub, is delighted to be involved in Bath in Fashion 2014. In a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Biba, Barbara will be in conversation with the renowned fashion editor Hilary Alexander, and there will be a vintage Biba catwalk show on Thursday 8th May.
Back in 1964 Barbara designed the first fashion tee body shape for her era defining store, Biba. Today, Barbara has teamed up with British manufacturers Fashion Enter to recreate the hugely successful tee shirt for IconClub, an online store featuring luxurious jersey tees, nighties and accessories, such as jumbo 100% silk scarves and canvas tote bags. All are printed with Barbara’s signature illustrations and exclusive graphic designs.
In celebration of the launch, IconClub will be holding a pop up store during Bath in Fashion week at Sisi & May boutique on Bartlett Street. Recently voted one of the Telegraph’s top 50 UK boutiques, Barbara promises to be in the store on the evening of Thursday 8th May for a meet and greet.
www.iconclub.co.uk
http://www.bathinfashion.co.uk/
As Seen in Company Magazine
Check out our ASOS/FashionCapital Stitching Academy featured in the May issue of Company Magazine out now.
Fashion Writer Alexxsia Elizabeth visited the Stitching Academy in February and interviewed Jenny Holloway, Alfie Falconer and current Stitching Academy students for the feature.
Alexxsia stated, ‘that she loved writing the piece and that it is one of her all-time fav features.’
This Week on FashionCapital
We interview Missguided Buyer Lorna Redfern about her fashion journey so far and how she landed her dream job. Our resident journalist Katie Farley takes a look at London Fashion Week designer Roksanda Ilincic and patiently awaits the opening of her first standalone concept store. And Fashion Targets Breast Cancer 2014 announce the faces fronting their annual campaign.
Lorna Redfern – Buyer for Missguided.co.uk
Welcome Dan Sherfield to the Fashion Enter Team
 Dan spent five years at EY assisting corporate clients to buy and sell businesses. During this time he gained his chartered accountancy qualification and worked with corporates from small start-ups to multi-nationals across a broad range of industries.
Having spent some time advising some social businesses in his spare time, he requested a secondment to the Social Business Trust to look for new and exciting social enterprises that SBT could assist via grant funding and professional support. It was on this secondment that he met Jenny Holloway and Fashion Enter, and having taken them through a rigorous due diligence process helped them to receive investment from the Social Business Trust in September 2013.
Dan knew from this time that Fashion Enter was incredibly special, and over the next six months formed a strong bond with Jenny Holloway, which ultimately culminated in him handing in his resignation with EY to take a career break and join Fashion Enter to help improve finances and bring efficiencies to the factory. Dan is incredibly excited about this opportunity and he is looking forward to helping Fashion Enter grow and become a leading social enterprise in the UK.
Youth Fashion Wandsworth Project Final Designs Get Photographed
On Saturday 5th April, a photographer came to the Fashion Enter Factory to photograph the completed final five designs of the Youth Fashion Wandsworth project.
The winning, architecture-inspired designs were styled on a professional model, alongside the help of the five young designers who styled hair and make-up to complete their vision. The young designers were very enthusiastic and keen to translate their vision into the photoshoot, with one of the winning designers, Letisha McDonald commenting; “I’m so pleased with my finished dress, made by Fashion Enter’s Stitching Academy. It fits well with my theme and mood-board. As I am the designer I enjoyed styling the model, making decisions on hair, makeup and shoes.”
The Mayor of Wandsworth, Angela Graham also paid The Factory a visit to have a look at the finished designs and see them being styled for the photoshoot. Angela was particularly impressed with the idea of The Factory, the idea behind the Made in Britain label, overwhelmed at how close to home the manufacturing was taking place.
Check out some behind the scenes photos from the day here.
Make sure you pop along to see the dresses at The Pump House Gallery on the 25th of April and read about the entire competition here:
http://fashioncapital.co.uk/News/26510-youth-fashion-wandsworth-.html
Pump House Gallery
Battersea Park, London
SW11 4NJ
http://pumphousegallery.org.uk
This Week’s Header features a garment by Carole Waller
This week’s header features a painted dress by the artist Carole Waller photographed by William King. Along with Barbara Hulanicki Carole will also be taking part in this year’s Bath in Fashion with her Colour & Cloth Workshop. She will also present her S/S wearable art collection in aid of the Forever Friends Cancer Care Campaign and St John’s Hospital on the 15th May at The Octagon.
Happy Birthday Fashion Enter / FashionCapital CEO Jenny Holloway
 Yesterday Jenny celebrated her birthday and received a wonderful selection of gifts from the staff, she said:
“Heck, I have done well this year. I have been truly touched by all the kindness of the staff who bought me gifts for my birthday. Honestly I felt really overwhelmed! Thank you to everyone; I am so glad we all moved to be under one roof at the Factory as it has been lovely to get to know all staff!”
Boutique Pick of the Week
As you may well have guessed we are big supporters of labels designed and made in the UK, this week we feature a dress by Nancy Dee, a pioneering womenswear label which combines a strong ethical philosophy with an equally uncompromising focus on style.
Exclusively designed and made in Britain, the label was created in 2008 by sisters Seraphina and Tamsin Davis who share a passionate belief that responsible fashion is possible without compromising on quality or design.
Inspired by contemporary classic designs and specialising in jersey for its characteristic softness, drape and stretch, Nancy Dee’s stylish, versatile pieces translate easily from day to night and season to season.
The Carla mid-length dress features a pleated waist and gathered neckline secured by sash neck tie in contrast satin Modal. The cherry blossom print put us in the mood for spring and can be layered up over jersey tops or under cardigans to take you right into summer. Made from 95% Bamboo/ 5% elastane with 100% satin Modal.
Nancy Dee Carla dress £89.00
Coming Soon
Until next time, have a great week,
All the team at Fashion Capital x
   
Special Recognition Award
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