The enthusiasm for manufacturing in the UK was almost palpable at this year’s Make it British Live! at its new home for 2019 in the Business Design Centre, London. Thousands of manufacturers, retailers, designers and academics gathered to showcase the creativity and diversity of UK manufacturing and to share their inspiring stories at the two-day event, which included a conference and trade show. Kate Hills, founder of Make it British, explains: “These are challenging but exciting times. In this fast-moving sector, with new products, trends and innovations emerging each year, collaboration is the key to success. This year’s event has been inspirational and it’s great to see so many people championing manufacturing in the UK.”
Lucy Siegle, environmental journalist and broadcaster, was back for the third time to chair the conference, with talks focused around how making in the UK is sustainable and the growing importance of technology. “Let’s talk about the opportunities of sustainability and explore the reality of re-shoring and bringing manufacturing back to the UK. Let’s learn from people’s experiences and understand the barriers and opportunities so that we can be a force to be reckoned with,” urged Siegle.
Julia Redman, head of buying at M&Co took part in the panel discussion, exploring: ‘Fast or slow fashion – which does the UK do best?’ She concluded: “There’s room for both, it’s how we deal with it in an ethical and sustainable manner.” British knitwear designer, Genevieve Sweeney, agreed: “There’s a place for both if we invest in skills.” Henrietta Adams, who creates her own women’s clothing, Henri London, added: “We need to be more transparent with our customers to help them learn more about their garments and where they come from, to make sustainable, ethical fashion more desirable.”
Communicating better to customers was a theme also picked up by Tom Glover, managing director of Peregrine Clothing, who said: “We need to invest in retail theatre to show how the machines work and how the products are made in order to inspire our future customers.” Glover is proud that all the manufacturing for his heritage clothing brand is done at their own factory in the UK: “It gives us control over our manufacturing and control over the end product.”
Visitors to the show also heard from branding guru Simon Middleton who explained: “A successful brand is story driven,” a theme that also resonated with Paul Alger, director of international affairs at the UKFT. And there were plenty of inspiring stories over the two-day event. Ed Oxley and Brant Richards, who co-founded HebTroCo, shared their entertaining story that “all began with a daft idea in a pub” and went on to make them a million in Brexit Britain. Kate Dawson, owner and director at the All-in-one Company was back to share her inspiring journey as she celebrates 10 years of trading with the launch of the Onesie Builder.
Barbara Burton, after leaving prison in her mid-fifties, told how she has gone on to set up her social enterprise programme – BehindBras Fashion Foundation – to help women build self-esteem and the skills they need to get employment after prison. Hareesh Kallambella, senior production manager at Burberry provided insight into Burberry’s latest initiative, ‘the factory of the future is the future of the factory’.
