See You in 2 Weeks!
23-05-2025
Newsletter 30th April 2025
Have You Registered Yet?
Wednesday 14th May 9am – 9pm – Leicester Made trade event combines supply chain exhibitors with industry talks and panel discussions alongside fashion shows and networking.
There is nowhere else in the UK that can provide end-to-end services for garment manufacturing like Leicester. You can find knitters, dyers, printers, finishers, even new innovations, such as British Pasture Leather and locally grown hemp blended with recycled post-consumer cashmere! Leicester really is a hub for the UK fashion and textile industry. It’s time to beat the drum for localised proximity sourcing from ethical factories and businesses.
Interested in attending? Tap here to register your free place. Leicester Made trade event sponsored by Kornit Digital, Style3D, Alvanon and ASBCI, Wednesday 14th May 9am – 9pm Athena Events Venue, Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD.
Fashion Roundtable Interviews Jenny Holloway
A big thank you to Meg Pirie for the interview with FEL / FashionCapital and ATMF Chair, Jenny Holloway, the article is now up and live on Fashion Roundtable’s Substack and is focused on Leicester Made and the potential Leicester has as a UK centre for the fashion and textile sector.
Leicester Made Speaker Spotlight: Chris Desai
Chris Desai is a world renowned Entrepreneur – Philanthropist and Public Speaker from humble beginnings in Leicester, AKA the “Rottweiler of conservation.”
He has made considerable contributions to the planet with his organic luxury fashion brand Vayyu® which became the 2nd most ethical brand in the UK and retailed in over 633 shops globally then went on to form his registered charity The Vayyu Foundation® and it’s 3 global projects UOCEAN® 2050, UEARTH® 2050 & UHUMANS® 2050.
Chris will be speaking on the 1.15pm Panel: Reimagining Fashion Through Sustainable Change Discover how brands are designing with purpose and planning for a better tomorrow.
He will be joined by:
- Simon Platts, SP &KO Limited, Co-Founder
- Paul Kerssens, United Repair Centre, COO
- Salli Deighton, LaundRE, Founder
- Alexandra Simpson, Universal Music Group, Product Development Manager
See you at Leicester Made, 14th May, 9am – 9pm at Athena, tap here to book your free place.
Unique Fashion Show Paris Partner
Taking place 24th & 25th May Unique Fashion Show, taking place at Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, will present a dynamic platform for emerging and international fashion talent.
FashionCapital / FEL is an event partner, and CEO Jenny Holloway will be in attendance to provide a powerful Public Talk on the topic of Technology and Sustainability in Fashion — a must-hear for anyone passionate about the future of this industry.
To find out more about this innovative event tap here
FEL X YMCA Youth Programme Workshop
On the 28th April, the FEL team held a Repair and Upcycling workshop in collaboration with the YMCA Youth Programme. The aim of the workshop was to teach and empower young people with practical sewing and upcycling skills.
Led by Fashion-Enter Ltd’s expert tutors, participants learnt essential techniques for repairing, altering, and upcycling garments, giving new life to clothing while supporting sustainability.
Feedback was excellent and included:
“The teachers were magnificent and the experience was very enriching since I learned new sewing techniques.”
“I learnt about threading a machine and stitching. Loved it so much, thank you for your time.”
“I would definitely recommend this course to others – very helpful, the staff were lovely.”
Apprenticeship Programme Enrichment
On Monday 28th April, four apprentices from NEXT visited Fashion-Enter Ltd’s Fashion Hub in Leicester. They participated in a thread seminar led by Ian Hagan, Global Head of Business Development, and Philip Smith, Global Technical Director at COATS Threads. FEL aims to enrich the apprenticeship programme with the provision of a variety of industry guest speakers.
Feedback from the apprentices included:
“I found this really interesting; lots of information was included along with real-life examples!”
“I learned a lot and gained a good understanding of what core spin is!”
“I didn’t know there was so much on the thread topic. I absorbed a lot of useful information.”
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
Patterns:
3rd May – Bodice Adaption Pattern Cutting Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35- + eventbrite fees
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:
6th May – Upcycling and Repair All-Day Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35- + eventbrite fees
7th May – Upcycling and Repair All-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)
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…
For fashion design students it’s that time of year when the rush is on to complete those final year projects, here are some top tips to ensure your health and wellbeing are kept in check:
Taking Care in a Creative World: A Mental Health Guide for Fashion Students
And Finally…Fabrics, Trims and More
Don’t forget, thanks to Islington Council, we now provide the free repair and upcycle drop-in sessions at the FC Designer Collective shop twice a month. Our tutors can support you with your repairs, uniform alterations, upcycles and more. Please register to secure your place.
Plus, as you know, the FC Designer Collective is more than a shop, we have a range of fabrics and trims available to buy to support your sewing projects. New to the shop is a selection of organic Indilisi fabrics, 100% certified, high-quality fabrics in denim, poplin & seersucker, that are ideal for designers, makers and brands wanting to create trousers, blouses, jackets, dresses and more from truly sustainable materials. Plus, discounts are available for those wanting to buy in bulk.
Come along to the FC Designer Collective, 113-115 Fonthill Road, London N4 – open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 – 17:00.
Until next time, have a great week.
From the Team at FashionCapital
