The British Fashion Council (BFC) and Make it British are working together to co-host a debate and networking party at the Meet the Manufacturer event on 25 May to bring together key designers and manufacturers to discuss positive fashion and sustainability in the British fashion industry.

“Many of our British designers are already manufacturing product here in the UK, however, we are frequently asked to make introductions and provide more information on the right production partners,” commented Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC.

“We hope that partnering with Make it British to host a debate at the 'Meet the Manufacturer' trade show will encourage a better network and opportunities for designers and British manufactures to work together - which is a key target of our Positive Fashion initiative led by Marks & Spencer."

Promoting positive fashion

"We're delighted to be collaborating with the BFC to promote positive fashion and sustainability,” said Kate Hills, CEO and founder of Make it British. “We have a wealth of high-end manufacturers in the UK who provide a valuable service to British designers who rely on the skills, flexibility and location of these suppliers when developing their collections for London Fashion Week."

Positive Fashion launched in February 2013 to set a new agenda for the British Fashion Council around sustainable and best business practices. Marks & Spencer (M&S) is the lead partner of Positive Fashion.

Some exhibitors

The Sampling Unit offers a professional sampling service for designers and manufacturers. The UK's leading digital fabric printing company, The Silk Bureau produces digitally printed fabrics for individual designers, textile design studios and international retailers. UK Leather Garments is a UK based manufacturer of leather jackets, specialising in motorbike jackets of all designs. They work with cow and sheep nappa leather, as well as with exotic skins.

William Clark provides traditional fabric and develops new innovations. Zero One Nine offer a flexible service to the growing demand for UK manufactured products with over one hundred years' knitwear experience among its directors. AE Sewing Machines is one of the largest UK suppliers for industrial textile equipment, accessories and spare parts.

Aero Trade Ltd is a family run business, specialising in the manufacturing of high quality casual bespoke outwear, delivering to national and international organisations. Elite Labels is a leading label supplier with in-house production facilities for all kinds of labels and various packaging. Eya Design is a family run business based in Wolverhampton, producing high quality British garments.

Meet the Manufacturer

Kate Hills is founder and CEO of Make it British. Twenty years of working as a designer and buyer for brands such as Burberry and M&S and multiple product sourcing trips overseas prompted Kate to set up the Make it British website to help promote UK manufacturing and British-made brands.

Kate Hills launched Meet the Manufacturer, a trade show and conference for the UK fashion and textiles industry, in 2014. The event brings together the best of British manufacturers with buyers and designers looking to have their products made in Britain.

www.meetthemanufacturer.co.uk

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