Marking Fashion District’s third manufacturing challenge, this year the focus is on technological innovations and sustainable solutions that are solving any of the complex fashion manufacturing challenges facing the industry. Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, kicked off the event with a reflective welcome: “I’ve been thinking about what we really mean when we say we want to innovate the industry. What are startups and founders doing, and how can we, as a group of people, push that agenda forward?” 

Muchaneta ten Napel, Founder and CEO of Shape Innovate then took to the stage to host a Meet the Judges session with this year’s expert panel: Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT; Georgia Parker, Innovation Director at Fashion for Good; Philly Grogan, Sustainability Manager at Nobody’s Child; and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at UAL: London College of Fashion.

The conversation began by exploring the tension between technical innovation and real-world adoption. Startups which develop groundbreaking biomaterials, often stumble not because the science is flawed but because the fashion system itself is not ready. Adam Mansell emphasised that startups frequently misunderstand the pace and complexity of the industry:

The judges highlighted that innovation must fit within the economic and operational realities of the industry. Even the most promising sustainable materials will struggle to gain traction if they can’t meet cost pressures or integrate into existing supply chains. Philly Grogan explained how internal brand dynamics matter: enthusiasm in innovation teams is not enough – success often hinges on engaging sourcing teams, aligning with margins and building the right supplier relationships. “It’s being able to make that shift from innovation teams to working with sourcing teams,” she noted. 

The conversation also tackled the challenges of recycling and circularity. Complexities arise when dealing with post-consumer textile waste: mixed fibres, buttons, zips and varying product types all complicate recycling at scale. Matthew Drinkwater highlighted opportunities in pre-processing, on-demand manufacturing and better prediction of consumer demand, noting that AI and digital tools could significantly reduce waste and inefficiency.

Regulation and compliance were another focal point. Georgia Parker and Adam Mansell stressed that technical solutions alone are insufficient; innovators must understand the regulatory landscape and how their solutions align with upcoming compliance requirements. Being “ready” means more than technical feasibility – it means knowing the materials, supply chain and brand priorities, and being able to demonstrate tangible solutions that solve real problems.

When asked about gaps in the market, the panel pointed to persistent opportunities in textiles and footwear recycling, digital pre-processing, waterless dyeing and on-demand manufacturing. Matthew highlighted that regulation and policy can create openings for tech-driven solutions, while Philly emphasised the importance of embedding innovation into the business as usual, rather than treating it as a pilot or capsule project.

Finally, the panel offered advice for applicants looking to stand out: understand the industry, know your brand’s current materials and processes, align solutions with upcoming regulations and communicate how your innovation tangibly solves real problems. The consensus was clear: innovation isn’t just about technology – it’s about systems, economics and collaboration.

Following the discussion, Helen Lax presented the details of Manufacturing Futures 2026, highlighting the opportunity for startups and SMEs to submit solutions across materials, digital processes, circularity, waste management  and transparency. Applicants are in with the chance to win a £15,000 cash prize, business support and the opportunity to pitch directly to industry leaders. 

Do you have what it takes to create the next big manufacturing innovation? Applications for Manufacturing Futures 2026 are now open.  

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Have you heard about The WIP’s Expert Directory? This new platform is a one stop shop for all your environmental and social impact experts, offering the opportunity to connect with industry peers that share your values in business. In this article, Lucy Kebbell, Founder of The WIP, talks us through strategic partnerships and the myriad ways that they can support your business.

Business partnerships offer an excellent opportunity to grow your business, your brand awareness and to test new markets. A strategic partnership is understood to be an agreement between two or more businesses working together to achieve a common goal. Of course, these goals will be unique to the businesses in question, however, incorporating values into these partnerships is a vital ingredient for any values driven business. 

Maybe you are looking to build a reputation around ethical business practices, or build trust and authenticity to help yourself stand out in a very crowded market place. Working with a business that doesn’t align with these values, or worse, openly works against these values could damage your reputation. 

You should also think about any work you do with freelancers as a partnership too. A copywriter, PR or supply chain expert should share your values, or even hold them more deeply than you do, so that you can ensure that you benefit from their increased knowledge. 

Partnerships can be big or small, but as long as it benefits your business in some way, it’s a strategic partnership. Partnerships can be leveraged to grow your brand awareness, create new customers, cement your values and share costs. For example, you might partner with a few other like minded businesses to create a pop up shop. You would share the cost of the putting on the pop up, and market the event together to each other’s networks. A drinks sponsor could also become a partner, again, allowing you to be ‘cool by association’ or simply grow your brand awareness with your partner’s audience. 

Aligning your values to your partners cements your core values to your existing and potential customers. It allows you space to explore other ways to inhabit the values you hold and not stray outside of them. For instance, it wouldn’t make sense for an ethically made, organic clothing brand to partner with Starbucks in a Wetherspoons pub. Neither brand is known for its ethics, and one has been accused of greenwashing. This partnership would damage your reputation and confuse your customers. 

This also counts for the experts and freelancers you may use in the business too. Since they will likely tell people they have worked with, it’s important to make sure that they understand your values and are aligned with them before you begin working together to prevent friction later on. If you choose an expert with a reputation for working in the fossil fuel industry, or for unethical businesses, this may damage your reputation too. 

Just any old partner won’t do. They should have some relationship to your business, and they should ideally be values-aligned. There are several benefits to this;

1. Strengthening your brand identity and authenticity
If our organic clothing company partnered with an organic fruit juice company or an organic homeware company, this strengthens the brand’s values in the organic space. It makes them look more authentic because they are partnering with other organic companies that have knowledge in their own space. 

2. Appealing to new conscious consumers
87% of consumers would prefer to shop with a conscious business* so shouting about your brand’s values will win you more customers. These new customers could find you via a partnership because they are already loyal to the company you are partnering with. 

3. Fostering long-term stability and growth
Values-driven partnerships are more resilient in the face of industry challenges and trends. They allow you to grow trust with your customers, making them more likely to come back and tell their friends about you too. 

First you need to be clear on your own values. Define your businesses values, whether it be ethical sourcing, environmental regeneration, supporting underrepresented communities or finding new homes for outlived items (circularity). It’s also important to understand your customers’ values too. There is a reason they are shopping from you but they may also care about other things so market research is crucial here to help you understand this. 

Research potential partners’ values and practices through competition and market research. If you are already part of a community of small businesses with similar values to yours, this can be a great place to start. Think about the brand’s sustainability initiatives, labour practices, or materials sourcing. Also think about what events or partnerships they’ve have had in the past and whether these might appeal to your target market. 

Networking is a critical first step when it comes to fostering relationships with potential partners. Often, it’s the personal relationships we have with fellow business founders that form the basis of the best partnerships or collaborations. So get out there or get the word out to your networks that you are looking for values aligned partners.

Next, ensure you retain your values by factoring them into any agreements you have. It’s important to mutually agree upon who will be responsible for what. Make sure you advocate for your values throughout the process, from asking how much staff might be paid, or querying where potential waste might end up. 

Communicate effectively by having a marketing plan agreed upon by all parties. Ensure that products and designers are credited fairly, and that everyone shares the burden of social media or digital marketing before, during and after the partnership. 

Fanfare partners with Stelar
Stelar is known for it’s ethically made, woven handbags that support handweavers in Bali to fairly monetise their skills. They teamed up with circular denim brand Fanfare to use denim offcuts from production of their jeans, to be used to weave handbags. This partnership is genius because it was born out of Fanfare’s circular mission but it introduces their customer to a fellow business who is also ethically minded and supplies the kind of stylish handbags that their customers might love.

Monica Vinader with Mother of Pearl Founder Amy Powney
Monica Vinader has been busy changing it’s reputation in the last few years to align with it’s ethics, so this partnership with ethical clothing brand Mother of Pearl is a winner. Amy helped design the capsule collection of jewels featuring ethically sourced mother of pearl. She then used MV designed cufflinks in two limited edition organic and Tencel shirts for Mother of Pearls clothing line. 

There are many benefits to partnerships for your values driven business, and the good news is that they are mutually beneficial. Partnerships enable you to grow and take advantage of other entrepreneurs or experts knowledge to bolster your business, and grow your customer base. 

Not sure where to start? Explore The WIP’s Expert Directory to find fashion experts and partners aligned with your values.

*Source: PwC consumer survey

Are you a fashion start-up or SME looking for opportunities to support your business? Follow us to keep up-to-date with our latest events and opportunities:

Last week we celebrated the launch of Manufacturing Futures 2024 at a sold-out event at The Trampery.

Marking Fashion District’s sixth innovation challenge, this year the focus is on technological innovations and sustainable solutions that are solving any of the complex fashion manufacturing challenges facing the industry. Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, described the event as a gathering of individuals that share ‘the same ethos, values and ideas for the future of fashion and sustainability.’

Kicking off the event was keynote speaker Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at GANNI, who gave insight into GANNI’s strategy and how they work with innovation. ‘GANNI has a very very ambitious goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2027,’ Lauren said. ‘The materials we use account for 50% of our carbon impact, making this our primary window of opportunity. It’s also where Ganni should focus as materials represent one of our most significant decarbonisation levers.’ 

Lauren also highlighted GANNI’s Fabrics of the Future initiative. ‘Fabrics of the Future is an internal research and development hub that scans the market for fabrics that will change the industry. At this point we’re working with thirty different material creators that have solutions or new innovations for materials. By 2025 the goal is that 10% of our materials should be coming from fabrics of the future.’ 

One of the material creators GANNI have collaborated with is London-based biotech company Modern Synthesis. Lauren invited Jen Keane, CEO of Modern Synthesis, on stage to discuss their recent partnership.

Having developed a new class of biomaterials, Modern Synthesis works with bacteria to produce a type of non-woven textile that can be used to displace materials like leather, and in the future replace a wide variety of coated textiles. Modern Synthesis partnered with GANNI to reimagine their staple Bou Bag in their new innovative bacterial nanocellulose material. The handbag was unveiled at the London Design Festival 2023. 

Explaining why Modern Synthesis reached out to GANNI to propose a potential collaboration, Jen said, ‘As a startup that makes materials, we can’t do it all. We need to actually make the impact that we want to drive and so we have to get it into a product. We need brands and partners across the whole supply chain to make that possible. We contacted GANNI because they have such a strong perspective in this space and actually take action. Very few brands have innovation departments.’

Lauren rounded up the conversation by saying: ‘I hope that what you’ll take away from our talk today is that GANNI relies heavily on innovations like Modern Synthesis to meet our sustainability goals, and vice versa. Jen needs brands like GANNI to secure investment and effectively implement these technologies. It’s important not to underestimate the value of partnership.’’ 

Offering one final tip to the audience Jen said, ‘Don’t give up! It’s hard but we’re gonna get there. My biggest advice is to collaborate as much as possible. You can’t do everything yourself. Figure out what you’re good at, what you’re not good at, and find friends to do the things you’re not good at.’

Helen Lax then took to the stage to introduce this year’s innovation challenge, Manufacturing Futures 2024. ‘This year, we’re seeking innovative ideas, businesses, and startups that can benefit the fashion industry by offering sustainable solutions for various aspects of the supply chain.’

To be eligible for the challenge, applicants must have a tech-based solution, be a registered business, and either be operating in the UK or have plans to pilot or operate in the UK. The winner will take home £15,000, as well as receiving business support from PANGAIA, one-year complimentary UKFT membership, one-year workspace membership at The Trampery and one-year platform membership from Common Objective. The runners-up will receive £5,000 each, one-year UKFT membership and one-year platform membership from Common Objective. 

Finalists will attend a one-day event in May where high-level industry professionals will act as ‘critical friends’ to support and challenge their business proposition, and provide constructive feedback; as well as two Development Days focused around production and investment. Finalists will also be invited to join the celebratory Fashion District Innovation Awards and Investment Supper in July, attended by influential members of the fashion, tech and investment industry.

After running through the details of this year’s manufacturing challenge, it was time to hear from our incredible judging panel: Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design, PANGAIA; Adam Mansell, CEO, UKFT; Gillian Lipton, Head of Sustainability, Alexander McQueen; Ella Gould, Head of Circularity and Innovation, Selfridges, and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, UAL: London College of Fashion.

Discussing their criteria for the challenge, Matthew Drinkwater said, ‘Above all, I want to feel excitement for an application that I’m reading. It’s that magical moment…you want to transform the innovation into a real thing.’

Ella Gould added, ‘I’m always sceptical when someone comes to me with big tech and they only talk about the technology. Come to me with a problem, tell me the problem that you’re solving or why you’re doing something better. That for me is when the juices start flowing and I get really inspired.’ 

Gillian Lipton stressed the importance of time. ‘For me it’s all about finding a solution that is scalable, but also that I don’t have to wait too long for. I’m aware that things take time, in terms of innovation and new materials, but we don’t have time!’ 

Adam Mansell stated the biggest problem for him was volume. ‘I love new materials, new materials are fantastic, but if someone came up with a concept that would allow us to take all the cotton, polyester, and wool that we use, capture it, recycle it, get it manufactured in the UK, that gets my vote. You’d get lifetime membership to UKFT if you can solve that! But genuinely that’s where the problem is. That’s where the focus really needs to be.’

Chelsea Franklin urged applicants to consider the customer. ‘Functionality is obviously very important in terms of innovation performance, but also understanding how to convince a consumer to buy something, such as an alternative fabric – why? If the price is so much more significant, why should they purchase it? How do you tell that story? Build that narrative?’

The event concluded with key advice from the judges. Matthew Drinkwater advised applicants to think about clarity of message. ‘What problem are you solving? Answer all of those questions fully and critically, and you stand a really good chance of getting through.’

Chelsea Franklin echoed this. ‘Articulating your vision is a skill in itself. We want to know what problem you’re solving, problem solution framing, and why we should care. If you can answer that clearly and visually that’s my top tip.’ 

‘Don’t bring me something that’s been done five years ago,’ Adam said. ‘Do your homework. Do proper market research. Also read the application questions carefully and answer them clearly. Look at the finances bit, because it’s really important that you’re thinking beyond the initial. Think about what the future looks like, and don’t tell me that you’re going to be a billion pound turnover company in five years time. It’s hard work. It takes a lot of effort and collaboration and that should not be why you’re in this space, you should be in this space to solve a problem.’

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to manufacture a new sustainable solution? Want to be in with a chance of winning £15,000? Applications for Manufacturing Futures 2024 are now open!

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Thursday 8 Feb | 18:00 – 20:30
The Ballroom, The Trampery, 239 Old Street, London, EC1V 9EY

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our next innovation challenge Manufacturing Futures 2024, hosted in partnership with The Trampery, a purpose-led enterprise providing workspace, training and management for London’s trailblazing businesses. Join us on 8th February to find out more about next year’s challenge, hear from leading figures in fashion sustainability, and network with London’s fashion, tech and innovation communities.

To help us launch the challenge, we’ll be hearing from Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at GANNI and Jen Keane, CEO of Modern Synthesis, one of our Manufacturing Futures 2021 winners. Lauren will present a keynote on embedding innovative sustainable solutions into a large brand, followed by a discussion with Jen about how the GANNI x Modern Synthesis partnership came about.

Afterwards, we’ll launch next year’s challenge brief, followed by a ‘meet the judges’ panel, where attendees will get the opportunity to learn more about our judges and find out their criteria for selecting the winners. The evening will conclude with networking, drinks and nibbles.

Agenda:

About The Challenge

Fashion District’s annual Innovation Challenges are designed to find solutions to current industry issues, while supporting new innovations and SMEs. Next year, we’re running our second ‘Manufacturing Futures’ challenge, to support technological innovations and sustainable solutions which are solving any of the complex fashion manufacturing challenges facing the industry. This could include anything from:

We also seek to encourage tech solutions, perhaps from other sectors, that could be applied to fashion manufacturing and create interdisciplinary connections between technologists and engineers, and fashion creatives and manufacturers.

Applicants will be in with the chance of winning cash prizes, business support, and the opportunity to pitch to some of the industry’s leading brands and innovators.

MEET OUR JUDGES

Manufacturing Futures 2024 brings together high-profile fashion, technology and sustainability experts committed to supporting the next wave of innovation. Come along to the launch to hear from our esteemed judging panel, including:

Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to receive updates about this exciting event!

The Fashion District Festival kicked off in true style with an extraordinary showcase that illuminated East London’s emerging creative talent. Elevating the traditional catwalk experience with physical and digital runways, the showcase also featured interviews with participating designers and creators about the future of the fashion industry. Scroll down to watch the full live broadcast below. 

@papi_oyp

Hosted by the fabulous Gemma Care, styled by George Oxby and Angus Cockram from AGRO Studio, and featuring Tanya Tan from Flair Fashion and Joy Craig from Alterist (who were featured in our Festival Pop-Up Shop), the iconic Spitalfields Market set the stage for an unforgettable display of artistry.

Curated by AGRO Studio and Lee Lapthorne from ON/OFF, the show featured London’s most promising emerging designers, showcasing their upcycled, recycled, and sustainable creations.

Lee Lapthorne said, “The ambition of the show is to really support East London talent. We’ve done that by creating a showcase that brings together the true creativity of East London… with a vision of upcycling, recycling, and sustainability. That’s what the industry is driving towards – supporting the planet and the talent that’s here.”

@papi_oyp

Not stopping there, the event also celebrated visionary designers from the rapidly developing digital fashion space. Filmmaker Oscar Keene curated a digital runway, presenting stunning garments from emerging digital designers.

Janey Park, the brilliant brand strategist and content creator, shared her insight into the future of fashion, emphasising collaboration, co-creation, and community. “It’s just fashion at the end of the day. It’s going to be the norm,” Janey remarked, envisioning a seamless blend of digital and physical fashion.

Matt Flynn

The showcase featured interviews with the designers and creators, all united in their mission to revolutionise the future of fashion. Passionate about combining community, processes, techniques, and technology, their dedication to helping create a better industry and world was truly inspiring.

Hannah from Alterist said, “We hope to be a home for all emerging designers within the upcycling space. We want to continue our mission to reduce textile waste and build a positive impact on the planet.”

George Oxby and Angus Cockram from AGRO Studio shed light on the joy and challenges of repurposing materials. “It’s definitely a fun challenge because our job is multifaceted,” Angus added, illustrating their creative process.

Watch the full showcase video here:

Credits to the brilliant minds behind the showcase:

Art direction: Lee Lapthorne, ON/OFF; Styling: AGRO Studio – George Oxby and Angus Cockram; Casting: Sarah Whisker; Production: Congo Blue; Digital Film: Oscar Keene; DJ Set: Jono Jury; Hair by Mark Woolley, Electric Hair, and L’Oreal Professionnel ID Artists; Make-up by Mus Emin.

Designers:

Clementine Baldo, Joshua James Small, Maximilian Raynor, Gyouree Kim, AGRO Studio, Master Bunny, Raquel De Carvalho, Anciela, Buerlangma, Ewelina Szymanska, Florentina Leitner, Kata Haratym, Brian De Carvalho, Maison Lumiere, Paloma Suarez, Cameron Hancock, BELLADONIS, Oscar Keene.

Digital garments:

Oscar Keene, Stephy Fung, Institute of Digital Fashion, Diane Wallinger, House of Autonomy, Roksanda.

Digital Videos / Stills:

Institute of Digital Fashion, The Fabricant, Syky, Stephy Fung, House of Autonomy, Diane Wallinger, Pearl, Sam J, Jacqueline Jade, Morchen, Kapers, Leanne Roksanda, Selene, Miss Mojo, Chrryt, Laura Troncota, Magdalena Mitusinska.

A huge thank you to Feral Film and Broadcast, UAL: London College of Fashion, and our core partners C-Screens and Spitalfields for making this amazing event a reality.

The Fashion District Festival is making a highly anticipated return for its second iteration at Spitalfields from 11-16 July 2023. 

Taking over the vibrant east London destination, the six-day festival will be a celebration of fashion, sustainability, innovation, and community. Featuring over 40 events, including pop-ups, swap shops, styling masterclasses, upcycling workshops, and interactive experiences, visitors will have the chance to explore, learn, create, and network with leading conscious brands and digital fashion businesses.  

This year’s festival covers four themes — WATCH, SHOP, MAKE, and GROW. 

The Fashion District Festival will kick off on Tuesday 11 July. As part of the WATCH programme, the launch show, curated by Lee Lapthorne from On|Off and AGRO Studio, will introduce some of London’s most promising emerging designers, combining physical and digital installations, to create a truly unforgettable experience. The week will see further digital showcases and styling events from charity partner Give Your Best.

The SHOP series will feature a collaborative retail pop-up located in a brand-new building at Number 1 Lamb St in Spitalfields – the first event to take place in the contemporary building designed by Foster + Partners. Featuring emerging and planet-positive designers and start-ups, the brands on show specialise in preloved, swapped, rented, and upcycled fashion, such as The Alterist, Loanhood, The Cirkel, Verte London, Circular Threads and The Seam.

SHOP events:

The MAKE space offers a diverse program of interactive events and workshops for all ages, encouraging participants to explore sustainability and innovation in fashion via the three Rs: Repair, Reuse, and Recycle.

MAKE talks and workshops:

The GROW programme is dedicated to supporting fashion start-ups and SMEs through a series of roundtables, talks, and workshops that delve into the ideas and innovations driving change within the industry, including themes such as the circular economy, regenerative materials, digital fashion, design for the metaverse, early-stage investment and more. 

GROW talks and workshops:

Jason Dervin, General Estate Manager at The Spitalfields Estate, says, “We are proud to host the ever-inspiring Fashion District Festival and donate four spaces for the events in our newly created units and basement studio space. Celebrating and supporting multiple sustainable start-ups, emerging talent and brands in this dynamic way sits perfectly alongside our existing retail and F&B operators, and we hope to see everyone at the Festival in Spitalfields this July.”Bookings are now open! Don’t miss your chance to secure a spot at each of the incredible events – click here to see the lineup so far. Stay tuned for more event announcements and exciting speakers coming soon!

Bookings are now open! Don’t miss your chance to secure a spot at each of the incredible events – click the button below to see the lineup so far.

Follow our socials to stay tuned for more event announcements and exciting speakers coming soon!

We’re excited to announce that Fashion District has been nominated for not one, but two Small Business Charter Excellence Awards!

We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for both ‘Outstanding Support for Small Business’ for our Fashion District Festival and ‘Outstanding Stakeholder Engagement’ for our Covid Recovery of SMEs initiative.

The Small Business Charter Excellence Awards recognise the most innovative and impactful initiatives that have supported small business growth during 2021/2022. We’re proud to have been recognised for our efforts to nurture start-ups and enhance SME growth through dedicated, collaborative, and impactful activities.

The Fashion District Festival, a week-long event celebrating London’s vibrant and innovative fashion industry, provided a fantastic platform for small businesses to connect, exchange knowledge, and collaborate. The festival, which took place in September 2021, featured a range of activities, including workshops, talks, and live pitching, as well as networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and professionals in the fashion industry. The festival also showcased the incredible sustainable talent and creativity that London has to offer, and helped to raise the profile of many businesses in the Fashion District community.

Our Covid Recovery of SMEs initiative at The Lab E20 was another key focus for us, as we recognised the significant challenges faced by small businesses after the pandemic. We worked closely with 253 businesses and organisations to offer opportunities for income generation, brand exposure, innovation support, and routes to investment. Additionally, our initiative enlivened the expansive Stratford-based space with extensive community activity, creating a hub for collaboration and connection.

The winners for each of the three categories in the Small Business Charter Excellence Awards will be decided by a panel of judges, comprising business school leaders, SME business leaders, and other SME experts. The results will be announced at the Small Business Charter Summer Reception on 22 June at the House of Lords.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Small Business Charter for nominating us for these prestigious awards, as well as to our valued community and partners who have continuously supported us. As a business hub dedicated to supporting the growth and success of the fashion industry in East London, we’re committed to continuing our work with small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area.

For more information on our initiatives and how we support small businesses, head to our What We Do page or follow our socials to receive the latest updates:

It was inspiring to see so many of you at Poplar Works’ on Thursday 2nd March for our 3rd birthday celebrations!

As part of the festivities, the wonderful community of small businesses showcased their work during open studios and offered events for local residents to participate in. The programme for the day was truly a celebration of all the people that make Poplar Works a thriving hub of sustainability, innovation and social enterprise.

Once disused garages, Poplar Works now offers over 40 affordable studio spaces for start-ups and SMEs and is home to a diverse range of businesses, from sustainable fashion start-ups to not-for-profit organisations. Blossom Young, Head of Operations at Poplar HARCA, guided groups throughout the space and gave them a glimpse into the lives of the business community that reside here, including Birdsong, More Life Home, Post Carbon Lab and more.

Engaging with the local community has been integral to Poplar Works’ success, and there’s no better evidence of this success than the many families and local residents that joined in the celebrations at craft workshops throughout the afternoon. The Reclaimery taught techniques to customise your clothes using fabric paint, community member Asma Begum provided family-friendly crafting sessions in The Works Café, whilst Wax Atelier demonstrated the art of candle dipping.

The brilliant Making for Change team opened up their production hub to host a weaving workshop that repurposed textile waste to create one-of-a-kind keychains. Both the workshop and guided tours enabled visitors to see behind the scenes at Making for Change – a social enterprise that offers a production training programme and works with designers, industry, and early-stage businesses to produce orders using sustainable and ethical practices.

We rounded off the day with a gathering in The Works Café for the members and partners that have been part of Poplar Works’ journey over the last three years. Whilst sharing a celebratory drink and getting stuck into nibbles, courtesy of The Works team, we heard from Blossom Young – Head of Operations at Poplar HARCA, Claire Swift – Director of Social Responsibility at London College of Fashion, Rachel Arnold – Creative Director at Renew East London (RenewEL), and Helen Lax – Director at Fashion District.

Each of the speakers acknowledged how incredible it has been to see Poplar Works develop into a nurturing and supportive ecosystem of businesses that places people and planet at the centre of everything that they do. There was a sense of excitement surrounding the future of Poplar Works and its potential to continue forging valuable connections and fostering innovation over the years to come.

Keen to settle into a studio at Poplar Works? You can check availability and apply here.

If you’re interested in future events including studio tours, networking opportunities and community workshops, sign up to our newsletter or follow us at:

Last week, we hosted our Becoming Circular: Revaluing Waste event in collaboration with London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Green Business Network at the Hackney Brewery in Walthamstow.

Designed to spark collective action and provide attendees with the tools to embed circularity in their businesses, the event focused on three key approaches to eliminating waste textiles: Repair, Resale and Redistribution. Read on to find out what went down at this very special evening.

INTRODUCING TEXTILES 2030

Kicking off the event with a fantastic keynote speech was Sarah Robins, Associate Sector Specialist at WRAP UK – a climate action NGO working around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis arising from the fashion industry.

Since launching in April 2021, Sarah has been working extensively on WRAP’s Textiles 2030 initiative, a UK textile sector collaboration making rapid, science-based progress on circularity and climate action. The initiative focuses on how brands can redesign products, reuse them and recycle them to reduce environmental impact and use resources more efficiently. 

In the past two years, the initiative has received commitment from 120 signatories from across the textiles supply chain, including 62% of the UK’s market share of brands and retailers and the UK’s biggest charities. 

For every industry to move towards a circular economy, Sarah broke down three key targets to make it more manageable for businesses:

“I want to highlight how critical circular business models are,” Sarah told the audience. “We need to encourage both businesses and citizens to extend the life of the clothing they already own and to use circular business models because we can’t make the changes needed by focusing on one area. It needs to be a holistic, whole lifecycle approach.”

To find out more information about Textiles 2030 and to access WRAP’s reports and guides, please head to their website.

THE SEAM: CULTIVATING CARE CULTURE

Layla Sargent, Founder and CEO, and Bronwyn Seier, Head of Brand at The Seam – a game-changing repair and alterations app – then took to the floor to present a case study of her business and how they operate using a circular business model. Frustrated with the tailoring industry and the lack of messaging around repairs, Layla felt compelled to help make a difference. 

“In a nutshell, The Seam’s approach to circularity isn’t about creating new models for manufacturing,” Layla said. “It’s not to create new fabrics, it’s simply to help us as a community care better for the garments we already own. Since the 1970s, textile waste has increased by 800%, and in the UK alone, 30 million items of clothing are sent to landfill every week. The Seam’s main mission is to reduce the number of garments that end up in landfill by helping people to extend the lifecycle of their garments.” 

When it comes to circularity, here are The Seam’s key takeaways for the future of their business: 

REPAIR, RESALE, REDISTRIBUTION 

The remainder of the evening was spent partaking in roundtable discussions chaired by sixteen local business founders and entrepreneurs. The tables were categorised under the themes of repair, resale, or redistribution and attendees had the choice of sitting at the table they felt most drawn to. The group discussions were designed for attendees to brainstorm what actions could be taken by Waltham Forest to encourage businesses to repair and resell garments/products and redistribute textile waste. Afterwards, groups fed back their thoughts to the rest of the room.

REPAIR

The first group, chaired by Layla Sargent, Founder of The Seam, discussed providing pricing guidelines for repair services, as sometimes independent services find it difficult to price. They suggested that having a guideline as a baseline could give confidence to pricing decisions.

The second group, chaired by Tessa Solomons, a reuse and repair consultant, suggested that retailers form a dialogue with designers and manufacturers to understand whether their products can be repaired in the future, allowing them to make informed purchasing decisions and to better educate their customers.

RESALE

On the children’s resale table, Louise Weiss, Co-Founder of dotte, discussed visibility, accessibility and attitudes towards second-hand clothing. They also felt the messaging behind buying second-hand garments needs to be inclusive and considerate of the motivation behind these purchases, as different connotations of ‘second-hand’ come with different budget availability.

On the second resale table, Jessica Brunt from Verte London said that her group felt that destigmatising second-hand shopping was important, and they suggested working with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to enable vacant retail spaces on high street to be used for sustainable businesses.

REDISTRIBUTION:

Piarvé Wetshi, Co-Founder of Last Yarn and Colèchi, said that there needs to be more visibility on the process of what happens to clothes when we recycle through charity shops and highlight the process of what happens to clothes that don’t sell. The group felt that some trust has been lost for charity shops with prices increasing and charity shops cherry-picking products to sell on other platforms at market rate. 

Kaela, Founder of FibreLab, said that her group focused on pre-consumer textile waste. They proposed incentivising businesses to redistribute pre-consumer textile waste with initiatives like a discount on business rates. They also highlighted that encouraging businesses to sort at source, i.e. separating by fibre composition, and having exchange points for textile waste could increase the potential to redistribute and reuse fabric massively.

The last table, chaired by Sol Escobar, Founder of Give Your Best, and the Forest Recycling Project team, discussed the importance of raising awareness of sustainable initiatives with millennial and Gen-Z audiences. Sol stressed the importance of inclusion when discussing circularity, as five-and-a-half million people in the UK are living in clothing poverty and are unable to access second-hand selling platforms or be part of the fashion conversation.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS AND CIRCULAR SYSTEMS

Afterwards, guests carried on their conversations, networked, and grabbed a slice of pizza and a drink from the bar. 

Huge thank you to our guest speakers, Sarah Robins and Layla Sargent, as well as our fantastic table hosts:

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