Kate Hills

A little history lesson on the Lancashire cotton mills and a great video made by the British council in 1941

Did you know that Britain used to be the biggest cotton cloth producer in the world?

The mechanised spinning and weaving of cotton fibre into fabric began in Britain and spearheaded the industrial revolution. By 1860 there were 2650 cotton mills in Lancashire, employing 440 000 people and producing half of the world’s cotton. At the turn of the twentieth century things were still going strong and the Lancashire cotton mills produced 8 billion yards of cloth a year which were exported all over the world.
Then came the First World War and cotton could no longer be exported to the foreign markets. This led to countries such as Japan weaving their own cotton, and by the 1930s 800 mills had closed and 345,000 workers had left the industry.

This entertaining video was made by the British Council to counter Nazi propaganda and help promote British cotton to the world during the Second World War. It shows that we could not only make some fine cloth but we could design some great frocks too – and check out the glamorous war-time ladies in the fur and finery as well. As the commentator says in his best Queen’s English –

“For in peace or war, Britain delivers the goods”

But this video did little to revive sales of British cotton, and during the 1960s and 70s, mills were closing across Lancashire at a rate of almost one a week. Sadly, today there are left than a handful of working mills left in Lancashire.

If you want to read more about the history of the Lancashire Cotton Mills visit SpinningtheWeb.org.uk

Scottish furniture and textile companies to present a unique creative installation at Clerkenwell Design Week 2012

We were very excited to hear that ‘Made in Britain’ is to be a major theme at the Clerkenwell Design Week 2012. And as part of this annual celebration of contemporary British design, forty-five companies from across Scotland are set to showcase some of the best Scottish-made furniture and textiles.

Brought together by Textiles Scotland and the Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA), there will be the chance to see some of the best products made North-of-the-Border from designers and manufacturers such as The Isle Mill, Anta, Begg Scotland, Scalpay Linen and textiles artist Jilli Blackwood, alongside hand-crafted furniture makers such as Method Furniture and Daniel Lacey. Plus, unveiled for the first time especially for Clerkenwell Design Week, will be bespoke collaborations between Scottish furniture makers and textiles brands, including Johnstons of Elgin, Harris Tweed, Clockhouse Furniture, Ralph Christie and Turnberry Rug Works.

The Clerkenwell Design Week is always well worth a visit for those interested in beautifully crafted, British-made products. The event is free to attend and will be taking place between 10am – 9pm on 22-24 May at various locations around Clerkenwell. The Scottish Furniture and Interiors Exhibition will be hosted in the House of Detention at stand number 17. To register for tickets visit clerkenwelldesignweek.com/register

Clerkenwell Design Week 2012

We do love a good factory photo hear at Make it British, and these images by Steve Lancefield show the true craftsmanship that goes into making every pair of Alfred Sargent shoes

Nothing beats being able to see how and where the products that you buy are actually made, so here we bring you some fantastic images inside the Alfred Sargent factory in Northampton by talented photographer Steve Lancefield.
And whilst you are enjoying the view, here are some interesting things that you may not know about Alfred Sargent:

• Around 3000 pairs of Alfred Sargent shoes are made every month in Northampton
• They employ a team of 70 skilled workers in the factory
• Their production manager has been at the company for 42 years – he is getting the hang of it now!
• All of the Alfred Sargent range is made in the UK – from design all the way through to dispatch
• The company is still owned by the Sargent family – Paul Sargent, the current managing director is a fourth generation family member and Alfred Sargent was Paul’s Great, Great Grandfather.
• The soles on Alfred Sargent shoes are made from leather which is oak bark tanned in the South West of England

All photos used courtesy of Steve Lancefield

Read how a costly experience with a Chinese factory led Paul Holmes to manufacture his Hype Luggage range in the UK

I get a great deal of new brands contacting me to let me know about their British-made products, and providing their (very worthwhile) reasons for manufacturing in the UK, but none has struck a chord more than the email from Paul Holmes of Hype Luggage. Here is Paul’s story of why he chose to bring his manufacturing back home:

“I lived in South East Asia for around 10 years, where we were manufacturing shooting and hunting accessories. We supplied to firearm manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers in the USA, Australia, Canada, Europe and the UK, at one point we were supplying in excess of 16,000 gun cases a year.
A few years ago, we were ‘ripped off’ by a Chinese factory. We had dealt with them for 6-7 years, and I guess I got complacent, paid a huge deposit and after numerous delays and excuses, no product materialised, the end result was that we were almost broke.
We pursued the case through the Hong Kong Police, they arrested the factory owner entering Hong Kong from China, I did the ID parade with the double sided glass and the numbers on the floor in front of the suspects (just like in the movies), we identified him but all to no avail. The saga is still continuing with the Police Complaints Commission in Hong Kong, but we will never see any of the money again.”

Now, I‘m not relaying this story because I want everyone to think that the Chinese are evil and every single one of them is going to rip you off. In fact, over the years I have worked with some amazing people in China. However, I think that the moral of the story here is that if you are using a manufacturer who is a long distance away, and who you cannot pop in and discuss issues with fluently face-to-face, then eventually there will be problems – which in Paul’s case were very costly ones.

Paul’s story does have a happy ending. He spotted a gap in the market for high quality, beautifully designed shooting products that would not only perfectly compliment the personalised guns that his customers were buying, but were also less likely to be copied by the mass-manufacturers. He found some English craftsmen who were making beautiful quality, traditional products and worked with them to make a new shooting range of cartridge bags and shotgun cases. When presenting the products to potential clients one of them spotted the leather holdall that Paul himself was using and asked for one the same – and from there the Hype Luggage range was born.

Each piece from Hype is made with great attention to detail, in beautiful quality leathers, and with much of the work carried out by hand. So sure are Paul and his team of the quality of their products that each bag is guaranteed against material and workmanship defects for the life of the registered user, and should an unfortunate accident happen to your luggage then you can also return it to them for repair. Now you wouldn’t be able to do that with a bag made in China!

For more information visit www.HypeLuggage.com

Are you wearing a tie made in Italy – or even China? Shame on you! You could wear a different tie made in England every day of the week if you pick them from one of these beauties

Monday – Duchamp Broad Gauge Block Tie available from DuchampLondon.com

Tuesday – Tina Loder Rainbow Mini Dots Tie available from TinaLoder.co.uk

Wednesday – Old Town Audley End Tie available from Old-Town.co.uk

Thursday – Marwood Geometric Lace Tie in Blue available from MarwoodLondon.co.uk

Friday – An English Hand Silk Bow Tie available from AnEnglishHand.co.uk

Saturday – Magties Penny Feather Black Bow Tie available from Magties.co.uk

Sunday – Drakes Ancient Madder Bow Tie available from Drakes-London.com

Accessory school teams up with key British manufacturers to offer the chance to visit some of the best leathergoods factories in the UK

If you are interested in the craftsmanship that goes into making leathergoods in this country, then this may be of interest – Prescott and Mackay, the accessory design school based in London, are running a series of ‘Made in Britain’ factory tours.

Here is your chance to get inside some of the best manufacturers of footwear and handbags in the UK, guided by an experienced tutor from the schoo,l as well as someone from each factory who will give an in-depth view of the workings of the production facility. The next tour involves a trip to Walsall, the traditional home of British leathergoods manufacturers, and includes a visit to the James Homer factory, which makes bags, wallets and purses for Ettinger.

These trips could be of great interest to anyone currently studying accessory design, individuals looking to learn more about manufacturing in the UK, or for those just wanting to see experience the craftsmanship that still exists in this country at first hand.

For further details of the Made in Britain tours visit the Prescott and Mackay website.

Corby factory to shut with the loss of 115 jobs

It was with great sadness that I heard at the beginning of the week that Aquascutum were on the brink of administration. So it was even more upsetting to hear yesterday that the first thing that the administrators have done is to close down the Aquascutum factory in Corby which had been in operation for over a century. All workers at the UK clothing factory have been made redundant with immediate effect.

In a statement released by the administrators, they declared the Aquascutum factory “not viable to continue to trade due to loss-making operations and a lack of funding”. However, they are attempting to find a buyer for the Aquascutum brand, and it is believed that the rights to the name may be sold off to a Far Eastern buyer.

This all seems a little bit short sighted to me. If these administrators could see the emails that I get every week from people looking for British clothing manufacturers they would have realised that the Corby factory was possibly one of the most valuable assets that Aquascutum had. The 115 workers at this UK factory would’ve had decades of experience in cutting, sewing and finishing between them, and these sorts of skills are more sought after than ever in 2012. This tweet from Private White V.C. in the wake of the news yesterday says it all:  ‘Aquascutum lays off 110 staff whilst @PrivateWhiteVC recruits a dozen more machinists. Could easily hire another 50 with some govt support’.

I hope that there is someone out there who is able to take on the Aquascutum factory and re-employ some of the staff; Perhaps several brands should get together and share the overheads of running the plant, or Sir Philip Green could put his money where his mouth is and get himself a little UK manufacturing unit. Even Mary Portas may be interested seeing as her Kinky Knickers are flying out of the door. Time may be up for Aquascutum, but British manufacturing is alive and kicking!

Update 24th April 2012: It was announced in the press today that James Eden, owner of Private White V.C, was to put in a bid to buy Aquascutum and to re-open the Corby factory. Having built the Private White brand, which has shops in London and Japan, on being 100% British-made, I think that Mr Eden would be the perfect new owner for Aquascutum. Watch this space for more info.

The Equal Rights for Design Campaign

A campaign by Elle Deco to change the law to protect the intellectual property of designers is gathering apace. It shows that there has never been a better time to invest in original, well-designed products. And if they are British-made, then even better.

The recent case of Claire’s Accessories producing identical pieces of jewellery to those originally designed by Tatty Devine highlighted the issue of plagiarism in the fashion industry. But did you  know that the issue within other design sectors is even worse?

Under British copyright laws it is illegal to copy any design that has been registered for up to 25 years. Which means that any classic piece of design that is more than a quarter of a century old can be replicated by anyone completely legally. So iconic designs such as the Polo chair by Robin Day shown above, which was first designed in 1972, can be reproduced by anyone, anywhere. And because most of these classics that are popular at the moment spring from the mid-century period, they are all open to being copied.

But why is that a problem?  I hear you ask. Because only certain manufacturers legally own the rights to make particular designs . And by buying from one of these approved companies, you can be sure that the designer continues to receive their fair share from  every sale. Buy from an unapproved source and not only does the designer get nothing, but chances are the item has been made in a pretty unethical way too in order to get the rock-bottom prices that the fakes go for.

It  can be very tempting to buy a fake when it is significantly cheaper than a licenced original. Even Samantha Cameron was seduced by a replica of  the 1962 Arco lamp by Achilles and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, which she bought from  an unauthorised online retailer. When Michelle Ogundehin, Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decoration,  spotted that the well-healed Prime Minster’s wife had purchased  a phoney piece  of classic lighting she wrote on her blog  “I am appalled. Surely she should know better?” and from that the Equal Right for Design campaign began.

With backing from Sir Terence Conran, Ogundehin wants the law changed to put design on equal footing with works of literature, music and art, which are protected for 70 years after the author’s death. If you believe that this is the right thing to do, then please sign the petition NOW!

If you want to be able to spot a fake from an original then a good place to start is the Equal Rights for Design Facebook page  where there is a blacklist of those companies selling the faux-furniture. And if something seems too much of a bargain to be real, then it’s probably not.

At the end of the day, it is better to buy one great piece that will last a lifetime, where the designer and manufacturer have worked in partnership to develop the product, than several pieces of junk that will fall apart and be thrown away.

As John-Paul Flintoff put it in this month’s Elle Deco magazine – ‘Until a generation ago, saving was the normal means by which well-made items came into our possession’. We should all be buying less but buying better – and preferably that also means British-made too.

You can follow the story of how the Equal Rights for Design Campaign began on Michelle Ogundehin’s blog.

And don’t forget to sign the Equal Rights for Design petition

With the Queen celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, should this be the year of the Launer handbag revival?

With a heritage spanning 70 years and a Royal warrant for their leathergoods, it is a wonder that the Launer brand doesn’t have the same high profile that other British-made handbags bag brands such as Mulberry have. Especially given that every single piece that Launer make is still  produced by skilled craftsmen in their Walsall factory. Maybe with the emphasis now being placed on enduring quality and craftsmanship, the Launer brand is ready for a revival.

Originally founded in 1941 by a Czechoslovakian immigrant, the small structured handbags that are Launer’s signature were very typical of the style of handbag that was popular in the 1950s but that fell out of favour in the more relaxed decades following. In the 1980s the Launer business was bought by Gerald Bodmer who lead a revival of the brand that saw it being carried by non other than ’80s icon Margaret Thatcher.

Fast forward to 2012 and many handbag trends have come and gone, yet Launer have continued to make their very ladylike handbags in their Walsall factory just as they always have. With the Queen’s Jubilee coming up this year it feels like this most regal of handbag brands is due for a revival; and with the  release of the limited edition diamond colourway of  their classic Lydia handbag marking the occasion there is now no better time to invest in a Launer.

To find out more visit www.Launer.com

Think that there is no manufacturing left in the fashion & textiles industry in Britain? Here are a few facts and figures that prove otherwise

OK, so we don’t make anywhere near as much in the UK as we used to. However, spurred on by many people getting the impression after watching  Mary’s Bottom Line that there are next to no clothing manufacturers left in this country, I have started to compile a list containing  British manufacturing statistics, to show how much is still made in Britain.

Here are a few that I have collected over the last week, if you know of anymore please Tweet me @MakeitBritish, or add them to the comments below.

First the downside:

• A century ago there were over 2000 textile mills in the North of England, now only a handful survive
• In the 1950s there were 80 footwear factories in Northamptonshire producing 20million pairs a year, now there are less than a dozen
• In 1977 clothing manufacture employed 900,000 but by 1999 it was 130,000
• In the 1800′s Fox Brothers employed 5000 people in their worsted mill in Somerset, today it is only 20

And now the upside:

• £1.5 billion worth of clothing and accessories were manufactured in the UK in 2010 according to the ONS
• Abraham Moon, the Yorkshire woollen mill, produced 1.25mil metres of cloth in Britain in 2011
• Hotter shoes will make nearly 1.5 million pairs of shoes in their Skelmersdale factory in 2012.
• Barbour make 3000 garments a week in their South Shields factory
• Mulberry employ 260 production workers at their handbag factory in Chilcompton, five years ago the number was just 100

Make it British interviews Susannah Dowse who, along with Vivienne Ridley, founded the design partnership Ridley & Dowse

Ridley and Dowse make a fantastic range of accessories and lifestyle products, but it is their beautifully intricate jewellery that they are best known for. Here Susannah tells us why they chose to make their collection ethically in Britain.

Can you tell me a bit more about Ridley & Dowse and why you set up the company?

 We first met whilst working on a recycled clothing label for a charity. We got on like a house on fire and had admired each others work. Vivienne left to have her first child and I left to do freelance work but we decided we’d like to work together in the future. Vivienne had previously run a jewellery business and I had worked mainly in surface print design, so together we set about finding a way to work combining our skills.

Why did you decide to make your jewellery in the UK? 

Ethical production was important to us, and as a small start up we thought the best way of ensuring that we remain ethical was by making things in the UK where we could build relationships with our suppliers. We also wanted to support local businesses and keep manufacturing in Britain alive.

How would you describe the jewellery that you make?

It’s design led contemporary jewellery with etched images on to metal; A strong directional style juxtaposing delicate and sometimes very feminine images with an industrial process and metal.

In which part of Britain are you based?

Brighton.

Where do you source your raw materials from?

It’s all from Britain apart from the organic cotton in our cushions which is from India, but is printed in the UK.

Who makes your products?

We hand finish and assemble all the jewellery ourselves. The etching is done by a company in Birmingham who primarily make engineering parts. Products such as cards, cushions and bespoke items are made by various local companies.

What has been the hardest part of getting your jewellery made in Britain?

Finding materials and manufacturers. Simple things like zips are hard to source here. Also having an idea and struggling to find a manufacturer to make it. Manufacturing in the UK means competitive pricing is difficult and products we make have to have a strong design element.

And what has been the best part about making here?

Knowing we’re part of a movement of people who respect how things are made and by whom. Contributing to keeping the British heritage of innovation and creativity alive. Being able  to talk directly with our collaborators and therefore often developing a more creative solution to an idea and knowing that anyone involved in the process is being paid a fair wage.

Ridley & Dowse products can be found on their website.

Help support the Lavenham Happy Bags campaign in aid of children in Japan

Last week I featured the Shut Tup bag campaign, launched by the Trashonista to save a British clothing factory. This week I bring you news of another worthy cause involving a bag – this time from the outerwear company Lavenham, who have launched a campaign to collect English Childrens Books to send to the children in Japan who experienced the Earthquake and Tsunami that happened last year.

Lavenham have produced 1000 book bags, constructed from the same distinctive quilt as their famous jackets,  and named them ‘Happy Bags’ . The bags will be sent filled with the collected books and given to those children in Japan that are still suffering from the effects of last year’s disaster. They need to collect 1000 books in good condition by the end of April 2012, and need your help to do so. Unfortunately you don’t get one of the great little quilted bags for yourself, but you do get to know that you supported a very worthwhile cause.

So dust off those Enid Blyton’s and send them to Lavenham, for the attention of:

Marketing Department
Lavenham Leisure
24 – 25 Churchfield Road
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 2YA

 For more information see the Lavenham website

How many shoes do Dr. Martens make in England these days? And which ones are manufactured offshore? Make it British finds out

When I ran an article on English shoes a while back it caused much discussion about the brands that had been omitted. One of the British footwear firms in question was Dr. Martens, probably one of the most well known of English shoe companies. Surely such a quintessentially British brand still make all of their shoes in these isles?

The first pair of Dr. Martens boots rolled off the production line on April 1st 1960 from a factory in Cobbs Lane, Wollaston, England.  The iconic Dr. Martens boot, with its air-cushioned sole, was initially intended as a work boot, but most of its success was down to its adoption in the following decades by various subcultures, including skinheads and punks.

When bankruptcy loomed for Dr. Martens in 2003 nearly all of their production was sent to the Far East, but the business kept the original Cobbs Lane factory with the  hope that one day customers would value the Made in England label again. Now that day has come, and the company is increasing manufacture of the Dr. Martens boot in the UK, yet still the capacity of the Wollaston factory is only 70,000 pairs a year, a mere 2% of the total 3.8 millions pairs produced in 2011.

Part of the reason that Dr. Martens are only able to make 2% of their total production in the UK is that traditional shoe making is a pretty skilled process, as you can see from this video shot in the Dr. Martens factory, entitled Art of Industrial Manufacture. There are very few people with these skills left in the UK, but Dr. Martens are addressing this with a new apprenticeship scheme in partnership with South Leicester College, in order to train up the footwear craftsman of the future. Let’s hope that in a few years time the percentage of Dr. Martens shoes that are Made in England is well over the halfway mark.

To buy Dr. Martens shoes visit www.DrMartens.co.uk

It’s great to see so much attention in the press at the moment about British brands and UK manufacturing.

The April Edition of Britain magazine is the latest title to feature British craftsmanship and I was delighted to give my opinion on the subject for the article.

If you want to find out why I think that people are beginning to value the crafting process again you can read the article here.

How can buying this bag save a clothing factory in London from closure? Read on…

A chance meeting at a dinner party between a fashion designer and a fashion PR led to a conversation about the plight of a clothing factory in Walthamstow – the next thing they know they have launched Project Shut Tup  to help save one of London’s last* fashion manufacturers.

Michael Edward’s  family-run clothing factory in Walthamstow used to make garments for big designer names –  that was until they took their business overseas. He now has only 10% of the staff that he had when his East End manufacturing unit was at his peak, with only a handful of smaller brands sending their orders his way these days.

Anisa Topan decided that with her background in PR she could use her skills to bring focus to the manufacturer’s plight and help educate people about British factories like Michael’s shutting up shop. She came up with the concept of the Shut Tup bag, which is made in the Michael Edward factory, with all profits from the sale of the bag given back to the manufacturer. This helps him to pay his staff and keep open whilst he finds more orders from designers for their collections.

Support Trashonista’s Project Shut Tup and save one of London’s last* clothing factories

If you would like to support this very worthwhile cause please visit the Trashon website and buy a Shut Tup bag. Even  better, if you are a womenswear designer looking for a British clothing factory to manufacture your collection please contact Make it British and we can put you in touch with Michael.

*It is difficult to ascertain how many clothing factories are actually still going in London, but it is certainly nowhere near as many as it used to be. If anyone knows exactly how many are still in business Make it British would be pleased to hear it.

A selection of fine designer pants all made in Britain

In the week that Mary’s Bottom Line airs on Channel 4, Make it British brings you some great pants from the vast array of independent designers that were manufacturing lingerie in the UK long before Mary Portas conjured up her Kinky Knickers.
Each one of these companies has committed to producing their collections on home shores, making up just a small part of the millions of pounds worth of lingerie that is still made in Britain each year. Keep up the good work people! (Click on photos to be taken to the brand’s websites)

‘Minnie’  by Dotty Drawers -  Available in one size only. £25.

Deep Purple lace by Who Made Your Pants – Available in sizes 8-18. £18

Lara Silk Knicker with Nottingham Lace by Ayten Gasson – Available in Sml, Med & Lge. £42

Josefine Brief by Lascivious - Available in Small, Medium & Large. £79

My Fair Lady French Knickers by Fred & Ginger – Available in Small, Medium & Large. £59

Bloom Knicker in Liberty Silk by Love Baby Grand – Available in Sizes 6-14. £29

Vivian Leopard Print by Dirty Pretty Things – Available in Sizes Sml, Med & Lge. £45

Panda Pants by Truly Knickers – Available in 4 Sizes. £22

Make it British interviews Tiffany London, owner of Tiffany Rose, a British-made maternity wear label

I get hundreds of brands contacting me every week to say that they are passionate about UK manufacturing and making their products in Britain. But one recently stood out, and that was Tiffany Rose maternity wear.

Having had to go to several weddings during both of my pregnancies I know how difficult it is to find decent occasionwear when you’ve got a baby on the way. So it was great to hear from Tiffany London about her collection and to discover she has developed a thriving maternity business manufacturing solely in the UK.

Here is her story:

Can you tell me a bit more about yourself and why you set up your company?

I’ve always had an interest in business.  My parents ran their own successful businesses and so I grew up with it in my blood.  I also love design and fabrics – one of my very first jobs in London was working for interior decorator, Nina Campbell, which I found hugely inspiring.  But it was several years later when I watched my pregnant sister struggle endlessly to find something decent and suitable for summer weddings, that I had the light-bulb moment. I started Tiffany Rose in 2003, but initially it was more of a part-time hobby.  At the time I was also running the marketing for a London law firm, so I was squeezing Tiffany Rose in around this.  It was only a few months later that orders grew to such a level that I had no choice but to jump in with both feet.

How would you describe the products that you make?

Tiffany Rose is a British maternity label specialising in high end, quality, and stylish maternity wear.  Our collection ranges from chic day wear, evening wear, party dresses, full length gowns, red carpet show-stoppers and maternity bridal wear. We dress many British pregnant celebrities and every single garment is designed and made in Britain.

In which part of Britain are you based?

Our offices and design studio are based in Surbiton, Surrey. We have a fabulous and committed team of 10 employees – one of which is my husband and co-founder, Christian Robinson, who came on board on a full time basis 18 months ago.

Why did you decide to manufacture in Britain?

To begin with, my main reason for keeping production at home was to ensure tight quality control and short lead times. Quality is absolutely crucial to us and so is the ability to respond quickly to customer demand. Over time and as our orders grew, we developed strong relationships with these manufacturers and I really began to understand the importance of this, and the positive effect it was having on our business.  Our manufacturers have helped our business grow, in the same way that we have helped them to expand.  Some of them were affected by the massive exodus that took place when big retailers took their production overseas, and so I had to assure them we would stay in the UK – which meant they had the confidence to expand.

Who makes your products?

We currently work with a strong team of manufacturers from London up to Northern England.  Each one offers unique skill-sets and we carefully match the right design with the right manufacturer according to their expertise. These skills range from delicate bead work and hand sewing, handling fine silk chiffons to working with beautiful stretch jerseys as well as quality tailoring.  We also make some very high-end garments in our design studio which has worked well when creating bespoke styles for celebrities.

Where do you source your raw materials from?

The majority of our fabrics and trims are sourced from European mills.  We buy British wherever we can, and several of our popular beautiful jerseys are made in a family-run factory in Northern England.

What has been the hardest part of getting your clothes made in Britain?

The single biggest problem has been firstly finding partners who have the skills required to meet our standards, and then cope with huge increases in demand. Our business has grown significantly over the last 3 years, with sales doubling consecutively  year on year during this period.  This has put enormous pressure on our manufacturers to keep up with demand.  I am continuously seeking out new quality manufacturers to join our portfolio so we can share the load and keep up with orders – but with absolutely no risk to quality standards. Several people have advised me to take it overseas and all my problems will be solved.  But that would make me very sad and I’m glad I have persevered.

And what has been the best part?

The best part has been building trusting relationships with our British ‘force’, and reaping the benefits. Whilst we have had to accept far higher costs manufacturing in Britain compared to going overseas, we have peace of mind that we are paying for high quality workmanship.  We have an immense sense of pride at Tiffany Rose that we are supporting and championing our country.  It feels very rewarding and on top of everything else, gives us all a massive sense of purpose.

Last year, one of our freelance designers expressed an interest in setting up her own manufacturing business in North London.  We supported her in this move and she has successfully secured premises, employed full time staff, provided training and we are her largest client.

To see the full collection visit www.TiffanyRose.com

But let’s hope the same mistakes aren’t made as the last ‘Buy British’ campaign

It was fantastic to see Made in Britain trend on Twitter yesterday, following Ed Miliband’s speech at an engineering conference that has been likened to the ‘Buy British’ campaign of the 1960s.

In it he mentioned the Stove’s campaign to introduce a Made in Britain logo which has since been adopted by several hundred companies, although most of them engineering based. Philip Green also called for something similar in his speech at British Fashion Week last month.

I think that it is a great idea for manufacturers to be more transparent about where their products are made and to make it easier for the consumer to buy British. But at the same time, as I said in my article about the Stoves Made in Britain logo last year, it is important that whatever marque is decided upon is suitable for every sector, including fashion and textiles.

Going back to the comparisons with the Buy British campaign of the 1960′s, I do hope that the same mistakes aren’t made as happened back then. When promotional T-shirts printed with ‘I’m Backing Britain’ were discovered to have been made in Portugal the whole thing backfired on the government and the general public lost interest. We can’t afford for that to happen this time – this needs to be a properly thought out, long term plan to get British manufacturing back on its feet.

Will new Channel 4 show Mary’s Bottom Line really be the saviour of British manufacturing?

I heard months ago that the TV show in which Mary Portas takes on a factory in Middleton and does her best to save British manufacturing, was going to be called Mary’s Sweatshop. So I am now relieved to hear that it is going to be called Mary’s Bottom Line, and will finally be aired in the UK on the 15th March.

Mary’s show has certainly received lots of press coverage this weekend, including the Telegraph, The Mail and The Standard, all of which tell of how she has breathed new life into Headen & Quarmby, a factory on the outskirts of Manchester that had long since sent all of its manufacturing offshore.

But does British manufacturing really need saving? And has everyone abandoned their machines here in favour of cheaper labour in the Far East?

Whilst we don’t make as much in Britain as we used to, regular readers of this site will know that there are still plenty of designers and brands manufacturing in the UK. In fact, if you believe the Office of National Statistics figures, clothing, lingerie and accessories accounted for over a billion pounds worth goods manufactured in Britain in 2010.

I set up this site to make people aware of these often unsung heroes that have believed all along that manufacturing in the UK was the right thing to do, even when they could have achieved much better profit margins by making their products off-shore - I am therefore very pleased that a high-profile TV figure like Mary is putting British manufacturing in the forefront of people’s minds and creating so much attention around British-made products. And if the comments on some of the newspaper articles over the weekend are anything to go by, there is much support for Mary’s Buy British campaign.

However, it would be a terrible shame if after Mary’s Bottom Line has finished airing, and the first order of 100,000 pants has disappeared from the shelves, British manufacturing gets forgotten about again. Will the big retailers stocking the Kinky Knickers Mary is making in the Headen & Quarmby factory continue to back British manufacturing into 2013? I do hope so.

I also hope that all of those designers and brands that are less high profile than Ms Portas start to get the recognition they deserve for the continued support that they have given our factories all along.

Photo: Clara Molden