Fashion Enter’s Tailoring Academy Introduced in Parliament

Fashion Enter’s CEO Jenny Holloway attended a parliamentary briefing introduced by Stephen Timms MP this morning (Tuesday 4^th December 2018), to engage east and north London MPs on the ambition and direction of the new ten-year strategy towards a London fashion innovation hub – Fashion District.

As a part of the Fashion District project to foster fashion talent, innovation and enterprise is Fashion Enter’s Tailoring Academy. Jenny discussed how the new Academy, which will be situated next to the Fashion Technology Academy, will put skills development in to practice through a live training factory and how the industry desperately needs a new generation of skilled tailors and production workers in order to flourish and grow. The Tailoring Academy, due to open in Spring 2019, will be in the unique position to offer expertise and tuition from the Gloria Fashions team, who have specialized in the sector for over 50 years.

Alongside Jenny other case studies came from Adam Mansell from UKFT. He discussed London’s manufacturing: size and scale, potential growth and how the industry needs to connect to support ‘Made in Britain’ to stimulate fruitful business. While Paul Augarde from Poplar Works talked about the model driving local benefit in terms of manufacturing, training, community space and studios for SMEs.

Stephen Timms MP opened the session by introducing Fashion District and how the recently launched initiative will bring east and north London together to support the growth of the fashion industry and create local and national benefits. Frances Corner: Head of LCF, Pro-Vice Chancellor UAL outlined the London College of Fashion’s move to Stratford and how the initiative clusters world class organisations to ensure the industry thrives at every stage. Frances also closed the session by inviting MP’s to get on board; as ambassadors, through supporting the industry and the initiative within parliament or at a constituency level – connecting/signposting opportunities for development, influencing local plans and agendas, hosting events.

Current Fashion District Stakeholders include: London College of Fashion, UAL, British Fashion Council Greater London Authority, London Legacy Development Corporation, Poplar Harca, The London Fashion Fund, UK Fashion and Textiles, The Trampery, Fashion Enter, Newham College of Further Education, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Here East, Hackney Walk, LB of Newham, Hackney, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest.

Click here to read more about the Fashion District initiative and Fashion Enter Ltd’s involvement.