British factory Fashion Enter signs landmark deal to create clothing for Tesco
British factory Fashion Enter signs landmark deal to create clothing for Tesco
Fashion Enter, which makes fashion samples for ASOS and manufactured half of the outfits for the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, has signed new deals with Tesco, Harrods, and Phase 8 as retailers seek to introduce more 'made in Britain’ ranges to the high street.
The social enterprise, which was founded by ex-M&S buyer Jenny Holloway in 2006, is to make bulk ranges for its new customers, creating lines of dresses, skirts and blouses at its factory in London.
Some 85pc of production is still for ASOS, which provided the six-figure seed capital for the venture, but does not own an equity stake. "We are making 5,000 to 7,000 items a week," Ms Holloway said.
Fashion Enter runs a commercial factory and a Fashion Technology Centre, which has become the UK’s largest provider of technical fashion apprenticeships. It will train 4,500 new skilled cutters, stitchers and designers over the next five years.
The £2.3m turnover company reinvests all of its profits into its 107 staff - 10pc of whom are disabled - and its factory. The site now boasts 200 sewing machines and three large cutting tables, and has provided a much-needed service to start-ups, offering limited runs of up to 50 units. "We are now even beating firms from Turkey on price," said Ms Holloway. It also produces clothes for M&S, River Island and New Look.
Fashion Enter has also now launched its own label, Belles of London, which has sold out of its first batch of products on shopping channel QVC. This year, turnover is forecast to rise to £2.6m at a conservative estimate but could go as high as £3.5m if other retailers follow Tesco’s lead.
The Government’s Business Growth Service has worked with Fashion Enter to bring down lead times and overheads, increasing its output by 500pc in two years.
"Manufacturing should be the backbone of the UK economy," said Ms Holloway. "We are not only creating the products but also the skilled people to ensure the future of this industry."