How To
9 Best Ways to Find a UK Clothing Manufacturer
Are you looking for a UK clothing manufacturer for your small business or start-up? Look no further than within the UK. When it comes to sourcing a clothing manufacturer for your small business there are a whole host of reasons why it’s to your advantage to have your garments made in Britain. (You can read…
Read More14 clothing manufacturers for small businesses
Looking for a clothing manufacturer for your small business? Look no further than within the UK. The following British clothing manufacturers are all members of Make it British and can help you with sampling and production. When it comes to sourcing a clothing manufacturer for your small business there are a whole host of reasons…
Read MoreHow to get manufacturers to respond to your emails
Have you sent an email to a manufacturer and not got a reply? I outline the 3 common reasons why you may not have heard back, and how to make sure you get manufacturers to respond to your emails. One of the most common complaints I hear about UK manufacturers is that they don’t get…
Read MoreHow much does it cost to start a UK-made fashion brand?
Can you launch a brand with £500? Or do you need more like £50,000? We surveyed Make it British members to reveal how much it cost them to launch their brand and the results may surprise you… I’m sure many of you have heard the Cambridge Satchel story – how it’s founder Julie Deane launched…
Read MorePast Vintage: The making of a Made in England leathergoods brand
How do you start a high-end leathergoods brand made in the UK? Read about Jordan Kirby’s journey to find out… Jordan Kirby founded Past Vintage to create a high quality modern leather briefcase that is completely made in England. The right materials and manufacturer needed to be sourced to produce a top quality product. Jordan talks…
Read More11 Factors affecting manufacturing costs
There are many things that can influence your manufacturing costs. Here’s what they are – and how to mitigate them. When you ask a manufacturer how much something is going to cost right at the start of a conversation with them, chances are they’ll not give you an answer. Or you’ll receive an estimated price…
Read MoreTop tips to help you prepare for your visit to a trade show
Trade shows are very busy events, with thousands of visitors trying to gain the attention of the exhibitors. To achieve the most out of your visit you need to get organised. Read our top tips to help you prepare for a successful trade show visit. 1. Write down your goals for the trade show Be…
Read More5 Reasons why you should attend a trade show
One of the best ways of finding suppliers and manufacturers is by attending a trade show, but there are many other benefits. We give you 5 reasons why attending a trade show is essential to your business. If you’re at all serious about making in the UK, trade shows should be planned as a necessary…
Read MoreWant to start a clothing brand but have no idea what to do next?
Want to develop a new product but don’t know where to start when it comes to manufacturing? Do you want to launch a clothing brand or a product that is made in the UK, but you’re struggling to know where to start? Or have you already started reaching out to manufacturers but you’ve had little,…
Read MoreWhere can you buy British-made Christmas Decorations?
If you’re looking for Christmas decorations that are made in Britain then look no further. We’ll help you make your house look festive whilst still buying locally made products. Tinsel Let’s start with the tinsel! We have only found one tinsel manufacturer in Britain but they supply some of the biggest UK retailers and supermarkets…
Read MoreHow to make a British-made heritage brand relevant for today’s market
Brand Consultant, Andrea Freeman, joins us to discuss her work with heritage brands to keep them relevant for todays customer, and share how she is building one of her own – The Beehive Brand. The Beehive Brand is a heritage knitwear brand which has been modernised for today’s market by brand consultant Andrea Freeman. Andrea…
Read MoreHow to build your British-made brand with Ruth Farrell
Starting a British-made fashion brand? Watch our video interview with fashion consultant and British-made brand owner Ruth Farrell, to gain valuable insight into how you can build your brand. Ruth Farrell has 30 years experience in the fashion industry from fashion assistant to creative manager and has worked across retail, etail and wholesale. She works…
Read More7 Stages of fashion production for your British-made brand
Are you starting a new British-made fashion brand? You may have had a brilliant idea, but how do you get from that initial idea to having physical product to sell? We have laid out the 7 stages of fashion production to explain what you can expect on your journey. We get a lot of people…
Read MoreWhy all brands need a clear vision of the future to succeed with Charlotte Meek
Charlotte Meek, the founder of Yorkshire brand The Stitch Society, delivers a fascinating talk. She discusses branding and growing your business in the textile industry, but the lessons are relevant to all British businesses across any sector. It’s essential watching for anyone looking to build a brand in the UK today. Charlotte owns the successful…
Read MoreHow should you price your British-made products? Use our easy cost price calculator to find out
Confused about where to start when costing your British-made product? Our easy cost price calculator can help you work it out. One of the biggest issues I see with businesses launching a British-made product is not building in enough margin to wholesale. The typical newbie usually does something like this…the manufacturer gives you…
Read More7 Reasons why you should set up your own factory
Do you have your own brand but are struggling to find a manufacturer? It may be time to consider the benefits of setting up your own factory. When I first left college there was a recession on. This made it pretty tricky to get employment amongst all the other design students looking for a job.…
Read MoreHow to prepare for garment sampling and production with Tanya Dimitrova
For a new designer wanting to produce a collection, it can be daunting to know where to start with sampling and production. What is the process? And how do you ensure your designs are production ready? We speak to Tanya Dimitrova, expert in garment manufacture, to share her advice. Tanya has a huge amount of…
Read MoreUnderstanding knitted fabrics with Rajen Ved of Aristo Fabrics
The variety of knitted fabrics available can be confusing, but understanding the different fabric types is essential when designing fashion. Your fabric choices can make or break your product when it goes into production. We speak to Rajen Ved of Aristo Fabrics, a specialist in knitted fabrics who explains it all. Rajen has been in…
Read MoreHow to become an independent jewellery maker, with Isabella Day
Have you considered making the leap to a more creative career? Isabella Day shares the story of how she started her jewellery business – I hope it inspires you! Many of us dream about leaving corporate careers to make our living doing something more hands-on and creative. But, where do you start? Is it even…
Read MoreWhy all designer start-ups should have the know-how to make a garment, with Jenni Sutton of Fashion Enter
Jenni Sutton discusses the importance of technical knowledge and production skills to designers and start-up fashion brands. Fashion Enter is a large, ethical factory in North London, with a mission to support designers and train the next generation of fashion professionals. They manufacture for many brands, including ASOS, but, alongside production they offer training, apprenticeships, and mentoring.…
Read MoreUnderstanding sustainable fabrics with Charlie Ross of Offset Warehouse
What makes a fabric ethical? What does zero waste mean? What are the benefits of sourcing sustainable materials? Ethical textiles expert, Charlie Ross, talks us through the world of sustainable fabrics. With a Masters in menswear from the Royal College of Art, Charlie Ross was an experienced fashion designer determined to work only with ethically…
Read MoreHow to gain investment for your start-up brand with Simon Middleton
Brand guru, Simon Middleton, shares his advice on how to gain investment for your start-up brand and the importance of professionalism. Simon Middleton is an entrepreneur and a brand expert. In this interview, which was done originally as a Facebook Live, Simon shares his wisdom by telling us about his new venture, Blackshore Coastal Clothing, …
Read More5 reasons why you should meet your manufacturer face-to-face
In an age where the majority of connections are made online, you still can’t beat doing business in person. Here’s why… A lot of what I do is to help people find UK manufacturers to make their products – be that on a one-to-one basis or through our trade show. Many of the connections that…
Read MoreHow I launched my luxury accessories brand with Patrick Morrison of Furious Goose
We interview Patrick Morrison of Furious Goose to find out more about the brand that is disrupting the world of high-end accessories with a healthy streak of British eccentricity. Based in Brighton, Furious Goose products are designed using crisp vectors of vivid colours and bold patterns. From there the designs are digitally printed onto high…
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