‘It’s time to make Leicester the home of garment manufacturing again’ – Jenny Holloway Featured in Drapers

Drapers, has just published (17th April 2025) Jenny Holloway’s article: ‘It’s time to make Leicester the home of garment manufacturing again’

As FashionCapital / Fashion-Enter Ltd CEO and ATMF Chair, Jenny is passionate about the UK fashion and textile sector and in this article she focuses on the cluster of suppliers and services in the Leicester area.

To read the article on Drapers Online tap here

The full article reads:

Ahead of trade show Leicester Made on 14 May, Jenny Holloway, chair of Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), discusses what factories need to survive, from public procurement contracts to B2C sales.

Last month, I visited the factories of Leicester to hear first hand what is occurring with their businesses. The ATMF needs to clearly understand what the asks are from the factories and I while fundamentally know it’s going to be more work, we must raise the profile of each of the ethical and compliant factories.

In order to do this we are creating a new service whereby the ATMF will work with brands directly to source production from the ethical factories that it represents.  We have already started spotlighting certain manufacturers on LinkedIn and these have gained strong traction.

We need to bring the buyers and factories together and this is why trade show Leicester Made on 14 May is vital for genuine collaborations to be made. Made in the UK does have status and standing so let’s be proud and showcase the finest fabric suppliers and factories. There are also some outstanding printers in Leicester that offer full end-to-end services for brands.

We also need support with R&D [research & development] and Skills Tax Credits. Factories are prepared to invest and support the next generation of skilled operatives.

We are working closely with other trade bodies such as Make UK to make sure the garment manufacturers have a voice for lobbying and I recently attended the Industrial Strategy Skills Commission review in April. There we discussed the reforms that are essential to the economic future of manufacturing [such as using the government’s new growth and skills levy to help fill factory vacancies].

ATMF will also represent a consortium of factories, dye houses and suppliers to trade with public procurement contracts. The ATMF has already contacted the Ministry of Defence and the NHS for a call for action to bid for procurement contracts for uniforms, ceremonial attire, workwear and PPE.

I have recently discovered that the greatest volume of military clothing is purchased by the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and in 2022/3 more than £118m was spent on clothing and ceremonial accoutrements. We need these contracts to have a proportion made in the UK if not entirely made in the UK.

We shall be reviewing how the ATMF can support B2C sales – this is something new for the factories and will provide greater long-term stability and better margin too.

The ATMF will be offering an etail website to create a new concept in drop shipping services and to sell end-of-line stock.  There will be two services. One is to sell dead stock and the other is to create small order opportunities for designers, which has not been offered by a trade body before. There will be no charge for the factories but a commission will be taken on the orders to recoup costs.

The industry has long been hampered by adverse criticism and comment regarding poor working factories. Factories have made a concerted effort to ensure that the correct working practices are now in place, audits are adhered to and there is now far more transparency in the supply chain. ATMF will act as a consistent voice to support the ongoing open working relationships for both buyers and suppliers.

We are also calling for an adjudicator for the textile industry. It remains a major request to ensure that both sides of the industry adhere to best working practices.

Having been on both sides of the buying and supply cycle I can fully appreciate both sourcing teams’ needs and those of the factories too. The ATMF will build that bridge for both parties so there is a win-win for all.

It’s time to make Leicester the home of garment manufacturing again.

Join us for Leicester Made sponsored by Kornit Digital, Style3D, Alvanon and ASBCI, Wednesday 14th May 10am – 10pm Athena Events Venue, Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD.

Tap here to register your free place.