Leicester Made 2025: A Resounding Success!
18-06-2025
Newsletter 15th May 2025
The Time is Now for UK Manufacturing
Yesterday, 14th May 2025, Leicester Made attracted over 1,000 registrants for a landmark event celebrating and spotlighting Leicester as a hub of manufacturing excellence. Organised by Fashion-Enter Ltd, the day featured panel talks, expert speakers, a print on-demand factory visit, and an exclusive CEO/C-Suite Roundtable.
Hosted in the heart of the UK’s textile capital, the event welcomed up to 60 exhibitors—from fashion suppliers and retailers to designers, tech innovators, policymakers and manufacturers—proving just how vibrant and dynamic the sector is in Leicester and beyond.
A key highlight was the CEO Roundtable, attended by Labour MP for Leicester West, Liz Kendall, who listened openly to concerns and ideas from senior industry leaders. While Kendall humbly acknowledged her limited background in fashion, she voiced clear support for the sector, calling for the appointment of a dedicated government spokesperson for UK fashion and textiles. She also stressed the importance of creating career pathways for young adults and for the industry to unite with a stronger collective voice.
Liz Kendall commented: “Leicester is home to some of the best textile businesses in the country.
“These firms are the heart and soul of our community, literally knitting people together.
“It is a testament to their flair, the skill of their workers and their entrepreneurship that textile products made in this city are sold across the UK and abroad.
“Whether that is the House of Commons Christmas jumpers by Jack Masters or Pantherella socks – the best socks in the world – or any of the other amazing companies based here.
“We are determined to make Leicester the leading centre for textile design and manufacturing in the UK. A brilliant future lies ahead.”
The event offered inspiration and practical insights alike. The calibre of speakers was outstanding, delivering messages with urgency and optimism. It’s clear: the time is now to get this right — and Leicester is ready to lead the way.
A heartfelt thank you to all exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors—including Kornit Digital, Alvanon, Style3D, and ASBCI—and to everyone who attended and contributed to the day’s success.
Finally, a special thanks to the Fashion-Enter Ltd team, whose tireless work behind the scenes made Leicester Made possible. This is more than an event—it’s the beginning of a new era for UK fashion and textile manufacturing.
#LeicesterMade #UKManufacturing #MadeInUK #TextileFuture
What Now…
As Simon Platts said: “Don’t go back to your day-to-day work and leave Leicester Made in the past, we need to build on the momentum.”
If you are a manufacturer / supplier:
1. Join the Leicester Made Directory
2. Join the ATMF, (The Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Association)
The updated ATMF website can support with: A dropshipping platform to sell surplus stock, access to industry events, audit guidance, training and development and marketing assistance.
3. Use your voice, contact your local MP and push the agenda, sign up to hear from Fashion Roundtable, Make It British, UKFT
Talking Circular Design at Leicester’s Fashion Hub
On Monday, May 12th, Simon Platts, Co-Founder of SP&KO, sourcing and ESG Fashion and Textiles consultancy and co-founder & former Board Advisor Recomme.co / Repurpose, conducted an insightful session on circular design to the current cohort of six NEXT apprentices at the Fashion Hub – Fashion-Enter Ltd’s Leicester campus.
The session offered valuable insights into circular design and its relevance to the fashion industry. The apprentices found the workshop to be extremely effective, noting that it was very informative along with the depth of insights shared during the talk.
Feedback from the apprentices included:
“I have learned about being proactive about sustainability and where materials are sourced. Selecting a supply chain is crucial and sustainable. It was a good workshop.”
“The talk was really informative, providing good insight into the industry and sustainability, as well as where to find information.”
For more on the FTA’s apprenticeships tap here
Why Legal Basics Matter for Creatives
Last Thursday 8th May, Fashion-Enter Ltd welcomed creative entrepreneurs to an insightful online masterclass focused on the legal essentials of running a business. Hosted via Zoom, the session was introduced by FashionCapital / Fashion-Enter Ltd CEO Jenny Holloway, and featured guest speakers Kevin Withane and Nick Gould, Partners at Impact Lawyers.
With extensive backgrounds in both law and business, Kevin and Nick are passionate about supporting creative start-ups and giving back to emerging entrepreneurs. Their mission is to help founders navigate the often-complex legal landscape of launching and growing a business.
The session covered a wide range of topics and Nick has kindly supplied further information on the following: Paper Trails, Intellectual Property, Written Contracts and Rights When Selling to Consumers – if you would like to read his advice articles please tap here to view the PDF’s.
A follow-up session focused solely on helping small businesses prepare for investment opportunities will be announced in due course.
And the Praise Keeps Coming…
Couture designer and fashion educator John Herrera has been providing a series of 1-day Saturday workshops at the FC Designer Workspace and on the 10th May the focus was on Collars and Sleeves.
Open to individuals of all levels John provided a step-by-step journey to understand the pattern making process clearly, ensuring that every participant could confidently grasp each technique.
The feedback from the session was fantastic and included:
“I learnt how to create collar and sleeve patterns of different styles and cuts. It was a very informative session with so much technique. I have learned a lot, John is a wonderful instructor.”
“Lots covered on collars and sleeves, got plenty of tips from John.”
“Lots of knowledge and passion from the instructor – really interesting and good value for money.”
“Fantastic. John is a great teacher and very inspiring.”
Join John for a 4-day Fashion Illustration course commencing 2nd June, tap here for more details.
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)
Illustration:
2nd – 5th June – Introduction to Fashion Illustration – FC Designer Workspace – £160 + eventbrite fees
Upcycling:
27 May – Free Repair and Upcycling Drop In – FC Designer Collective shop – Free please register to confirm your place
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…
Trade Tensions, ESG pressure: Why Fashion Can’t Afford to Wait on Supply Chain Transparency
And Finally…
In line with Leicester Made the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has unveiled its latest industry report, ‘Reshoring for Real: The future of domestic UK apparel manufacturing’, offering an in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges surrounding the growth of UK-based fashion production.
Tap here to find out more and download the report
Until next time, have a great week.
From the Team at FashionCapital
