Make it British Podcast

This week I’m taking you on another of my factory tours - this time to the revolutionary women-owned denim LaundRe in East London run by Salli Deighton. Having worked in denim for 35 years, there’s nothing Salli doesn’t know about denim. Then a few years ago she spotted a gap in the market for an ecological denim washing facility in the UK to service both large and small brands with denim washing and finishing, and that’s exactly what she’s built.

In this episode we cover:

• How Salli went from consulting for brands like M&S, Wrangler and Mothercare to setting up the UK’s only women-owned denim laundry
• Why so much unsold denim stock ends up written off, and how LaundRe is helping brands refinish and resell it instead
• The technology behind ecological denim finishing - from laser machines and ozone fading to nebulising systems that use a fraction of the water of traditional washing
• Why UK brands have never been able to wash their denim here before, and how LaundRe is changing that for small brands with minimum orders starting from one
• The four-year fundraising journey to raise £1.16 million, and what it’s really like trying to get investment as a woman in manufacturing

If you care about British manufacturing, reducing fashion waste and keeping production closer to home, this episode will give you a fascinating look at what’s possible when you refuse to give up on an idea.

About LaundRe

LaundRe is a denim washing and finishing facility based in East London, founded by Salli Deighton. It is the only women-owned denim laundry of its kind and uses low-impact technology including laser machines and ozone fading to refinish, upcycle and process denim for brands ranging from small independents to major retailers.

LaundRe also runs Denim School sessions for brands and designers wanting to understand the finishing process.

You can find Sally and LaundRe at:

Website: www.laundre.co.uk

Instagram: @laundre_uk

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Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

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Come with me on a tour of the Halley Stevensons mill in Dundee, where I’m shown around the mill by production director Billy and sales administrator Ria.

Halley Stevensons has been making fabric in Dundee since 1864. It started out as a jute mill and is now the last textile mill of its kind in a city that was once full of them. Today it’s known around the world for its waxed cotton, supplying brands including Barbour and shipping to over 50 countries.

We follow the fabric all the way through the mill, from the raw loom state cotton arriving on 500 metre rolls to the final inspection, where every metre is checked by hand.

In this episode you'll discover:

• The history of textiles in the Dundee area and why Halley Stavensons have survived.
• All of the processes the fabric goes through to transform it from it's raw state to Halley Stevensons' iconic weatherproof fabrics
• How the business is becoming more sustainable and is the first mill of its kind to be Bluesign certified.
• Why waxed cotton jackets get handed down through generations making them a superb long term investment.

If you care about UK manufacturing and how British mills are investing in the future, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.

About Halley Stevensons

Halley Stevensons is a textile mill in Dundee, Scotland, specialising in waxed and coated cotton fabrics. All dyeing, waxing and finishing is done in house, with around 60 people working across the site. They work with brands of all sizes, with minimum orders starting from 100 metres.

You can find Halley Stevensons at:

Website: www.halleystevensons.co.uk

Instagram: @halleystevensons

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If you're interested in finding out how I can help you to start or scale your British-made brand, I'm hosting a free Q&A on Tuesday 6th October.

Apply to attend the Q&A: makeitbritish.co.uk/qa

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Register for Make it British Live! here

Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027

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Want to transition from making everything in-house to outsourcing to a factory? This episode is for you!

We cover:

• How to know when you're ready to outsource to a factory
• Why working with a factory can actually cost you less than paying a local seamstress
• How to get your pricing right before you outsource
• What you need to preapre before you approach a factory
• How to approach a factory so your enquiry doesn't get ignored.

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

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Register for Make it British Live! here

Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027

In this episode I take a trip to rural Nottinghamshire to the micro knitwear factory owned by Samantha Thomas, founder of knitwear brand Waring Brooke.

Sam was originally a designer for other brands like Alberta Feretti in Italy, but then 10 years ago she started her own knitwear label and took the brave decision to invest in her own knitting machine to create it.

When I had Sam on the podcast 5 years ago she was a one man band - she now has a team and big plans for the future.

In this episode we cover:

• How having her own machine allows her to offer personalisation to her customers, which gives the brand it’s USP
• What her customers really think about Made in UK
• The challenges Sam faced getting to grips with production and keeping the machine busy
• Why she's now opening up her factory to other brands for sampling and small production runs

About Waring Brooke

Waring Brooke is a knitwear and accessories brand made entirely in its own micro factory in rural Nottinghamshire. Founder Samantha Thomas designs, programmes and knits everything in-house on a single industrial knitting machine, which allows her to make to order and offer personalised monogram patterns knitted into scarves, snoods, hats, headbands and socks.

You can find Samantha and Waring Brooke at:

Website: waringbrooke.com

Instagram: @waringbrooke

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram

Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal

Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram

King's Foundation

Paul Smith's book Threads

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

In this episode I'm joined by Emily Millichip, a fashion designer based in Edinburgh who is relaunching her eponymous brand of 15 years after deciding it no longer aligned with where she is now.

In this episode we cover:

• Why Emily decided to pivot after 15 years
• How she took her existing customers and Instagram followers with her through the rebrand
• Collaborating with local craftspeople on small limited edition batches
• How every piece in the collection is made within an hour of her studio

About Emily Millichip

Emily Millichip is a fashion designer based in Edinburgh who also has a parallel career in farming. Her new collection, Pagan, is made from natural materials and everything in the collection is manufactured within an hour of her studio.

You can find Emily and Emily Millichip at:

Website: www.emilymillichip.com

Instagram: @emilymillichip

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Find out more about William Gee at williamgee.co.uk

2a Forest Road, London, E8 3BY

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Sign the Open Letter calling on the government to source military and NHS uniforms from UK manufacturers

Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram