Brexit Fashion Industry
19-06-2019
Newsletter 19th June 2019
Urgent Meeting To Safeguard Britain’s Skilled Production Workers
Fashion Enter is joining forces with The All Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion for an important meeting on post-Brexit visa’s that will impact skilled machinists and production workers.
We know that we are not alone when it comes to a skills shortage of trained and experienced production workers and machinists. There is just not enough UK talent to meet demand and like many other factories up and down the country we rely on EEA and non-EEA citizens that possess the required experience. Our Fashion Technology Academy is proving successful in creating a future generation of new entrants via short courses and apprenticeships but skilled machinists need a minimum level of five to ten years’ experience.
This is why we are calling on the UK Government to add production and sample machinists to the shortage occupation visa list and to not apply the MAC report’s recommendation for a £30,000 salary for Tier 2 visa applicants post-Brexit, which would include EEA and non-EEA citizens.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion are organising an urgent meeting at the Houses of Parliament on July 8th to discuss which visas and why, our sector needs in order to continue to thrive. The meeting will take place from 10am – 12pm in Room C of 1 Parliament Street. Lord Young has confirmed his attendance, if you are a British manufacturer, designer or work directly with British production please email: rafaella.defreitas@fashionroundtable.co.uk if you would like to attend. Please note places are limited.
Councillor Sheila Peacock To Present ‘Fashion Fix’ Educational Open Day
The Mayor of Haringey, Councillor Sheila Peacock is working with the Fashion Enter team on an informative educational day, ‘Fashion Fix’, due to take place at the Fashion Technology Academy on Monday 8th July. Children and young adults from local Primary, Secondary Schools and Colleges will be invited to experience all the STEM fashion skills required in the industry and all the various career avenues available.
The Telegraph’s Responsible Fashion Forum
Fashion Enter / FTA CEO Jenny Holloway joined 35+ leading speakers at The Telegraph’s Responsible Fashion Forum on Tuesday 18th June 2019.
Taking place at Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London, the forum provided a unique opportunity to connect with the entire supply chain – brands, retailers, senior policy makers, suppliers, manufacturers – and explore best-practice, address the lack of benchmarking and how educating a new generation of designers can ensure a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry.
Jenny said: “What does ethical really mean? For us it’s transparency and that’s Galaxius. There is no excuse not to know who made my clothes in the UK. Thanks to the Galaxius System we know who created every stitch at our ethical factory based in North London.
“I am amazed more retailers are not vertically integrating backwards and buying manufacturing companies. That’s where the skills are. With Brexit uncertainty anything could happen. Delayed transport. Tariffs. Admin and bureaucracy. The industry can work in an ethical, sustainable manner, the problem is many have a system in place that is outdated and change is needed across the board.”
Do You Need Local Sampling / Manufacturing Services?
Then come along to our Open Day tomorrow Thursday 20th June.
The agenda will commence as follows:
10.30am Intro and welcome from CEO Jenny Holloway
10.45am ‘What is an ethical factory’ talk and PowerPoint presentation from Jenny
11.15am Factory & Fashion Studio tour with Production Director Caroline Ash
11.45am ‘Services the Fashion Studio provides’ from Fashion Studio Manager Jenny Beth Golding
12.00pm Summary and Q&A.
Places on the Open Day are limited please email Chantelle: chantelle@fashion-enter.com to request a place.
Fashion SVP Next Week
The Fashion Enter team are gearing up for Fashion SVP this coming 25th & 26th June at Olympia, London. Come and visit us for our ‘drop-in’ practical workshops and an interactive area that all visitors, whatever level of experience or expertise, can engage with. For new and emerging brands, start-up’s and designers, we will be demonstrating our range of services including pattern cutting, sewing on industrial machines and so much more! Click here to find out more.
School College Fashion Week
School College Fashion Week will be held at London Excel 11th & 12th July 2019 and is run by Caramel Rock, founded by Faith Johnson, Managing Director.
This project aims to celebrate the creativity of students within the fashion, art, media, graphics and beauty industry. School College Fashion Week will include an exhibition alongside catwalk shows. The event also provides great opportunities for students and young people to gain real advice from a range of industry speakers about a career in the creative industries. Speakers include reps from; FashionCapital, Tuareg Productions, UKFT, Rosetta Arts, V&A Museum, Fashion Roundtable, Genix Imaging and Texintel.
Visitors are also able to develop their skills with numerous workshops such as one-to-one fashion mentoring with MBE Wale Adeyemi, social media workshop with Digiwoo, creative universities workshops and much more! Meanwhile the exhibition will include various educational providers that can offer a broad range of creative courses.
For more information call: 0207 476 322
Belles Gains Another Online Stockist
As from next week Belles of London will also be available on https://www.littleblackdress.co.uk/ the team are super thrilled to be a part of this premium online platform.
Masterclasses Coming Soon…
TR PatternCutting Taster 29th June
Claudette Joseph has been using and teaching TR pattern cutting for seven years, she is a five times TR Master and a three times TR Super Master, she holds regular classes and workshops in this highly creative form of pattern cutting. Claudette regularly teaches this popular taster course at the Fashion Technology Academy, the next three-hour taster session will take place on Saturday 29th June from 10am – 1pm.
Gerber AccuMark Digital Pattern Making Course for Beginners 7th, 14th and 21st September
The Gerber AccuMark For Beginners is a 15-hour course that will provide you with the skills required for the workplace and within the industry. Led by two leading industry experts who have more than 30-years Gerber experience between them. It is a three-day course, which takes place on Saturday’s from 10am – 3pm.
Advanced 2-Day Gerber Course 12th and 19th October
Take on as much or as little as you like with our new Follow-On Gerber course. Get into the nitty-gritty depths of the Pattern Design and Explorer and/or continue with your own journey of drafting and amending patterns.
Fabric Swatch of the Week
This week we’ve picked out a light-weight semi-sheer royal blue chiffon available at the FCFabricStudio now at £3.50 a metre.
This Week on FashionCapital.co.uk
In this week’s Fashion Fix, Kate Farley discovers the super cool ethical fashion brands that offer that extra something, plus she uncovers the highlights from London Fashion Week Mens.
We spend five minutes with Development Manager Chantelle and find out more about her fashion journey.
Plus, find out the latest UK fashion industry facts and figures and why we are calling on the Government to add production and sample machinists to the shortage occupation visa list.
And Finally…
Today Jenny has headed over to ‘Techstyle Futures: Innovations for Global Change’ hosted by The Mills Fabrica, where the conversation will centre on creating a more sustainable fashion industry for the planet.
