Leicester Made 2025: Why Onshoring Works for People, Planet and Profit
As someone who champions UK manufacturing day in and day out, it’s rare to see a line-up as powerful and straight-talking as the panel at this year’s Leicester Made event. Titled “Why Onshoring Works for People, Planet and Profit,” the session brought together industry heavyweights, manufacturers, CEOs, and founders to tackle the pressing question: if we all agree that UK manufacturing makes sense, why isn’t there more of it?
Chaired by Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion Capital & Fashion Enter and founder of Leicester Made, the conversation was refreshingly honest. Here are the key takeaways and some standout quotes from the panellists who pulled no punches.
Nick Beighton (Ex-CEO, ASOS and Matches Fashion)
Nick spoke from experience, having invested in a UK factory during his time at ASOS and setting a target for 4% of the brand’s product to be made in the UK. His belief? Proximity sourcing isn’t just about ethics or PR points – it makes commercial sense.
“There’s nothing more proximate than the UK. If you want to move at the speed of your customer, offshore doesn’t work.”
He emphasised that UK production enabled faster design cycles, reduced waste, and better margins when you account for working capital and markdown risk. His view was clear:
“The cake isn’t being made yet, but we have all the ingredients. We need a rebrand, a purpose, and a guiding coalition to bring it together.”
Kate Hills (Make it British)
Kate, always a strong voice for UK-made fashion, pointed to the real reason manufacturers aren’t seeing consistent work: a lack of commitment from retail buyers and big brands.
“The C word comes up all the time: commitment. UK manufacturers don’t get it from the big brands.”
She noted that the factories thriving right now are the ones working with smaller, independent brands who value relationships over margins.
“Smaller brands are more loyal. They’re not trying to squeeze every penny. That’s where the opportunity is.”
Jake Hall (Founder, By Jake Hall)
A newer face in manufacturing but a loud advocate for making locally, Jake’s brand makes 90% of its garments in the UK. For him, it’s not about margins, it’s about creative freedom, quality, and relationships.
“I can come in, talk to the people making my products, touch the fabrics. That’s important to me. You can’t get that when you manufacture overseas.”
He also flagged a key issue for his generation:
“It’s not easy to find UK manufacturers. There’s a disconnect between the factories and the new generation of brands.”
Caren Downie (Founder, Yaw Studio)
With decades of fashion leadership under her belt, Caren spoke about the value of working closely with UK factories, especially as a start-up.
“When you’re small, UK manufacturing makes even more sense. You don’t need huge volumes. You can be nimble and responsive.”
She underscored that great product starts with close collaboration, and onshoring allows exactly that.
Bill McRaith (Executive Advisor, Future-Proof Fashion)
Bill brought the global perspective, having built and scaled supply chains for giants like PVH and Tommy Hilfiger. He laid out the core challenge:
“The issue isn’t the factories. It’s the brands. Their systems are 30 years old and they don’t know how to slot UK manufacturing into them.”
He argued for long-term vision and bold leadership:
“Everyone loves the idea of UK manufacturing until they realise the work involved in changing their systems. But the economics work. You just have to be willing to do the hard bit.”
Fiona Lambert (President, The Twenty Club)
Fiona’s take was simple but powerful. We’ve got the skills. We’ve got the talent. What we lack is storytelling and imagination.
“If we keep doing the same thing, we’ll get the same results. We need a big, bold marketing campaign that brings heart into it, not just cash.”
She suggested a documentary-style campaign, something like Clarkson’s Farm but for fashion. Because the public, she said, is on our side. They just need to see the story.
Mick Cheema (General Manager, Basic Premier)
Speaking from the factory floor, Mick reminded everyone that Leicester’s manufacturers are doing some of the fastest, most flexible work in the world.
“We design 40 new styles every Monday. They’re in production by Thursday, and delivered the following week.”
His business is thriving by staying close to the fabric suppliers, using WhatsApp to communicate with each other quickly and know exactly what fabrics are available at any moment in time, and being completely transparent with clients on costings.
“You want to save £1 on a style? We sit down with the mill, engineer it together. It’s a partnership. That’s how this works.”
Final Thoughts
What stood out most from this panel wasn’t just the insight, it was the alignment. Everyone agreed that UK manufacturing isn’t just viable, it’s vital. But if we want to scale it, we need more than goodwill. We need infrastructure, investment, and a change in mindset from the top down.
Legislation would help. Visibility would help. But the panel agreed we need to make the public care. We need to tell better stories. And as Nick said, we already have the ingredients. It’s time to bake the cake.
So what needs to happen next?
- Retail buyers must stop treating UK manufacturers as a backup plan and start offering real commitment
- Brands need to work more closely with UK manufacturers from the outset, understanding their capabilities and developing products that play to those strengths
- Government needs to recognise the huge contribution that fashion and textiles make to the UK economy and back the industry accordingly
- We need a high-profile national campaign that gets the public behind UK garment manufacturing and showcases the people, skills and stories that make it worth investing in, both financially and emotionally.
