Who Made My Clothes Movement was [and still is] a powerful event in the history of fashion. It compelled various brands, designers and the industry to think about the repercussions of their actions.
Ever wondered how top fashion designers manage to create multiple collections per year? Season after season, year after year, seemingly never running out of ideas. Fashion inspiration is behind it all.
Bespoke shoemakers James Ducker and Deborah Carré, who make up the duo known as Carréducker create custom shoes for men, traditionally made and designed with a contemporary aesthetic to suit each client’s individual style.
If you want to discover what invaluable lessons I learned from launching a fashion fine jewellery brand, then read on. It is often said that
Vegan Leather or Real Animal Leather? Sustainability and making fashion more responsible and better for the planet have been on the global environmental agenda for
While we are going through these unprecedented times caused by Covid-19, many fashion start-ups and independent fashion brands might be thinking about how the industry
Renée Lacroix is Canadian born, London based pattern cutter extraordinaire. Having originally studied back in Canada for over 6 years, focusing on womenswear design and technical/pattern cutting skills, she came to London and set up London Pattern Bureau in 2015.
The end of January saw the release of a new fashion competition TV show series – Next In Fashion on Netflix. The premise of the 10-episode
Sustainable fashion terminology can be confusing to most. Like many other industries, fashion is shaped by economic and political forces. It is like a living
The rise of cruelty-free fashion and beauty brands is apparent and all around us. Over the last few years, keen followers of fashion, no doubt
True entrepreneurs are often driven by a resilient sense of mission. They don’t start businesses out of a desire, but out of need and want
Graduating with both a degree in Accounting and Apparel Design, it is no wonder that Natalie Smith married her love for exactness and passion for
Buying ethical clothing and talking about ethical fashion has become the “in” thing of our generation. But what does it mean? What makes clothes ethical?
Gul E Raana is the founder and creative force behind the hand embroidery London based brand – Wenlin Studio. Though only a couple of years
Working with clothing manufacturers overseas is a natural progression for many fashion brands. The move is often necessitated by two main factors – a need
If you’re looking to become a jewellery designer, there are plenty of ways to go about achieving your goal. While there’s no one “right” way
We can’t all afford the designer styles we see on celebrities and runway models. So, we often settle for cheap alternatives. Unfortunately, there’s a price
To grow your fashion business you need to not only be visually creative but also be creative with how you conduct business, your strategy, marketing
Have you heard people blame all their troubles on Mercury retrograde? I used to think it was just a phrase people used until I looked
Starting a business on one’s own is never easy. But starting one in the fashion arena is a particularly steep hill to climb, full of
Can a business fulfil every demand put across by consumers? These days consumers have become creators as well as critics and it has put a good load on small businesses. Find out what consumer personalisation means for businesses.
In the past, we have covered haute couture designers through the ages: 1900’s-1950’s. In this post, we will cover the present day haute couture designers, how it is surviving, who is buying it and how it has changed.
The “couture” of the past – what it means – history and origins, who did it, who bought it, couture techniques that make couture – couture. Here we talk about the period 1930s-50s part 2
The “couture” of the past – what it means – history and origins, who did it, who bought it, couture techniques that make couture – couture. Here we talk about the period 1930s-50s.
Let’s look at the factors contributing to the fragmentation of retail.
A small design studio has set out to help brands realise their creative potential through a variety of services aimed at startups and larger brands. The future of fashion is being multi-skilled and versatile.
Silent Goods is a brand that asks the question – Is it really possible to go against the grain and to create a fledgeling, sustainable and transparent brand that’s distributed through online sales only?
Women’s Sewing Groups formation is an age-old concept that London Fashion Manufacturing Industry has taken on with full force. Read what it’s about, how these groups work and what are the living conditions of women here.
I “made my wardrobe” is not something you often hear someone say. There are many motivations behind the decisions to make your own clothes. Utelier meets Lydia Higginson who did just that and in the process turned her passion into a business.
Brands with any integrity have been thinking of ways to build their businesses with a sustainable advantage for a while now. Below are 7 Eco-friendly practices that a fashion business can do to contribute to sustainability in the fashion industry.
Sprezzatura is an effortless dress and lifestyle movement that doesn’t require you to liquidate your stocks so you can invest in accessories, suits and grooming aids. Learn what it is and how to introduce into your style.
Hand and Lock is one of the few, if not the only, hand embroidery studio to whom military, Royal and diplomat officials, as well fashion designers, rely upon for the finest hand embroidery.
Foreign brands that work in Asia often do so with the help of buying agencies. Ayushi Nath, a fashion designer at Impulse buying agency based in India, shares the inner working of a design and manufacturing agency.
Read about Fashion Enter, the British Garment Manufacturing social enterprise making a positive impact on the manufacturing industry.
Unlike ready-to-wear which is about predicting the future, couture while expensive is an altogether more relaxed affair. The point of haute couture fashion is that it symbolizes the present for future generations to learn about the past. Learn the history here.
We are all aware that the fashion industry is saturated with product. Yet many factories all over the world produce products one can argue there
Every day newcomers enter the fashion industry. While they may bring new ideas and enthusiasm, their lack of knowledge of how the industry works, development and sourcing know-how and process often leaves them exhausted and with depleted funds.
Every industry has its own way of expressing technical might and glamour. Car manufacturers have supercars that showcase their expertise. In fashion – it is
An interview with the founder of Swat Valley Guild, whose mission is to support local artisans, weavers and producers access global markets.
Tushar Handworks is an Indian garment manufacturer, not afraid of experimentation and who takes new challenges in their stride. The designer cum manufacturer- Tushar, talks to Fashion Insiders openly about the changes he has implemented to adapt to the competitive times, sustainable fashion and qualities that make a good a customer.
If you are a denim-wearing eco-warrior then perhaps you are more fashion and less eco-conscious! Read below and get the basics of why the current denim manufacturing has a negative environmental impact.
Maes London may not be a name you recognise right now, but if you’re a fashion designer based in London, soon you will. Diana, the bubbly and energetic founder behind it is not someone who mulls over ideas. Instead, she springs into action and does the impossible.
Films – be it documentaries, short or feature-length movies hold the power to make us laugh or cry in equal measures; they can educate and above all – inspire us to dream.
Batik is not a very difficult art form, but a painstakingly slow one. Entirely done by hand, it often is a skill handed down from generation to generation.
Yang is the epitome of the new generation of Chinese independent women. She is well educated, she has travelled and worked abroad and now, she has set up her own business.
The founder of Mariko Plus shares his experience in starting his factory and how to get the best of manufacturing in India.
Rossella Ramanzini grew up in an Italian family of artists. But her art led her to silk scarves and her struggles turned her into a manufacturer. Read about her art and journey in fashion.
Introducing alternative textiles is just one and a relatively small step in creating a sustainable environment and it may be the answer to the sustainable fashion quest.
Handloom weaving is an art form practised by few but appreciated by many. Krishna Wool, is one such Indian manufacturer trying to preserve its beauty.
Before embarking on production for your fashion start-up, you will no doubt research the differences between manufacturing locally or offshore. Costs will surely be at the forefront of your mind, but there are so many other things to consider.
A successful business owner, fortune 500 executive, marketing enthusiast, Vera V Wang, the founder of Viviona fashion manufacturing talks talk to Utelier about her journey and working in fashion.
Fashion archives allow new designers to delve into a past that was very different to the present. It can be used in order to gain some insight into the brands DNA.
Now, more than ever, we should be thinking about sustainable fashion. But what is sustainable fashion? And is fashion sustainable?
Fashion manufacturing locally is not a new concept. It has been done by brands large and small for as long as manufacturing has existed. But with advances in technology that helped make the world more reachable, many have tried their fortunes far afield hoping to improve prices, leadtimes or quality.
India based Meenal Malhotra caught the fashion bug post her MBA stint in Finance and Marketing. After gaining some insights into the fashion industry whilst working with Masaba, the well-known fashion designer from India, she decided to set up a factory of her own – R and M Enterprises.
Out with the old guard and in with the new. The appointment of Edward Enninful as the next Editor of British Vogue is a bold move for the British fashion industry.
Over the last couple of decades, as the online shopping has steadily increased at a fast and furious pace, countless boutiques closed their doors and larger department stores sales suffered – many wonder what is the future of fashion wholesale?
With Brexit looming over us and the louder voiced opinions and encouragements to keep as much as possible “Made in Britain”, we look at what that means.
Within the industry, the roles of designer and pattern cutter are mutually exclusive. This is really strange, as without the Pattern Cutter, the designer’s vision can’t be realised.
Hawthorn works with a mixture of start-up and established brands, helping those who are new to the industry understand how best to progress on their journey.
Making a choice between fast fashion vs slow fashion may seem like an obvious choice, yet it is not an easy choice for many to make. One has moral implications while the other is more practical and economical. So what is it to be?
At a recent Fashion Insiders trip to India, we pay a visit to Kartik Kraft Vision design studio. A handbag manufacturing studio located in the charming Pitampura district of the Indian capital.
Team Fashion Insiders swaps continents and goes to India for a week packed with exploring a new market, forging new contacts, connections and absorbing new experiences and lessons.
Years ago, the seasonal selling formula for a designer was pretty simple and straight forward. Fast forward to 2017 and this no longer is the case.
Victor Rosenberg has industry experience spanning four decades. With a knack for storytelling, meeting with him is always enjoyable and inspiring.
Eyewear Designer and Fashion Insiders Specialist Sandra Battistel met with Raffaele Ricciuti, the owner of 1955, a small, yet highly artisanal eyewear factory in the South of Italy, near Potenza and discussed the eyewear manufacturing business.
Utelier’s visit to a NW London factory specialising in high end (ready to wear) ladieswear soft separates garment pattern development, grading, sampling and small run production.
BeTangible is a leathergoods and sample-making manufacturer, based in Ubrique, Spain, co-founded by ex-colleagues Pepe Montiel and Manuel Millan. They met during their careers at a larger fashion manufacturer, and both had grown tired of certain practices.
Amanda Overs, 29, is the founder of the innovative fashion business, I Can Make Shoes. Over the past five years, people from any background have been able to join a class to make a pair of shoes from scratch that they can keep.
Joanne Edwards was working as a designer when she felt the strong need to get back to making things with her hands. This led her to found her brand Joanne Edwards Millinery.
Sandra Battistel is an eyewear designer with more than 20 years of experience. She is also the editor of eyewear blog, EyeSpectacle where she shares her ideas and thoughts on eyewear, and celebrates independent brands. Here, she shares her excitement about an innovative solution for getting glasses to have the ‘perfect fit’.
It’s important to remember on this Fashion Revolution Day and two-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster that unethical treatment of factory workers lives on, and not just in Asian countries.
Hannah Stewart, a Product Account Manager at a London-based fashion company woke up at 5.30am recently, to travel two and a half hours from her London home to Northampton. She was attending the BLC Leather Technology Centre’s ‘Understanding Leather Course’, led by Barry Wood – a leather technician who has worked in the fashion industry for over 25 years.
Natasha Hulse is the owner of Natasha LG Hulse Design and a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design. She specialises in print design, and her womenswear collections feature bold colours and flowing, yet well-structured garments.
Nestled in south-east London, in an arch underneath rail tracks, is the creative home of Insley & Nash. Inside, the fashion duo specialise in printing techniques that many printers will not even consider undertaking.
One of the most respected welted shoemakers John Lobb, has been producing shoes since the mid-19th Century. Now, this Northampton-based £25m business is set to grow.
Lace has long been a treasured decorative element for fashion, interiors and hosiery. Yet when we talk about lace and the manufacture and making of it, we don’t usually think of lace and British manufacture in the same sentence. But surprisingly, we should! MYB Textiles based in Scotland is a lace manufacturer success story worth sharing and we find out exactly why from Wendy Murray from MYB Textiles.
As anyone who knows or follows the luxury goods industry will tell you – there are luxury goods companies and then – there is Hermes. The family owned leather goods maker is a true champion of “the art of craft”. They continuously find new ways to educate and showcase what true craftsmanship means be it through pop up exhibitions, store demonstrations or videos. The latest new initiative paying respect to the true unsung heros behind the brand are a series of videos simple titled “No Comment”.
Nick Robertson the CEO of ASOS, the world-renowned online fashion retailer for twenty-somethings, describes his journey of becoming the second largest online retailer on the planet as being ‘luck at every junction’.
Pop-up shops are taking over the retail world but what exactly is a shop that pops up? Pop-up shops are temporary stores at a designated venue, the purpose of which is to attract the consumer with something exclusive and exciting. Layla Webster delves to find out more.
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