M&S helps bring ‘Made in Britain’ masterclass to fashion students
Tuesday 24 October 2017
Fashion design students were given a masterclass in how to work with British manufacturers as part of a campaign supported by Marks and Spencer.
UK production and sourcing expert Daliah Simble gave the masterclass to students on the University of Salford’s fashion design programme, and they will now have the chance to get financial support from the retail giant to develop their own British made line of clothing.
The masterclass was delivered by the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) – a network of British fashion and textile companies – as part of the Made It campaign, with the support of Marks and Spencer.
The Made It masterclasses, designed to give students a better understanding of sourcing, production and the business considerations of a UK-based manufacturing strategy, were provided to only five universities in the country, offering design courses across a range of product types including textiles, menswear, womenswear, knitwear and sportswear.
Students now have the opportunity to use what they learned to design, develop and produce a UK Made look and selected students will receive financial support from Marks and Spencer as well as industry introductions and mentoring throughout the process from UKFT experts and manufacturers.
Bashir Aswat, senior lecturer in fashion at the University of Salford, said: “With uncertainties over Brexit and consumer concerns about textiles sourced from the developing world, the fashion industry needs to adapt, and it is very important for designers to understand how to create British made products.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for our students to learn about how to design and source UK made clothing from the experts, and potentially to go on to work with some of the country’s leading manufacturers. The fact we were one of just a handful of universities chosen by UKFT demonstrates how highly regarded the University of Salford is in the fashion industry.”
