Create Growth Funding Event – Supporting Ethical Fashion and Textiles Businesses in the East Midlands

On Thursday 8^th February, Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) held a Create Growth Event at LCB Depot for fashion and textiles in the East Midlands. This event was in partnership with the East Midlands Creative Consortium and Create Growth Funding.

The aim of this programme is to provide free business support tailored to the specific needs of potential, high growth creative businesses.

Leicester and the East Midlands has an abundance of fashion and textile businesses and start-ups, and the event focused on how the changing face of fashion provides a huge opportunity for the region to exploit and grow.

Simon Platts; Former ASOS.com sustainable sourcing Director and Co-Founder of Recomme, provided a fantastic overview of how Leicester could become a circular hub for the UK. Providing opportunity for all through eco systems and collaboration.

Thami Schweichler then provided valuable insight into creating the United Repair Centre, first in Amsterdam, and recently in London in partnership with FEL. Repair really is the new cool.

Then Jenny Holloway, CEO and founder of FEL, enlightened the room with how FEL has pivoted and embraced technology and created the micro factory to respond to the changing manufacturing landscape.

The event was compared by Jackie Bertram; Deputy CEO at Fashion-Enter Ltd, Jackie commented: “This was a fantastic audience of creatives, enthusiasts and manufacturers who are all incredibly proud to be based in the East midlands and are passionate about a positive future for the regions fashion and textiles.

“The open discussions in the room were positive and constructive with a real desire to promote Leicester as a city of opportunity. However UK brands do need to reconsider investing in UK manufacturing and support the creative industries here in the UK. Leicester has the opportunity to lead on near-shoring and as a centre for circular fashion. It’s time for a new narrative.”

“Thank-you to the East Midlands Creative Consortium, Create Growth Funding, our guest speakers Simon, Thami and Jenny and to all that attended.”

Attendee Chris Desai CEO at Vayyu® commented on LinkedIn: “A fantastic evening yesterday with Simon Platts and other fashion industry legends such as Jenny Holloway from Fashion-Enter. It gave me a fresh outlook about my brand Vayyu® and the full lifecycle of our organic pieces and how to keep them in the system for generations to come.

“It’s a great momentum to propel Leicestershire’s fashion industry back into the limelight after years and years of bad press! There are some great, ethical manufacturers in this city and we need to rethink our relationship with fashion and how we consume, what fabrics are being used and what the full lifecycle of the products are. Let’s think circular and big things to come this year with Vayyu®.”