Why is swimwear so difficult to make when the products look so simple? This is one of the questions that I put to guest Paul Smithers from Halcyon Blue, a swimwear manufacturer based in Hampshire, UK. Paul fell into manufacturing […]
In 2014 I had the idea to set up a trade show for UK manufacturers. This episode tells the story of why the event came about – and how it nearly went very horribly wrong! For the first time, I
In this episode of the Make it British podcast I discuss a love of knitwear, in particular the lost art of hand-intarsia, with Genevieve Sweeney. Genevieve trained as a knitwear designer, and after working for several well-known brands, she took
I think visiting a factory is essential for anyone that is developing a new product One of the benefits of making in the UK is that factory visiting is far easier than if you are making your products overseas. In
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best Debbie Humphreys stumbled across her business idea when she took ownership of a whippet called Bruno and had trouble finding things to keep him warm. With a background in dressmaking and a successful
What are the rules surrounding whether you can label a product as made in the UK? “Can I label my product as made in the UK?’ is one of the questions that I get asked the most. The answer to
Katherine Hooker started her business with one garment and has been perfecting it ever since In this episode designer Katherine Hooker tells the story of how she took a garment from her wardrobe that she loved, and turned it into
When it comes to labelling your products what is the best term to use? Made in Britain, made in the UK, or something else? In this episode I explore the different ‘Made in..’ labels that brands use to signify where
Cotton spinning has returned to the UK! Greater Manchester was once known as cottonopolis because it was the home to the world’s cotton yarn and fabric production during the industrial revolution. At the turn of the Twentieth Century there were
This week the Government released the Ethical Audit Committee’s report into sustainability of the UK fashion industry. The report raised the issue of the unethical practices of some manufacturers in Leicester that are giving ‘made in UK’ a bad name.
