Below are some of the findings we found interesting and valuable and which can be of as much help to you, as they would be to us in the future.

Exploring Indian Factories

Living in a place like London can be wonderful – and limiting too if we let it. We are so used to our ways, where everything is at the tip of our fingers, that we can easily be fooled that anything can be achieved from the comfort of one's desktop.

But every so often an opportunity knocks and tempts us away from safety to the unknown.

This is how it felt recently when Team Fashion Insiders decided to board a plane, swap continents and land in India – for a week packed with exploring a new market, forging new contacts, connections, and absorbing new experiences and lessons.

Had we just sat in the office we would not have had the opportunity to get a better understanding of one of the most vast markets and major suppliers of the fashion industry.

Personal Relationships and Human Connection

Though we hear often...

With Brexit looming over us and the louder and louder voiced opinions and encouragements to keep as much as possible "Made in Britain", Moni Omotoso takes a look at what that means to us really, and how easy is it to make it here or keep it here when the economic landscape as we know it is about to change.

What does the “Made in Britain” label suggest these days?

To me, it conjures up images of a cottage industry of knitwear lovingly made by hand in the Scottish Highlands, bespoke, traditional tailoring on Saville Row or shoes welted by hand in factories in Northampton.

In fact, the shoe making industry was more than a cottage industry in Britain. With 80 factories, producing more than 20 million pairs of shoes a year in the 1950s, I’d say that was big business. According to Eric Musgrave of the UKFTA, 'The UK is one of the best sources of fine clothing in the world. Its inherent quality equates to good value - a fact that is often better appreciated abroad, where the 'Made in Brita...

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, lead times or quality. Fashion Insiders platform member London Contour Experts examines why local manufacturing is still relevant in today's day and age and how it can benefit fashion brands.

With the ‘Made in Britain’ stamp being valued as an assurance of quality, creativity and ethics, more businesses are realizing the opportunity of keeping their operations close to home.

As a luxury product development and sampling business based in London, we specialise in stretch based bodywear; lingerie, swim, activewear and lounge. With a highly experienced in-house technical team we are able to take a product from concept to completion with the timeliness that is seldom possible abroad. Being a design-led fashion bus...

If you are a denim-wearing eco-warrior then perhaps you are more fashion and less eco-conscious! For wearing denim that has been mass produced by fast fashion companies is perhaps akin to eating meat if you are vegetarian. Not the done thing in short. Read below and get the basics of why the current denim manufacturing has a negative environmental impact.

Adorning yourself in denim goods will never go out of fashion. Jeans have formed the basis of every man’s wardrobe since the 20^th century and their popularity will, no doubt, continue far into the 21^st century and beyond. As a popular product, its manufacture can safely fall into the ‘fast fashion’ segment of the fashion business. As with all clothing that is produced ‘fast’ the detrimental effects on the environment are something to consider should you be a slow fashion aficionado and hope to produce a denim collection. It was a little-known fact, prior to 2014, that the manufacture of denim products had such an unfavourable effect ...

Ever wondered how to make a handbag? Or a dress? While most people will never wonder this, many do. 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.

Welcome to the world of entrepreneur-ism where the streets are sometimes paved with gold for the lucky few who make it to the finishing line. There is no magic formula for success in business but on a positive note, you can help yourself by having a clear vision and defining your perfect customer.

On a less positive note, the reality of running a fashion business which includes late nights, stress, chasing the fashion editor carrot with no pay for the first couple of years, is not for the faint-hearted.

The actual designing is secondary to your ability to manage your business which includes the people, processes and finances. There is a vast am...

A wholesale fashion line sheet is an essential sales tool for every brand. No matter how small or large, a line sheet must be presented to buyers if they are to be taken seriously.

As a fashion start-up, you may well be considering the wholesale route to marketing your designs. It’s a valid proposition to want to see your range stocked in brick and mortar shops, and a goal that you should pursue. To achieve this you’ll need to approach stores' buying teams in order to build wholesale accounts, and they should be approached professionally. Once you have secured an appointment they will expect you to have all of your selling documents to hand, such as lookbooks, order forms and most importantly your fashion wholesale line sheet.

You may well ask, what is a wholesale fashion line sheet?

Simply put, a line sheet is a sales tool designed to visually communicate all of the information necessary for a buyer to make a decision about purchasing your collection.

It will include vital inf...

For an industry as dynamic and fast-paced as fashion, why do so many fashion brands fail? A topic that's covered more and more of late, in the wake of so many retail stalwarts and iconic fashion brands filing for bankruptcy.

The fashion industry is famous for its smoke and mirror image. Things are never how they appear to be. This ‘opaque-ness” is often engineered on purpose. It suits the industry to hide the truth and only show the glamour and success. After all - it is glamour and success that create desire and lust, that in turn generate sales.

But peel off the top layer and the truth is rather different.

The fashion industry has been going through a decisive era of major consumer, channel, and supply shifts while suffering from increased economic volatility.

This in itself has led to the bankruptcy of countless small, medium and large brands. Many have come out as a surprise to those not “in the know”. The few on the inside of the industry have seen the writing on the wall ...

Fashion industry professionals including small business owners, students and representatives from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) were among the crowd at a sell-out event in Manchester on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 to discuss whether goods being made in England really matters.

They were gathered for The Fashion Network’s panel discussion Made in Britain – Who Cares? An informed debate followed, regarding several questions about the past, present and future of UK manufacturing.

Dessy Tsolova, Utelier founder, was joined on the panel by James Eden of Private White V.C., Paul Alger of UKFT and Denise Pearson of Deni-Deni. Around 10 people in the audience were involved in brands that are made in England, and so were able to offer their own experiences and question the panel.

A resurgence of UK manufacturing

The panel was asked by event Chair, Dale Hicks of The Fashion Network, if there was a resurgence in UK manufacturing and there was a mixed ...

Not so long ago, starting a fashion brand wasn’t so easy. Those who were involved in fashion brands often had families already involved in the industry. Many of the designers were employed to design and the few independent brands that existed were the result of many years spent apprenticing at larger brands and learning the ropes, as well as forming industry relationships.

But, this all changed with the onset of the Internet. Today we are lucky to live at a time when the barrier to entry for virtually any industry is non-existent.

The reasons that may have stopped most people from launching their own brands in the past were mostly centred around the difficulty of finding factories. But today there are many online directories and resources to use and find local and offshore manufacturers.

Sourcing of materials is also easy to do. There are big international trade fairs as well as many local smaller sourcing events.

The fear of how to market and sell your product is no longer an issu...

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QUESTION:

When should I look for a manufacturer - before or after the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign I plan to do, to raise funds, to launch my business?

Astrid, Oslo (Norway)

Hey Astrid, great question!

Launching via a Kickstarter type of crowdfunding campaign is a great new way to leverage the power of the internet and use as a fuel to propel your business forward.

However, it is extremely important to understand that in this day and age when we are all used to instant gratification, keeping up the momentum in your launch and business, in general, is of utmost importance.

For this reason, as well as many others, it is important that before you launch your Kickstarter campaign, you have not only made a sample to use in your promotional materials but also:

1. You'll need to have secured and know exactly from where you'll be purchasing your raw materials for production. Have agreed on prices and checked up t
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