Make it British Podcast
by Kate HillsKate Hills is on a one-woman mission to save UK manufacturing. In this podcast she shines the light on British brands and manufacturers, and goes behind the scenes of their businesses. With tips, hints and tricks to help you manufacture in the UK and buy British. Never has there been a more critical time to get behind 'made in Britain'.
Copyright: Copyright 2024 Kate Hills
Episodes
285 – I Never Looked at Manufacturing Anywhere Else with Catherine Bedford, Dashel Cycle Helmets
35m · PublishedOn today’s episode I’m chatting with Catherine Bedford, founder of Dashel Cycle Helmets
Catherine had the idea for an innovative and stylish cycle helmet whilst watching the London 2012 Olympics. She set about creating her vision, and it took 5 years to develop and launch the Dashel helmet. All Dashel helmets are made in the UK, and in this episode Catherine talks about:
- How she set about developing a new and innovative product.
- How she found factories to then make the helmets
- Some of the safety testing that bike helmets have to go through.
- How she got PR and found stockists when she first launched.
- How she got her first stockists.
- And how the bike industry has been affected by Brexit.
About Catherine Bedford
Dashel website
Dashel Helmets on Instagram
Catherine Bedford on Linkedin
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator - My mentoring programme
Kate's Sunday Journal - My newsletter
Make it British Website
YouTube
Mentioned in this episode:
British Brand Accelerator
284 – Repair Is The New Cool with Thami Schweichler, United Repair Centre
34m · PublishedWelcome to Episode no.284!
Circularity is the buzzword on everyone's lips right now. It's no wonder, when you hear that 350,000 tonnes of clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year. Something needs to be done to stop the mass-consumption that the UK in particularly seems to be pretty bad at!
The United Repair Centre, a collaboration between outdoor brand Patagonia, social enterprise Makers Unite, and the Amsterdam Economic Board, is a much needed resource for the clothing industry. And they've opened one up in London!
On this episode I chat with one of the United Repair Centre co-founders, Thami Schweichler.
We chat about how the URC repair process has combined technology with sewing skills to make repair and circularity available to all, and how any brand can get involved in offering a repair service to their customers.
ABOUT UNITED REPAIR CENTRE
United Repair Centre Website
United Repair Centre Instagram
Thami Schweichler Linkedin
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator - My mentoring programme
Kate's Sunday Journal - My newsletter
Make it British Website
YouTube
Mentioned in this episode:
British Brand Accelerator
283 – Tackling Textile Waste as a Slow Fashion Designer with Lydia Bolton
36m · PublishedToday's guest is Lydia Bolton, a slow fashion designer tackling textile waste by upcycling unwanted fabrics and garments and turning them into one-off pieces.
As well as having her own label, Lydia also teaches others how to upcycle with workshops that she runs and in her partnerships with big brands such as Lidl, Nike, Adidas and Lime bikes.
We chat about:
- How Lydia started out in fashion and textiles and where she learnt to sew.
- The challenges of upcycling and making one-off pieces.
- Where she sources her raw materials from and how deadstock can be a misleading term.
- Her decision to only rent and not sell her garments going forward.
- How she collaborates with big brands to spread the word about upcycling.
- How she is teaching people to sew with her upcycling workshops.
ABOUT LYDIA BOLTON
Lydia's Website
Lydia on Instagram
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
FAQ: Where’s The Best Place To Source Fabrics?
8m · PublishedHow to find fabrics, leathers and other raw materials for your brand, and avoid the most common mistake that many people make when sourcing fabric.
FURTHER RESOURCES
UK Fabric Mills on the Make it British website
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: How Many Factories Should I Sample WIth?
6m · PublishedSampling with UK manufacturers can be quite a different ball game to sampling with manufacturers overseas. Here's why you might not want to sample with lots of different factories.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Quiz: Are you ready to work with a UK factory?
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: Do I Really Need To Provide The Factory With A Tech Pack?
5m · PublishedTempted to skip this step? Find out why that might be a bad idea, and how having a tech pack can save you money in the long run.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Tech Pack Bundle
Quiz: Are you ready to work with a UK factory?
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: Should I Get My Manufacturer To Sign An NDA?
5m · PublishedA Non Disclosure Agreement is a legal document you might ask a manufacturer to sign in order to protect your designs.
Find out what the pros and cons are of asking a manufacturer to sign an NDA, and what the alternatives are.
FURTHER RESOURCES
How to find a UK manufacturer
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: How Do I Approach A Manufacturer?
6m · PublishedWhat are the secrets to getting a response from a manufacturer when you reach out to them? I explain how to word your approach and why you might not be getting a response.
FURTHER RESOURCES
How to get manufacturers to respond to your emails
How to find a UK manufacturer
Why manufacturers aren't getting back to your emails
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: How Much Does It Cost To Start A Brand?
6m · PublishedWhat are the main costs that you will incur to start a brand, and how can you save money by making your product in the UK?
FURTHER RESOURCES
25 Hidden Costs of Starting a Brand
How Much Does it Cost to Start a UK-Made Fashion Brand?
How to Start a UK Made Brand
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
FAQ: How Do I Find The Right Manufacturer For My Brand?
8m · PublishedDiscover the best ways to the ideal UK manufacturers for your brand, and how to ensure that they get back to you every time.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Make it British Manufacturer Directory
5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer
How to Start a UK Made Brand
HANDY LINKS
British Brand Accelerator
Make it British Website
YouTube
Rate This Podcast
Make it British Podcast has 302 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 135:48:27. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on August 8th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 16th, 2024 10:10.
