7 Days Until Game Changing ‘Leicester Made’
23-05-2025
Newsletter 7th May 2025
The 7 Day Countdown
Here at Fashion-Enter it’s all hands on deck with Leicester Made trade event now just 7-days away. The event has really evolved to encompass an amazing range of businesses, speakers, organisations and brands.
Meet the Manufacturer Panel Announced
Due to popular demand the ATMF has organised with Leicester Made to have a panel of regional factories that will discuss why making in Leicester for the current retailing environment is a MUST for all brands today. Guest speakers include Sunny Patel from Meesha, Sat Singh Sodhi from Euro-Rose, Tejas from Shahtex, Mick Cheema from Basic Premier (factory pictured).
On this panel there will also be an announcement of a new report by UKFT that has interviewed a cross section of major retailers that are confirming their commitment to make in the UK with the right factories. This is a major positive way forward for Leicester factories.
Join MP’s, councillors, innovators, retailers, suppliers and more at Leicester Made next Wednesday 14th May 9am – 9pm Athena Events Venue, Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD, 9am – 9pm
Tap here to view the full agenda and register your place.
ATMF New Website Now Live
In March FEL’s CEO Jenny Holloway took on the role of Chair of the ATMF, The Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Association, and has been actively pushing for proactive initiatives for the fashion and textile industry.
As from today, the ATMF is delighted to confirm their new website has gone live ready for the Leicester Made event on 14th May at Athena.
The ATMF’s number one aim is to help the manufacturers secure more orders. This will be achieved by:
Exclusive Trade & Sales Opportunities
📌 Dropshipping Platform
List your surplus stock and sell directly to local entrepreneurs.
📌 Trade Shows & Events
Get access to industry events to network and grow.
📌 Factory Promotion
Be featured in our directory to gain more visibility.
In addition The ATMF will support on
Compliance & Growth Support
📌 Audit Guidance
Get expert help with compliance, certification, and factory audits.
📌 Training & Development
Access workshops and resources to stay competitive.
📌 Marketing Assistance We help you build an online presence and attract more clients.
After the Leicester Made event the ATMF will be reconvening with participating factories and will populate the dropshipping ThreadChain ecommerce platform.
Jenny commented: “Following consultation with the factories we are delighted to now go live with the new website. This is a new era for garment and fabric manufacturers and it’s time for the voice of the manufacturer to be heard. This will start with the Leicester Made event – taking place a week from today! It’s time for the factories to unite as one and time to join the movement!”
Or Foundation Cross-Cultural Exchange Visit
On May 1, Fashion-Enter Ltd in Haringey, welcomed a delegation from the Or Foundation—a Ghanaian non-profit dedicated to sustainable fashion and social justice. The group, comprising Kantamanto Market designers, tailors, upcyclers, retailers, and former kayayei, visited FEL’s leading-status factory to explore sustainable garment manufacturing practices and exchange knowledge on circular fashion.
The visit was led by FEL CEO Jenny Holloway and FEL Director Caroline Ash, the pair highlighted the delegation’s resilience following a devastating fire that destroyed much of the Kantamanto Market in January 2025. Despite the setback, the group remained eager to learn about sustainable production processes. Jenny emphasised the importance of such exchanges in building global solidarity and ethical practices within the fashion industry.
Tap here to find out more about this visit.
Fashion Declares! White Paper 2025: A Call for UK Fashion Policy Reform
On 30 April 2025, Jenny Holloway attended the launch of The Future of Fashion in the UK, a new White Paper published by Fashion Declares! and Bates Wells. The event marked a critical milestone in the call for a cohesive UK policy framework that supports sustainability, circularity, and regeneration in the fashion and textile industry.
To find out more and view the White Paper tap here
Congratulations Level 3 Fashion Design and Business Students
The Level 3 19+ cohort on the Fashion Design and Business course have finished their course and are now exhibiting their final designs at Capital City College Group, Holloway Road campus.
This 34-week course is delivered over three days per week and is taught in collaboration with Fashion-Enter /FTA, who lead on garment construction, pattern cutting, and the business elements of the programme. The exhibition showcases work developed in response to each student’s individual theme, explored through in-depth research and a wide range of 2D, 3D, and 4D techniques. Students engaged in a series of processes-such as drawing, fashion illustration, surface and constructed textiles, fabric manipulation, pattern experimentation, construction and more.
All tutors involved were invited to the preview show on 1st May and the exhibition displayed a wide range of creative techniques. If you would like to to see the exhibition it is open to the public from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday until 15th May 2025 at Capital City College, 444 Camden Road.
To find out more about this course tap here
Free Masterclass Tomorrow: Legal Essentials for Creative Businesses
Join us tomorrow via Zoom at 10am for a legal masterclass hosted by Kevin Withane & Nick Gould, Partners at Impact Lawyers.
The masterclass will cover:
- Paper Trails—why they are important;
- Value of having a written contract;
- Simple issues around setting up a company;
- An introduction to Intellectual property rights;
- Basic rights for consumers of your products;
- Funding your business – finding investors and the typical legal documents you need when raising investment.
- Property Rights
Plus, participants are welcome ask specific legal-related questions at the end.
Please register to join this masterclass
Going Fast…Collar and Sleeve Pattern Cutting Workshop
Taking place this Saturday, 10th May is an exciting one-day workshop focused on the art of sleeves and collars. Taught by designer John Herrera, this hands-on experience provides a step-by-step journey to understand the process clearly, ensuring that every participant confidently grasps each technique.
Please note places are going fast, tap here to book
Masterclasses and Courses
Roll-on courses:
Available at all campuses Islington, Haringey and Leicester.
Diploma in Fashion Design and Business
Draping:
17 May – Introduction to Draping – FC Designer Workspace – £35- + eventbrite fees (Sold Out)
Patterns:
10th May – Collar and Sleeve Pattern Cutting Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35- + eventbrite fees
Illustration:
2nd – 5th June – Introduction to Fashion Illustration – FC Designer Workspace – £160 + eventbrite fees
Upcycling:
12th May – Upcycling and Repair Full-Day Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35 + eventbrite fees
13th May – Upcycling and Repair Full-Day Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35 + eventbrite fees
13th May – Free Repair and Upcycling Drop-In Session – FC Designer Collective shop, Fonthill Road – Free (subject to availability)
14th May – Upcycling and Repair Full-Day Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35 + eventbrite fees
Support and Advice:
8th May – Masterclass: Legal Essentials for Creative Businesses – Via Zoom – Free
For more dates and courses tap here.
For all course enquiries contact: education@fashion-enter.com or call 0208 809 3311
This Week on FashionCapital…
The freshly signed UK-India Free Trade Agreement, hailed as a “landmark” deal by the Department for Business and Trade, is being celebrated as a multi-billion-pound stimulus for the UK economy. With £4.8 billion in expected GDP gains and a significant boost to wages, the agreement promises major opportunities for sectors from whisky to aerospace. However, for the UK fashion industry—particularly those committed to local manufacturing and sustainability—the picture is more complex.
And Finally…
Next Wednesday the team will be at Leicester Made trade event, therefore the FashionCapital weekly newsletter will be rescheduled for Thursday 15th May, thanks for your understanding.
Until next time, have a great week.
From the Team at FashionCapital
