Christmas, Charity and Cheer…

Newsletter 30th November 2022

The Gift of Sewing and More

As we say farewell to November the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on its way! If you are in need of some gift inspiration then we have a few ideas that we can help you with…

• The gift of sewing – we offer short, 4-day Sewing courses that can take a participant from novice to clothes maker – a lifelong skill. This is available at our Leicester and London campuses.

• Personalised t-shirt printing service with our on-site eco-friendly Kornit Digital printer – get creative with your images, photographs and text.

• Mystery Upcycling Pack – Each pack includes 3 deadstock items from our ethical London factory, plus trims and extras to inspire creative, upcycled outfits.

• Personalised aprons and gift sets from our kitchenware brand Spyce Jones made with love at Fashion-Enter Wales.

Charity Starts at Home…and at the Workplace

Did you read the latest article about Fashion Studio Assistant, Gee Fletcher, and the reason why she returned to Fashion-Enter after a few months with another employer? Tap here to read Gee’s story. 

Gee is very proactive with our charity work and likes to get stuck in with any initiatives such as Food Banks or creating warm fleece ponchos for the homeless. This year the factory will be donating to Tottenham Food Bank again and Jenny and Gee are working with UK national charity – Crisis on a number of projects. Both are also supporting with a volunteer shift at the Savile Row X Crisis pop up shop next Wednesday 7th December. Do drop by if you are in central London.

Savile Row X Crisis Pop Up shop: 27 (The old police station) Savile Row, London W1 – Monday 5th December to Wednesday 14th December 

Welsh TV Company S4C Film the Newtown Factory

Yesterday, 29th November, the Fashion-Enter Wales factory was filmed by S4C. The crew interviewed Welsh speakers Eddie Bebb and Sheena Pugh for a programme titled “Cynefin”. “Cynefin” translates as Habitat. The footage will feature the rise of Fashion-Enter Wales from the ashes of Laura Ashley, along with the creation of the Spyce Jones brand and the identity that it has given the factory. 

Watch this space as the programme is due to be screened April/May next year.

In-Store Events at FC Designer Collective

Last Saturday Anaqaa Apparel, ENNAY and Shama and Co held a successful in-store event that brought together the community. This Saturday, 3rd December, it’s the turn of Diva Choice and Hashtag Made IV Me as they present their latest pieces in an informal Christmas party atmosphere. Come along to the FC Designer Collective, 113-115 Fonthill Road, N4, join in the fun and support local designers and creatives.

Repair and Upcycling Workshop Christmas Special

The feedback from our November Repair and Upcycling workshop has been brilliant. One attendee said: “I learnt how to shorten and hem trousers. Also used an overlocker to make a top smaller in size from the side. The staff were excellent and helped me all the way. They encouraged me to complete my alteration. I love coming to this centre and will return next month with more of my projects. Everything was 5 stars *****.”

We are offering one more free workshop before the Christmas break on Friday 9th December. If you would like to come along and get repairing and upcycling with us at the FC Designer Workspace on Durham Road then please tap here to confirm your place.

A Warm Welcome Back – May

The wonderful May is back! We have worked with May for 12-years then she left us for a year to go back to China!  Now she’s back and it’s an absolute result for the new students in stitching! Great to have you back May!

Working with Community Clothing 

We are delighted to confirm that we have a new and growing contract with Patrick Grant’s label ‘Community Clothing’ at both factories in Wales and Haringey. 

Jenny commented: “It has been a real pleasure to work with Patrick and his team on a planned program of production. Community Clothing really appreciate the skills manufacturers have and focus on ethical beautifully made garments. Perfect fit!”

Masterclasses and Courses

Ongoing Stitching, Patterns and Tailoring 

Repair and Upcycle Workshop (free) – 9th December

4 Day Sewing Course – 13th – 16th February 2023

Fabric Swatch of the Week

We’ve picked out this pink satin crepe – perfect fabric for a glitzy Christmas or New Year’s Eve number. Available from the FCFabricStudio at £8- per metre. Happy sewing.

This Week on FashionCapital…

Fashion-Enter Ltd CEO, Jenny Holloway, was invited to be a guest speaker at the Eurofins | BLC Sustainable Materials London Conference on 23rd November 2022, tap here to read all about it.

And Finally…

We have a brilliant opportunity available to join our Fashion Studio team. This is an apprenticeship role so the ideal candidate would be gaining industry experience alongside a small team of cutters, machinists and QC to ensure efficiency and profitability. This full-time Fashion Studio (production pathway) position starts beginning January 2023. To find out more and apply for this position tap here and good luck!

Until next time, have a great week.

The Team at FashionCapital