On the 26 October we visited Make It British Forum with Rachael Hobbs, the Director of Bridge & Stitch, who was also on the Q&A panel. The topic of discussion was how to develop a ‘Made in Britain’ Brand and featured key speakers from some of Britain’s industry professionals.
The conference was held at the new Art and Design faculty at De Montfort University in Leicester – a county which is well known for its past and current textile manufacturing. In fact, each week approximately £1 million pounds’ worth of garments are manufactured in Leicester including some of latest pieces from brands such as ASOS, Missguided and River Island.
So why ‘Make in Britain’ you may ask? Well firstly, we need to keep our manufacturers in business. If we don’t there will be no choice but to manufacture elsewhere. Britain is able to create high quality products at lower volumes, which is great news for smaller businesses that don’t quite have the budgets to order those huge quantities. Lead times will be reduced, factory visits will be more cost effective and it’ll be easier to build relationships.
Well, what should you look for when choosing a factory partner? You need to ensure that your chosen factory has an understanding of your vision. If they don’t, then take the time to search around until you find one that is suited to your products. Their ethical standards are also important, ensuring that certain rules and regulations are followed is vital.
How do you know if the factory is suitable? Once again through visiting and communicating with the manufacturer, have samples produced and do some test orders. You’ll get an insight into their processes, how they work and if this is what is suitable for you. Take baby steps and don’t rush into making decisions.
For the smaller brands that are seeking production in the UK don’t be daunted by the larger companies. Yes, they may seem intimidating and will be making bigger orders but they do face bigger penalties if their orders are late. To avoid this, plan ahead. Approach the factory in a professional manner. Build a relationship with the factory via visits, phone calls and emails so they can see that you are serious and committed. And be prepared – have your patterns, tech packs and design specs ready.
Knowing which factory is right for you is a daunting task. Bridge & Stitch do this for you. We have a large database of selected UK factories so we will always have someone suitable for you needs and requirements. In the unlikely event we do not already know of a factory who is suitable for your project, we can source one on your behalf. We have a great knowledge of the industry and of UK factories and production so we will be able to ask the right questions to ascertain if a factory is right for you and build a great relationship with them for your project. We are an ethical company so the factories we work with always meet certain standards.
Bridge & Stitch also can help with all of the development and set up stages. So we can help you to produce tech packs and patterns to a high standard so that everything is ready when the factory is approached.
Product Development Q&A Panel From L to R Kate Mills, Fiona Lambert, Stuart Cass and Rachael Hobbs.
One topic that was discussed and seemed to be a concern for many people in the audience was the lack of fashion graduates in the production and manufacturing industry. With many of these grads aspiring to be designers (in a very over subscribed industry), very few do not even possess the technical skills, abilities and knowledge needed for the manufacturing and production industries in Britain.
These manufacturers need young graduates and brands to be more involved otherwise they will continue to reduce in size and there will eventually be very few production and manufacturing companies in Britain!
