Make It British Is Here!

20-05-2025

FashionCapital Newsletter

23rd May 2018

Dear all,

Make It British Live!

As this goes out the team are at ‘Make It British Live!’ trade show alongside 200+ exhibitors that make and sell British products. The event (formerly known as ‘Meet the Manufacturer’) is expected to attract over 5’000 visitors along with buyers, designers and sourcing managers from designer brands to high street multiples and independent retailers. This morning our CEO Jenny Holloway spoke at the accompanying conference and discussed ‘what ethical garment production really means’. Make It British Live! continues tomorrow 24^th May – if you would like to come along the event is situated at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane and our stand is H4 – see you there!

Jenni Heads Off to Fashions Finest Africa

Meanwhile, Fashion Enter’s Development Director, Jenni Sutton, is on her way to Lagos, Nigeria as we speak. Jenni is the headline speaker at Fashions Finest Africa (FFA) Conference due to take place in two days time. She will be discussing the British fashion industry and how Fashion Enter now successfully produces up to 10,000 units a week in a fully compliant factory, whilst offering accredited qualifications across the complete garment lifecycle for succession planning. Jenni will also be explaining how their model can be replicated in Nigeria and is excited to see designers and makers from the Nigerian market. Here she is at the airport getting ready to go! Good luck Jenni.

As Seen in the Financial Times

Fashion Enter appeared in (Financial Times) FT not once but twice at the end of last week. Sarah O’Connor wrote an extensive and scrupulous article entitled ‘Dark factories: labour exploitation in Britain’ and balanced her piece with Jenny Holloway’s open letter to the ETI intended to ‘provoke debate’ and get the industry working together in a compliant and ethical manner.

Jenny Holloway comments: “The article in the FT, ‘Dark factories: labour exploitation in Britain’ by Sarah O’Connell really summarises the dichotomy of the garment manufacturing industry today. Yes, there are the bad guys in manufacturing just as there are with every industry from construction to the hotelier sectors, but come on…let’s see the highly skilled factory bases that are at the finger tips of the retailers and work as one!”

Click here to read the full article.

The following day (18^th May) Fashion Enter was mentioned again this time commenting on the decline of apprenticeships since the introduction of the Levy. Jenny said ‘The new system was not explained effectively. It will get better. It is right that employers influence the training of their workforce. They just need some more help.’ Check out the accompanying image taken in our factory as well!

Jenny Holloway on Radio 5 Live

On Monday 21st May our very own CEO Jenny Holloway was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live to talk about skills and education in the garment manufacturing sector with Guy Kilty and Louise Cooper.

Click here to listen to the ‘Wake Up to Money’ show, please note this is only available for 29 days after the 21st May. Jenny is interviewed 40 minutes into the programme and she discusses how the off-shoring in production over the last 30-years has created a skills gap in the sector creating the need for the company to invest in Stitching and Fashion Technology Academy’s.

Comments on the Latest News From M&S

This week the long-established British retailer Marks & Spencer has announced further plans to close more than 100 stores by 2022 as part of a “radical transformation” of the company.

Jenny says: “Fashion Enter has always held M&S in high regard; when we were producing top end silk blouses and dresses the might of the technical team at M&S headed by Ian Morris really supported us. M&S is now different from the other retailers and cost cutting has to be made. The closure of 100 stores is regrettable of course, but not surprising. Bricks and mortar store costs do not compare to online costs.

“Fashion Enter was filmed for the forthcoming documentary tomorrow night at 9pm on Channel 5 ‘The Trouble With Marks & Spencer.’ As CEO I shall be mightily annoyed with the filmmakers if they have taken anything I have said out of context. I actually wrote on my release form that I was not prepared to have any comments appear negative when editing. As I say…we are fans of M&S and the core ethos of the brand.”

Lay Plan Open Day at the FTA

Corrine Mensah was recently crowned Ms Curvaceous UK 2018. A size UK 16 Corrine thinks it’s unfair that brands charge more for plus-size clothing, sometimes up to 15% more and her BBC video makes a stand about it.

Some brands state that plus size clothing uses more fabric and those sizes are created in smaller quantities hence driving up the price. However, the average UK womenswear size is a 16 and as any FTA (Fashion Technology Academy)student will know – when creating cutting dockets for an order we produce lay plans and these give an average fabric consumption figure for all sizes! So Ms Curvaceous does have a point!

Want to know more about lay plans and how they work in industry? Then come along to our open day Wednesday 6^th June 1 – 3pm. Contact events@fashioncapital.co.ukto confirm your attendance.

Gain Making Skills – Saturday Courses for June & July

One-day and two-day courses coming soon includes:

An Introduction to Pattern Cutting:
+ Constructing a Skirt Block
+ Skirt Adaptations
+ Constructing a Bodice Block

Absolute Beginners Stitching Course

Intermediate Stitching Course – Constructing a Skirt/Trouser

Advanced Stitching Course

And the TR Pattern Cutting Taster Course are all taking place over June and July, to find out more details and to book please click here.

Please note with some of these courses a 10% discount will be applied if follow-on sessions are booked.

Pick a Pattern

Grown up glamour label Jane & Marilyn have developed a collection of styles – predominantly well-cut, timeless dresses, the patterns of which are now available to buy.

Jane said: “I have about 14 designs in total and at least half are graded on card sizes 10-16. They are pristine and cost a small fortune to produce and now we are no longer operational it would be a waste to just chuck them away. Would anyone be interested in taking them off my hands, they could be useful and could potentially save a lot of money?”

To view the patterns click here

If you are interested please contact Jane prices are negotiable: <jane@janeandmarilyn.co.uk>

Fabric Swatch of the Week

How gorgeous is this Crepe Backed Satin in Gold, we also have the same fabric in pale blue and ivory. Available now at the FCFabricStudio.com at £10 a metre.

This Week on FashionCapital.co.uk

Kate Farley highlights two designers that are tipped for success in the world of fashion design.

We comment on the ‘Dark factories: labour exploitation in Britain’ article published this week and added our own take on the garment manufacturing industry and how improvements could be made for the better.

And we review the current Fashioned From Nature exhibition at the V&A. A compulsory exhibition for all fashion students – it clearly and visually represents our fashion history and how the industry needs to implement change to tackle the many environmental issues head on.