Why Made in the UK Matters…
23-05-2025
Newsletter 23rd April 2025
Join the Re-shoring Collective
At Fashion-Enter Ltd we have been big advocates of Made in the UK for over a decade and it’s not just because we have our own production facilities in London and Leicester. On-shoring and manufacturing in the UK for the fashion and textile industry matters for several strategic, economic, and ethical reasons. Here’s just a few of them:
Environmental & Sustainability Benefits
- Reduced carbon footprint due to shorter supply chains and less international shipping.
- Better environmental regulations in the UK ensure more sustainable production practices.
- Support for circular fashion through local repair, reuse, and recycling systems.
Economic & Industrial Advantages
- Boosts local economy by creating jobs and supporting British businesses.
- Strengthens domestic supply chains, reducing reliance on overseas suppliers.
- Encourages innovation and investment in local textile technologies and R&D.
Quality & Craftsmanship
- Preserves traditional skills and supports UK textile heritage (e.g. wool, tweed, bespoke tailoring).
- Higher quality control with production closer to home.
- Increased transparency in production processes and materials sourcing.
Agility & Responsiveness
- Faster turnaround times from design to delivery.
- Greater flexibility in responding to trends, reducing overproduction and waste.
- Improved communication between designers, manufacturers, and retailers.
Ethical Considerations
- Better labour standards and worker’s rights compared to many overseas factories.
- Promotes ethical fashion, aligning with growing consumer demand for transparency and responsibility.
Brand & Market Positioning
- “Made in the UK” as a selling point, associated with quality and authenticity.
- Appeals to conscious consumers who value local production and traceability.
- Supports national identity and pride in homegrown fashion brands.
If you are considering UK services and production then come along to our Leicester Made trade event, sponsored by Kornit Digital, Style3D, Alvanon and ASBCI, Wednesday 14th May 10am – 10pm Athena Events Venue, Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD.
Tap here to register your free place.
For exhibitor opportunities or general enquiries, please contact beth@fashion-enter.com
Leicester Made: Live Custom T-Shirt Printing
At the heart of the Leicester Made event, sponsor Kornit Digital will deliver a fully interactive, real-time production experience. Up to 100 attendees will be invited to create bespoke T-shirt designs live, transmitted instantly to The T-Shirt Company for printing using Kornit’s sustainable Direct-to-Garment (DTG) technology, and returned within hours.
Leicester Made Speaker Spotlight: Tamara Cincik
Tamara Cincik has over 20-years experience working in the fashion industry, as well as working in the UK Parliament. Founder and CEO of Fashion Roundtable, fashion’s leading think tank and change agency. Tamara is also a Commissioner for the UK Trade and Business Commission and an LPIP Fellow for Birmingham University. Her unique career combining fashion, parliament, business and academia, has allowed her exceptional insights and access in communicating sustainable solutions, creative consultancy and policy agendas with expertise and insider knowledge.
FEL is thrilled to have Tamara at Leicester Made lending her expertise and opinion on the 9:45 Panel discussion on Ethics in Fashion. She will be joining Peter Chandler, Head of Economic Regeneration, Leicester Council, Mark Randle, Galaxius Systems Ltd., Founder & CEO, Sarah Woodcock, The Anti Slavery Collective, Chief Executive Office and Jennifer Wascak, Justice In Fashion, Co-founder and Managing Director. To discuss; transparency, fair wages, and responsible sourcing in UK manufacturing.
CEO’s Article Featured in Drapers
Published in Drapers last week on 17th April 2025, was Fashion-Enter Ltd CEO and ATMF Chair, Jenny Holloway’s article: ‘It’s time to make Leicester the home of garment manufacturing again.’
To read the article via Drapers Online tap here. Or here to view a text copy.
Leicester Fashion Week To Join Leicester Made
Since 2016, Leicester Fashion Week has emerged as one of the leading fashion events in the UK showcasing the talent of aspiring and established designers. The event is a creative platform that comes alive with a week of runways, workshops, installations and more.
Leicester Fashion Week offers a platform for the region’s creative talent to showcase their work and to support and encourage young designers and brands that are driving the industry forward.
FEL are excited to announce that Leicester Fashion Week will be joining Leicester Made on 14th May with a stand as well as hosting a fashion show.
New Client: Jake Hall
FEL’s Factory in Haringey have been working with former-TOWIE personality – Jake Hall on his contemporary menswear designs. Jake has an innate sense of style for clean lines and relaxed tailoring, and is a true supporter of Made in the UK production.
FEL CEO Jenny Holloway comments: “We were introduced to Jake Hall by Jalal Kamani, and we are so glad of the introduction. Jake has an amazing sense of style, I am sure his 381K followers on instagram think the same! He is brilliant with product and has great attention to detail and we are delighted to be working with this new account.
“New brands like this are fantastic for factories. There is a whole new market segment that is opening in need of regular, speed of response orders, and factories really should embrace this new market.
“We are delighted to confirm that Jake will be a guest speaker at Leicester Made, talking about his journey and how he now only wants to work with UK factories.”
To view his new arrivals tap here
Knitwear Sampling in Minutes Now at FEL Haringey
Knitwear sampling in minutes! It is fantastic to welcome Maeknit Inc and Loop Kinetics to FEL’s HQ in Haringey, London. The equipment has now been installed and it’s mind blowing to just see all the machines on-site and functioning!
Brilliant Feedback From CPPD for Selfridges Employees
On 16th April, FEL welcomed 10 Selfridges employees to their Haringey HQ for an informative CPPD workshop and tour. Led by FEL Director Caroline Ash, these sessions provide firsthand insight into the garment life cycle, along with core topics such as; compliance and ethics, use of AI, buying and sourcing, workers’ rights and labour exploitation, repairs and repurposing and more.
For most it was a first time visit to a factory, the feedback was brilliant and included:
“I learnt about the real challenges of clothes / garment production. I had never visited a factory before. Loved the entire visit and it was so insightful to learn the truths behind the journey of the product.”
“I learnt so much! Brilliant speaker and tour. I asked lots of questions, it was great to be up close with the garment making process.”
If you would like to know more about FEL’s informative CPPD’s and Factory Tours please tap here.
More Excellent Feedback John Herrera’s Illustration Class
On Saturday, FTA tutor and couture designer John Herrera led his first Saturday fashion illustration class at the FC Designer Workspace. Participants at this well-attended class got to learn about the principles of fashion illustration, how to draw an anatomically correct woman and a stylised one, along with techniques for specific cuts, silhouettes, fabrics, prints and colours.
The feedback from the 1-day class was excellent, with many requesting more dates from John to develop their ideas and designs.
“John is a fantastic tutor. Full of knowledge and enthusiasm. John motivates you to push yourself. All the learners had a lot of fun today.”
“Really enjoyed the session – great instruction and very encouraging.”
“John is a fantastic teacher – very patient, understanding and explains things really well. You can really tell that he loves what he teaches through his passion and enthusiasm.”
More illustration class dates to be announced in due course.
Hear From John Tomorrow – Free Masterclass
Join Jenny and John tomorrow, 24th April at 10am, to hear all about; the evolvement of John’s couture label, his design process, draping and pattern cutting skills, his love of teaching and sharing his expertise, getting his work shown at prestigious Fashion Week events and more.
Tap here to register and you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to join.
Masterclasses and Courses
Roll-on courses:
Available at all campuses Islington, Haringey and Leicester.
Diploma in Fashion Design and Business
Stitching:
29 April – 3-Day Introduction to Industrial Sewing and Garment Making – FC Designer Workspace – £90 + eventbrite fees
Patterns:
26 April – Skirt Adaptation Pattern Cutting Workshop – FC Designer Workspace – £35 + eventbrite fees
29 April – 3-Day Beginners Pattern Cutting Course – FC Designer Workspace – £70 + eventbrite fees
Upcycling:
29 April – Free Textile Recycling and Repair Drop In – FC Designer Collective shop – Free
Support and Advice:
24 April – Masterclass with Designer John Herrera – Via Zoom – Free
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…
Meeting with New Leicester Deputy Mayor and Leicester City Council
And Finally…Free Legal Support & Advice
Our Legal Eagle Nick Gould (pictured) is back with Kevin Withane for a free, essential masterclass providing legal advice for creative businesses. The pair will cover: Contract Law, IP and Copyright, Negligence and Product Liability, Set Up of your Business Structure, Clear Communication, as well as opening up to specific questions from participants. This masterclass takes place via Zoom at 10am, Thursday 8th May – don’t forget to register for your free place and a Zoom link will be sent to you.
Until next time, have a great week.
From the Team at FashionCapital
