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The Changing Face of Fashion

01-07-2020   


Newsletter 1st July 2020

Dear all,

One of the key elements when it comes to being successful in business is ‘adaptation’ and with the fashion industry this has never been more apparent than now. The past two years has seen increasing concern over environmental issues and sustainability within the sector and now with Covid-19 fashion designers, retailers and manufacturers are really being tested across the board.

Texintel Podcast with Fashion – Enter CEO Jenny Holloway

Fashion-Enter CEO Jenny Holloway discusses the affect Covid-19 has had on industry amongst many other things with the CEO of Texintel, Debbie McKeegan.

Recorded in June the pair also talk about the production of PPE, the rise of sustainable practises and implementing new technology in the form of Optitex.

This Texintel Talks podcast is 40-minutes long, to listen to the conversation please tap the link:

https://www.texintel.com/texintel-talks/2020/6/24/texintel-talks-episode-033-jenny-holloway-fashion-enter-the-future-of-sustainable-sewn-uk-manufacturing

PPE and Fashion In Sync

At the Factory the team are keeping busy with PPE reusable gowns and scrubs for Private White and David Nieper on the lines alongside retail fashion orders.

The team are still interested in hearing from experienced machinists – could this be you?  If you are interested in working at our ethical, north London factory then please contact caroline@fashion-enter.com  

A Call for Islington Based Designers

The re-fit of the ‘FC Designer Collective’ on Fonthill Road is looking good and we are on track to open next month. Throughout July we are looking for more designers to join this exciting retail concept. If you are based in Islington and would like to know more please contact jenni@fashion-enter.com

Socially Distanced Perfect Patterns

Fashion Technology Academy courses have started up again, here is Julia with her Perfect Patterns students working with the various government guidelines in place. We are fortunate with space and have three units at Crusader Estate, 45,000 square feet, to ensure we can all learn and work at a safe distance.

To find out about FTA courses tap here.

Optitex & Exact Search Webinar

Claire Solley, Pattern Room Manager, has been involved with an Optitex & Exact Search webinar this morning (1st July). Claire comments: It was great to be part of the webinar with Optitex & Exact Search today. Alexandra’s demo of how Optitex can support different job roles within the industry as well as learning how Exact Search have taken on the need within their recruitment for the new skill sets emerging and the current roles that are adapting to include these new skills was very informative. It also gave us at Fashion-Enter a great opportunity to spread the word of our training courses available to fill this skill gap in the market.”

1-day Optitex Introductory course

Technical Safety Videos with UFI Charitable Trust

“It’s all about technical skills! If Covid-19 has taught us anything it is the importance of videos, digital platforms and a new way of learning.  This why we are so delighted with the resulting videos from the UFI Charitable Trust project. 

“We have now gone live with the interactive videos that also have a unique way of learning by deliberately showing how not to thread a machine or work safely. The videos allow the user to stop and confirm where the processes are wrong so it just embeds learning and provides a new dimension.

“Very grateful thanks to Caroline O’Donnell of the UFI Trust who was invaluable with her guidance, Ian Morris and Steve Reynolds and of course the amazing Julia Jeans who was the independent researcher from the Institute of Education. That was one awesome team!” – Jenny Holloway  

Tap the links to view the videos via YouTube:

UFI Charitable Trust – Fashion Technical News Level 1 Safe Working

UFI Charitable Trust – Fashion Technical News Level 1 Threading A Flatbed Machine

Excellent Feedback from the Latest Chunking Seminar

Fashion-Enter apprentices at all levels were provided with a three-hour seminar from senior staff, which ‘chunks the learning’, that they undertake and relates the information to current industry practices.

Apprentice Dilpesh comments: “Staff have great amount of knowledge and seminar is taught in a professional manner with plenty of time given for learners to ask questions on areas they do not understand. Organisation within the business is very professional and shown to have reacted to the Covid-19 situation in a very quick and safe way, considering all staff and made sure the workplace is a safe place to work for everyone. Great to hear investment in software has worked well in the business and learners are starting to use Optitex, which has changed the business.” 

To find out more about the 6-monthly Chunking seminars tap here.

A Warm Welcome to…

The Fashion-Enter team welcomes Steve Messenger who will be joining the team from the 1st August as our Internal Accounts Manager.

Courses and Masterclasses

Stitching Academy Level 1 & 2 courses have re-commenced, these are on a rolling programme to find out more tap here.

Pattern courses Level 1 & 2 have also just re-commenced.

The Tailoring Academy will be re-opening end July 2020.

TR Pattern Cutting Taster Masterclass – 4th July

Optitex 2D & 3D – 1-day Introductory Course – 22nd July

Gerber AccuMark 3-day Course for Beginners – 29th / 30th / 31st July

Fabric Swatch of the Week

A unique printed acetate with a fun design featuring cats, chains and lipsticks, this could be used for home, fashion and accessory projects! Available from the FCFabricStudio at £3.95 per meter.

This Week on FashionCapital.co.uk

Now in her 10th year of business we talk to the founder of Marlafiji about her accessories brand, selling online and working through this period of pandemic.

For over one-year now Fashion-Enter Ltd has been fighting for the rights of skilled machinists to ensure they are recognised as ‘skilled’ and can continue to work under the new points-based immigration system. Here is an update now the survey results are in.

And we have an excellent guest article from Natasha Frangos at Haysmacintyre: How Covid-19 could instigate a long-awaited industry overhaul: the slow fashion era.

And Finally…

We have been having an excellent week with sales on Belles, B of London with SilkFred and on our face mask range. The bestseller so far is this garden floral print mask for adults.




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