Manchester Made & Regions calls for consistent orders to rebuild UK fashion manufacturing

Manufacturers, retailers and industry leaders gathered at Manchester Hall on November 4 for Manchester Made & Regions, where speakers called for more consistent orders, closer collaboration and practical steps to strengthen UK fashion manufacturing.

The one-day event was organised by trade show Source Fashion, Fashion-Enter and the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF). Discussions centred on rebuilding domestic production capacity, protecting specialist skills and creating steadier demand for British factories, against a backdrop of rising global sourcing costs and growing interest in more regional supply chains.

Public procurement as an opportunity

The opening panel, chaired by Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter and chair of the ATMF, looked at the challenges facing UK manufacturers, from rising operating costs and a declining number of factories to skills and investment. Speakers pointed to public procurement as a way to give factories more consistent demand, allowing them to invest in equipment and training.

"We have incredibly skilled manufacturers in this country, but it has become far too difficult for many of them to survive," said Holloway. "Public procurement has the potential to make a real difference, but it needs to translate into orders and investment that support UK businesses."

Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing, explained how the brand works with 59 partner factories across the UK by focusing on long-term supplier relationships, consistent orders and a permanent range of everyday clothing instead of seasonal collections. According to Grant, 95 pence of every pound spent with the business stays in the UK economy.

"Everybody always says that the UK is an expensive place to manufacture," said Grant. "But if it were twice the size or three times the size, it would get a lot less expensive because the efficiencies in those factories, both operating efficiencies and overhead efficiencies, would start to come down dramatically."

Shift towards regional sourcing

Marguerite Le Rolland of market research company Euromonitor International presented research showing that consumers are increasingly prioritising quality, durability and value for money, while brands face pressure to build more resilient supply chains. She pointed to a shift towards more diversified and regional production, driven by tariffs, regulation and the need to respond faster to demand, and said nearshoring and reshoring could work for selected product lines.

Other sessions covered regional talent development, with Gemma Gratten, co-founder of Manchester Fashion Week and the Northern Fashion Collective, and technology to cut material waste and production costs, presented by Zerotec.

"We need to move beyond talking about its potential and focus on the practical steps that will make a difference," said Suzanne Ellingham, event director of Source Fashion. "Industry and government have an important role to play in supporting UK factories and creating the conditions for domestic production to grow."

The organisers plan to take the regional programme to Scotland in the first quarter of 2027. Source Fashion's next edition takes place at Excel London from January 19 to 21, 2027.