Made in Britain Makes Sense

Dear Members,

The Workers of England Union would like to see more of this type of investment across England and the rest of the UK. Since our conception, we have highlighted how misguided it is for large businesses to import cheaply made products when we can manufacture those goods in our own country. We encourage retailers to partner with businesses like the one mentioned in the Evening Standard article. By doing so, they can be confident that the products they sell are made by workers protected under UK employment laws and that buying and selling across the UK helps firms reinvest in training local people to develop the skills needed.

Regards,
Stephen Morris
General Secretary
Workers of England Union

‘Made in Britain makes sense’: The factory sewing fastest fashion in the middle of town

Source: Evening Standard

Unexpected Manufacturing Hub in Zone 2

In an industrial unit five minutes from Manor House Tube—well within Zone 2 of our service-sector-driven city—you’ll find a sleek, modern workshop where skilled machinists, cutters and designers manufacture womenswear for Marks & Spencer, Asos and a host of other major retailers. Fashion Enter’s team produces everything from £8 tops to £50 blouses, and they deliver them quicker than a sweatshop in China, Bangladesh or Eastern Europe ever could. It’s fast fashion on steroids.

Efficient Production and Reduced Waste

Chief Executive Jenny Holloway—formerly in top roles at Littlewoods, Arcadia and Marks & Spencer—declares:

“Made in Britain makes sense.”

Her argument is compelling: proximity enables made-to-order production, minimizing surplus stock and waste. When retailers ship containers from Asia, they must order in bulk to justify transport costs. If a range underperforms, unsold items pile up and end up heavily discounted.

With Fashion Enter nearby, retailers can order smaller batches and quickly replenish sizes, styles and colours that customers demand. What they spend on UK labour costs, they save on avoiding markdowns.

Skilled Workforce in Safe, Comfy Conditions

Inside Fashion Enter’s sports-hall-sized machine room, the lighting is brilliant white—ideal for precision work—and the environment is clinically clean, with only the steady hum of sewing machines breaking the silence. First, material is cut into shape by cutters guiding a power saw through foot-deep blocks of fabric, protected by chain-mail gloves. Each slab is dozens of layers thick yet they move at pace.

Next, pieces are barcoded and passed to a dozen machinists—mostly women—who stitch through towering bundles of pre-cut material. Eight thousand garments a week emerge from their skilled hands.

“These are the real geniuses of the business,” Holloway says. The machinists execute French seams, double-lined hems and set-in shoulder pads with pinpoint accuracy and calm focus.

Proto­typing and Couturier Craftsmanship

Adjacent to the main hall is the couturier room, where super-skilled machinists add fine details to high-end M&S blouses while Beijing pop plays softly. Upstairs is the prototype department, where designs from Pearl Lowe, Matthew Williamson, Preen, Hemyca and Osman are tested and refined. Here, Fashion Enter’s specialists turn drawing-board ideas into viable products.

Investing in Local Skills and Social Enterprise

Holloway is vocal about the impact of Brexit on skills shortages. “Brexit just makes it all the more vital that we reskill our own youngsters,” she says. To address this, she launched the Fashion Technology Academy with support from Asos and state funding. The academy offers full-time training and day-release courses for apprentices and aspiring designers under the motto: “not fashionistas, but productionistas.”

Graduates of the academy now hold paid positions at Fashion Enter. Once unemployed, these young machinists now have skilled careers ahead of them. As a social enterprise, Fashion Enter uses factory revenues to subsidize education and community outreach. Asos remains a loyal supporter—and now it’s time for other big retailers like Next and Primark to step up.

Conclusion

The Made in Britain makes sense approach ensures faster turnaround, reduced waste, fair wages and local skill development. We call on all retailers to join this movement and help build a stronger, more sustainable UK fashion industry.