Make it British Podcast

How do you follow up with a manufacturer (and have a better chance of a response)? I get contacted by people all the time who say that manufacturers have not got back to them. When I dig a little deeper it is usually because the email that they've sent is unclear or tells their life history. My tips for that follow-up email are: - Follow up promptly - Let the know how you discovered them - Keep yo...

Peter Grey is new business manager for Just Elegant - a garment manufacturer in Leicester. In this episode he gives an interesting insight from a manufacturer's perspective into how the garment industry in Leicester has changed over the last few decades, and how it is closely linked to the UK high street. In this episode discover: Why his company doesn't have a website The truth about the relation...

Natalie Riachi has a real passion for slow fashion, and good quality luxury clothing that is well made. She grew up in Scotland and studied knitwear in Galashiels, where the knitwear industry was once a large part of the local area. Having worked in luxury fashion ateliers in Paris for the last few years, Natalie was concerned about how the knitting industry had left Galashiels, so she set up her...

As we celebrate 6 months of the Make it British podcast what have been your favourite episodes so far? This episode recaps what you may have missed, and gives you the low-down on the most popular topics and interviews. If you want to listen back to some of the best episodes of the first six months, these at the ones to go for: 1. Episode 02 - James Ede, Private White V.C. 2. Episode 01 - The Makin...

Lance Mitchell from weavers Mitchell Interflex discusses the promising future of the UK woven textile industry. Lance’s family business was established in 1907, and now has a fifth general family member working for them. From a picturesque mill dating back to 1786 in the Lancashire/Yorkshire borders, Mitchell Interflex were once weavers of striped deckchair fabric. They now weave a multitude...

In this episode I interview Peter Philips of Abbey England about his family business based in Walsall - the heart of the saddlery industry. Peter gives some great insights, not just into the leather and saddlery industry, but into the UK manufacturing and supply industry in general. There's no other company quite like Abbey England. Originally set-up to supply the equestrian industry they hav...

Starting a British-made brand is a big undertaking. Isabella Ugochukwu has done just that, and in this episode shares her advice on launching, and growing, a premium British-made leather goods brand. I've known Isabelle for several years now and I've watched her business grow and blossom. She always has fantastic advice to offer those that are also making in the UK, or wishing to start out so...

Simple tips for how UK manufacturers can attract the right clients by just a few changes to their websites. In the latest episode of the podcast I give some simple tips for how UK manufacturers can attract the right clients by just a few changes to their websites. Sorry manufacturers, but you don't always have the clearest websites, so is it any wonder that you're getting loads of calls from the W...

Kalopsia Collective is a social enterprise run by Adam Robertson and his wife Nina Falk. They do small batch manufacturing for designers and printmakers and in a simple and transparent way. Their aim is to create a sustainable alternative to traditional production systems using their assemble manufacturing method, thereby minimising waste and environmental impact with the added benefits of small m...

With the rise in demand for ethical goods how do you find an ethical factory to produce them? The 50th episode of The Make it British Podcast is published during Fashion Revolution week. Fashion Revolution is a campaign that was set up as a reaction to the Rana Plaza disaster, which saw the collapse of a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed five garment factories causing significant loss of...

Bianca Elgar is a print designer, and founder and creative director of the Bianca Elgar brand. I first met Bianca not long after I founded Make it British, when she came to me looking with help to develop her first fashion collection using her prints. Her business has now evolved from a capsule collection of clothing to a lifestyle brand, using her designs to create statement pieces for interiors...

Did you know that 2019 marks 200 years since the landmark Factories Act of 1819? Otherwise known as the Cotton Mills Act, the act was passed to regulate work practices in textile factories. It stated that no children under 9 could be employed in the factories, and that children aged 9 to 16 were to be employed no more than 12 hours a day. Before that the mills could employ whoever they wanted, of...

Martin Lowe describes himself as 'The Bald Headed Sock Seller' - but he's much more than that. His family business - Roy Lowe & Sons, which he runs with his brother Tim - produces socks for some of the most well known names on the high street. In its heyday Roy Lowe & Sons produced up to 640,000 pairs of socks a week from their factory in Nottingham. By introducing new technology and...

What's the best way of maximising your attendance at an event? As an event organiser I get lots of questions from exhibitors (and visitors) that are unsure of how to make the most of attending an event. In this episode I give tips and advice for what to do before, during and after an event to maximise your time there. Stay in Touch British Brand Accelerator  - Find out how you can work w...

Unfortunately, mistakes can, and do, happen in manufacturing, but there are ways to avoid it. In this episode we look at: the main reasons that manufacturing a product usually goes wrong how to resolve the situation if it does how to make sure that it doesn't happen again If you are struggling to find and work with UK manufacturers I can help. Sign up for my  Get Set for Manufacturing course...

What makes a great British brand? In this episode I chat to brand guru Simon Middleton about what makes an average brand stand out from an extraordinary one. Simon is my go-to authority on anything to do with creating a brand and telling brand stories - he's been voted one of the world's Top 30 branding professionals, and his book How to Build a Brand in 30 Days is a must-read for anyone who...

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 by accident after acquiring the small factory that was making his swimwear brand for him. He now makes 3,000 garments a week for both his own brand and other clients. In...

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 share the behind the scenes story of what triggered the event happening in the first place, and why that nearly led to its downfall.  Hear the real reason behind why we ended up with queues around...

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 the plunge and set up her own label - Genevieve Sweeney - which she describes as 'Premium British Knitwear'. To find out more about Genevieve and to see h...

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 this episode I run through my 7 reasons why you should be visiting a factory - and hopefully, if you're not doing so already, I will have convinced you by the end! Stay in Touch British B...

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 wedding dress business, Debbie started to turn her hand to making clothes for her whippet. When other dog owners started to ask where she got them, Debbi...

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 this question is not completely cut and dry, but in this episode I try and clear up some of the confusion surrounding country of origin labelling, and give advice on what 'made in the UK' really means. Rules o...

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 a successful business. Part of that success has been due to Katherine's dedication to craftsmanship and creating a perfect fit. In this interview she talks about how she...

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 their products are made. Find out which is best... Show notes for this podcast can be found at www.makeitbritish.co.uk/034 Stay in Touch British Brand Accelerator  - Find out...

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 9,000 people employed in the cotton industry in Ashton-under-Lyne, operating 2 million spindles. But after years of decline the last commercial cotton spin...