In talks with Jenny Holloway; Fashion Enter director

With the recently passed, Graduate Fashion Week, now with sponsorship from George, attracting an ever increasing amount of young design talent and industry applaud, Jenny Holloway, was one fashion insider with a sharper eye on the catwalk

shows and presentations than most.

As Director of Fashion Enter, the industry based specialist aimed at providing real support and advice for a cross section of the fashion industry - designers, manufacturers, retailers – Holloway is one who ‘takes a feet on the ground,’ ‘make things happen’ approach. Now with the launch of FCboutique, the e-tail arm of Fashion Enter, Holloway has devised a niche online operation which picks 10 of the best young UK graduate designers to give them a platform, both in visibility and for sales. “This initiative was specifically designed to help graduates get their business up and running, to help them have visibility and get their collections off the ground,” affirms Holloway. FCboutique will target trade retailers, ‘there is genuinely good will out there for young talent,’ she assures, ‘it’s just tapping into it.’

FCboutique, which will launch this week as a not for profit organisation, marks new ground and a huge turning point for Holloway, who, in 2000, founded Fashion Enter, to help the ‘bevy’ of design talent in the UK through the many pitfalls along the long journey to recognition. ‘I felt impassioned to the cause,’ she says, ‘The reality can be bleak; how does a graduate designer get the money to produce a 15-25 piece collection upfront? And how do they get to buyers – go to Topshop and you won’t even get past the receptionist.’ The LDA stopped funding in 2006, but Holloway undeterred by huge debt she had accrued in the first six months of trading, built on her strong ideas and foundations to create a mini community. So in 2007, there came a centre of excellence, a workplace for manufacturers and pattern cutters, and a showroom facility. Although the idea has always been about backing young talent – take for example, Rebecca Torres, who came to Fashion Enter as an unknown, and for whom the factory have made it possible to produce over 5000 garments, enough to facilitate a recent huge buy from Asos – established names are too welcome. London Fashion Week designers, such as Osman and big department stores, John Lewis and Debenhams all come to have samples created.

‘Of course the phenomenal success of Asos has seen a shift in the industry; they are turning over over £12m per week,’ enthuses Holloway, ‘but I think the perception is that etail is easy.’ With Asos updating 200 garments per day, the reality is far from it. ‘People just think etail means to sale, I don’t think enough is known about the mechanics behind it.’ Holloway reveals that they are in serious talks with Asos and Debenhams with the launch of FCboutique imminent. So why did they decide to launch an etail arm now? ‘We just felt we had all the foundations to make it work. By having our own workshop, we can produce from 1-1000 garments per week, depending on demand.’ And what about the criteria for the 10 chosen graduate designers? ‘The chosen designers are a good mix; in price points, signature aesthetics, and then we really look at quality of making, business plans and dedication,’ she reveals.

University of Central Lancashire grad, Charlotte Brown, said: “I'm really excited and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be involved in such a brilliant scheme. Being a part of the designer section within FCBoutique will raise my profile as a graduate designer to a much broader audience. Within my section on FCBoutique, I hope to hybridise innovative concepts with original designs whilst still creating wearable pieces.”

For Holloway, more than anything, it’s rewards well reaped for years of input and hard work. ‘I’ve been in the industry my whole life and it feels great to be putting something back in.’ She continues, ‘7000 design talents come out of education every June, but they are faced with too much expectation, and they often know little about the business side. We like to join the dots!’ And what does the future hold? ‘I am open to most ideas, but I would really like to take designers into new markets. I have my eye on China particularly. Ultimately I am looking at pushing boundaries.’