Make it British Podcast

Latest Episodes:

212 – Where to Source Deadstock Fabric – Deborah Lyons & Piarvé Wetshi Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

One of the biggest problems that many fashion firms face is how they can dispose of their deadstock fabric.

At the same time, designers often have issues with sourcing materials in small quantities. In this episode, we meet Deborah Lyons and Piarvé Wetshi, the co-founders of Last Yarn, an online fabric marketplace that solves one of the fashion industry's biggest problems.

Discover:

4:50 How the idea for Last Yarn came about
6:30 How designers can source small quantities of a wide variety of fabrics on the Last Yarn marketplace
10:07 How platforms like this can help solve a problem for businesses that have leftover materials, and why it's more sustainable
27:03 How Last Yarn will be collaborating with schools and colleges

More Last Yarn

Last Yarn on Instagram

Last Yarn Website

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British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

211 – The Top 6 Business Trends in 2022 for Brands That Make in the UK Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

If you have a business making or selling products that are made in the UK, what are the biggest trends that will impact you in 2022?

Whilst the last 2 years have shown us that it is almost impossible to predict the unpredictable, having worked with hundreds of small businesses that make in the UK over the last ten years, I can see definite patterns emerging.

In this episode, I cover my top 6 business trends for brands that make in the UK for 2022.

Discover:

02:45 The reasons why everyone is turning to local
05:51 Why you need to be clear about how your brand is sustainable and not just saying it is
10:10 How simplicity can be key to running a successful product-based business
14:53 Why you need to be aware of rising cost prices and how to plan for them accordingly
17:54 Why you may need to shake up your current sales and marketing strategy
19:47 How you can take control of your production to get ahead of the competition

References from the episode:

Episode 208– and why you need to when you are working with manufacturers!

Fashion Revolution Fashion Transparency Index

Aja Barber - Consumed: The need for collective change; colonialism, climate change & consumerism

David Hieatt’s Do One Thing Well List Winter 2021

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

210 – Reflecting on 2021 Dec 31, 2021

Show notes

In this episode I reflect on how much things have changed over the past couple of years for us at Make it British, as I am sure they have for you. I also look at which of the 61 episodes of the podcast I've recorded this year were my favourites, and why.

Discover:

01:54 How Make it British has adapted since pre-pandemic
04:18 Why I set up my coaching programme to help small businesses who make in the UK
07:11 The 10 most popular podcast episodes of 2021

Listen to the episodes mentioned in this podcast:

200 - 20 tips for building a great UK-made business

170 - Are you confusing mark-up and margin?

178 - The real reason you aren’t making any money with your UK-made business

152 - Are you charging enough for your UK-made products?

156 - 5 reasons why you might not be able to find a UK manufacturer

183 - It was a stupid idea in the pub and now it’s a million-pound business - Brant Richards, HebTroCo

202 - How I dealt with the copycats and came out on top, Monika Young, Monika the Label

179 - Growing a UK-made lifestyle brand - Rebecca J Mills

153 - Building a family business in post-Brexit Britain - Gillian Tusting

171 - How we set up a micro swimwear factory - Rich Keegan & Linda Souto Maior, Usual Objections

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

209 – Running a Brand Championing Diversity, Shanna Bent Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

Shanna Bent is the founder of the conscious fashion brand Maison Bent.

Having previously worked with Alexander McQueen, Roland Mouret, Agent Provocateur, in 2019 Shanna set up her own luxury label, with a determination to bust the myth that black designers just do streetwear.

She’s had a lot of success in a short space of time, from showing at London Fashion Week to capturing the attention of the press and featuring in publications such as Vogue Italia.

In this interview, she talks about how to get press for your fashion brand and how her Jamaican grandparents who came to the UK during the Windrush era, have impacted her outlook on life and business.

Discover:

04:38 Shanna's industry background working for some of the biggest names in fashion
07:29 How Shanna first launched her brand back in 2016
10:51 How news trends and making connections gained press and exposure for Maison Bent
13:35 How Shanna is breaking down the misconceptions about black-owned fashion brands
15:14 The effect Shanna's Jamaican grandparents have on her outlook on life and her business
17:12 Why Shanna believes that luxury and sustainability should go hand in hand
19:13 Why Shanna is looking to use plant-based fibres for her collection pieces
22:01 The rental service that Maison Bent offers directly from their website
25:44 How Shanna works directly with her manufactures
30:22 Shanna's future goals for Maison Bent and why she believes people should be more educated about how garments are made

More Maison Bent

Maison Bent on Instagram

Maison Bent Website

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

208 – How to Plan For 2022 Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

When you have a product-based business and you're working with manufacturers, it's important to have a plan in place.

There's no better time to do this than at the start of a new year.

In this episode I give you tips on how to plan for 2022 and why you need to when you're working with manufacturers! Discover:

03:22 Why having a manufacturing plan in place is beneficial to both you and your suppliers
07:27 How you can start planning for the year ahead by setting goals
09:27 Why you should constantly review your plan to make room for the unexpected!

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

207 – Celebrating the North of England’s Creativity, Charlotte Raffo Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Charlotte Raffo is the founder of The Monkey Puzzle Tree, a homeware business that creates award-winning, artist designed fabrics and wallpapers with a twist and a conscience.

Working with artists and designers to produce the most beautiful collection of products, The Monkey Puzzle Tree makes everything within a hundred mile radius of Leeds.

The business has also recently won two awards for it’s design and innovation - a Guildmark for their cork wallpaper, and ‘Best in British Product Design’ award at the Brit List Awards.

Discover:

03:02 Charlotte's background and why she set up her own business.
10:20 How The Monkey Puzzle Tree collaborates with local artists.
12:01 Why Charlotte chooses to not follow trends and work with artists with unique styles.
14:41 How Charlotte goes about deciding on the fabrics, processes and manufacturers to use to make her products.
23:37 The trade shows Charlotte attends and why she sees that as an important way to market her business.
32:54 Why Charlotte believes you have to invest in your business for the long term.
42:05 How the name The Monkey Puzzle Tree came about.

More The Monkey Puzzle Tree

The Monkey Puzzle Tree on Instagram

The Monkey Puzzle Tree Website

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

206 – There’s more to marketing your brand than just Instagram! Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

Of all the social media platforms that small businesses use to promote their business, Instagram seems to be the one that evokes the biggest love/hate reaction. Especially if you’re a creative person, or run a product-based business.

You might be constantly bombarded by a stream of reels and videos from other small businesses who seem much more comfortable in front of the camera than you. And it feels like everyone is winning on Instagram marketing apart from you.

I’m here in this episode to tell you not to worry - there is more to marketing your business than just Instagram!

Discover:

02:49 Why the amount of followers a profile has doesn't always mean a successful business
06:01 Why you should be thinking about using other forms of marketing than just Instagram
10:07 The clever ways you can encourage potential customers to sign up to your mailing list
12:08 Why it's important to track your marketing data

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

205 – A visit to Shahtex to see seamless garment production Nov 26, 2021

Show notes

Today we are going on a trip to Leicester to meet the family behind textile firm Shahtex.

The guys at Shahtex are experts in circular knitting. Up until recently, they have been knitting fabrics for big online retailers.⁣

Shahtex have now invested in four state-of-the-art circular knitting machines, the first of their kind in the UK. ⁣These machines enable the factory to produce seamless garments, the likes of which you would have had to go to Europe for before to get made.⁣⁣

In this interview, I chat with Tejas and Pramod Shah at their factory in Leicester about why they decided to buy the machines and how they plan to change the reputation of the Leicestershire textile industry.

Discover:

03:28 When Tejas and his father set up the business and what's changed since
06:20 Why Shatex have invested in new circular seamless knitting machines
08:57 Who Shatex are looking to work with to produce better quality garments
11:12 Why Shatex have higher minimum order quantities
13:58 How Shatex is aiming to run the whole production line under one roof
16:33 Where Shatex aims to be in the next 5 years

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

204 – Making luxury lingerie in the UK – Lucy Jones, Lucy Jones Lingerie Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

Lucy Jones was the founder of a prestigious, luxury lingerie brand back in the 1980s.

Her distinctive silk lingerie was stocked in retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Rigby & Peller.

After two decades working in education, Lucy decided to relaunch her lingerie brand, making the entire collection herself and at a small atelier in the UK.

In this episode, Lucy speaks about some of the differences between running a luxury ingerie brand in the 1980s, compared to today.

Discover:

02:18 How Lucy first got into the industry
04:09 Launching a lingerie brand in the 1980s
09:20 How Lucy wholesaled to prestigious London stores
14:21 Why Lucy decided to close her original business
20:23 The challenges Lucy faced when she relaunched her business in 2019
23:29 How the pandemic has caused Lucy to focus on the online presence of her brand
27:28 Lucy's thoughts on today's disposable fashion culture

More Lucy Jones Lingerie

Lucy Jones Lingerie on Instagram

Lucy Jones Website

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator

203 – 30 years of knitwear manufacturing in Leicester with Mars Knitwear Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

Join me on a trip to Leicester to meet Said Saleh and Keith Cummings from Mars Knitwear. Based in Wigston, Leicestershire, the chaps at Mars have been making knitwear for over 30 years.

Having been manufacturing thousands of pieces of acrylic knitwear for the big store groups, Mars has now gone back to creating smaller quantities of premium knitwear from British wool, lambswool and merino. They even now have their own brand.

Discover:

04:08 How Said got into the knitwear industry
07:37 Keith's own history within the knitwear industry and how he came to work with Said
10:20 Why Said decided that his factory would start making higher quality knitwear
14:25 How Mars Knitwear has been able to pivot their business to selling their own branded products online
18:11 How Mars decides on what their next products are going to be and how they keep an eye on trends
19:52 Keith and Said's thoughts on recycled yarns and natural fibres
22:25 Keith and Said's plans for the future of Mars Knitwear and their thought on the future of the UK knitwear industry
25:22 Why the biggest problem manufacturers face is getting skilled staff and why Keith and Said believe more young people should work in factories

More Mars Knitwear

Mars Knitwear on Instagram

Mars Knitwear Website

Stay in Touch

British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand

Make it British website

Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers

Make it British on Instagram

Make it British on YouTube - subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch many of the podcast episodes as videos.

Mentioned in this episode:

British Brand Accelerator