Make it British: Manufacturing and Buying British

Make it British: Manufacturing and Buying British

Make it British is a fashion initiative founded by former Marks & Spencer employee, Kate Hills, in 2011. The venture started as a blog aimed at assisting British brands with keeping their manufacturing on home-grown soil. Since its inception, Make it British has supported hundreds of UK manufacturers and brands in identifying new customers and retaining manufacturing skills in the country. Make it British is open to any brand seeking to manufacture in the UK or sell British-made products.

How Make it British Works

On the Make it British website, Kate Hills proposes four straightforward steps for individuals or brands wanting to manufacture in the UK, or those wanting to support UK manufacturing by buying British products. For brands wanting to create their own profile on the Make it British website and showcase their work, several membership options are also available.

Step 1 – The Blog

Kate Hills posts regularly on the Make it British blog. Post content is designed to provide ideas on how to manufacture in the UK and buy British-made products. Posts include updates on British manufacturing, articles on fashion and homeware products made in the UK, press releases, career opportunities, competitions, tips on manufacturing in the UK, and much more. Both Make it British members and non-members can share their comments on any post.

Step 2 – The Podcast

Podcasts focus on interviews with UK manufacturers and brands and also provide insight into manufacturing in the UK. Podcasts cover a broad spectrum of topics on manufacturing including IP protection, wholesale strategy, manufacturing trends, crowdfunding, product validation, product pricing, product longevity for sustainability, and much more.

Content is posted weekly and is available free of charge on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Tune In. Podcasts are available online or through the respective app.

Step 3 – Events

Attending Make it British events provides brands wanting to manufacture in the UK with the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals.

Step 4 – The Newsletter

To receive monthly updates on manufacturing in the UK via a newsletter, individuals can easily subscribe on the Make it British website.

Why Hills Started Make it British

After graduating from fashion college in 1991, Kate Hills started her own brand, Catweasie Recycled Clothing, at first making all the garments herself. She then expanded by setting up a workshop and working with a team of machinists. Hills then worked for the now-defunct high street chain, Tammy Girl. At the time, the brand chose to manufacture the majority of its products in the UK. While at Tammy Girl, Hills would visit factories in North London and Leicester, and employees there were considered part of the Tammy Girl team.

Hills worked as an accessories designer for Burberry from 1995 to 1997, where the head office and design department were located in the same building as the factory in Hackney. Hills was able to witness and understand the entire lifecycle of a product. Having everything under one roof also meant that were any problems to arise, they were relatively easily resolved.

In the late 1990s, Kate Hills was working as an accessories buyer for Marks & Spencer, M&S. It was the time when many companies were relocating their manufacturing and supplier base to China where production was considerably cheaper than in Europe. Like many other brands, M&S followed suit, and the closure of UK factories as a result of outsourcing abroad had a devasting impact on the UK manufacturing industry.

Hills left M&S in 2006 and worked as a buying manager at Debenhams for almost three years. She recalls that at that point, everything was manufactured overseas, making lead-times longer with supplier negotiations based on nothing more than the price.

Hills discovered that despite the loss of mass-manufacturing to China, a great deal of quality craftsmanship was still occurring in the UK. Determined to rescue British manufacturing, Hills quit her job and started Make it British.

Brand Classification

Make it British classifies brands in a Brands Directory as:

• Home and Garden
• Clothing and Accessories
• Health and Beauty
• Sport and Leisure
• Food and Drink

Manufacturer Classification

Make it British classifies manufacturers in a Manufacturers Directory as:

• Clothing
• Accessories
• Fabric and Yarn
• Machinery and Engineering
• Trim and Components
• Packaging and Printing
• Creative and Business Services

Featured Members

Brands manufacturing in the UK can feature their business on the Make it British website. Some brands showcased on the site include Waring Brooke, The Copper Collection and Fashion Formula.

Make it British Membership

The Make it British platform has three annually-renewable membership plans offering different levels of support:

• Essential costing £99
• Standard costing £249
• Premium costing £449

The plans offer brands the opportunity for referrals, and by extension sales, from their customised profiles on the Make it British directory. Brands can also showcase their business and can network with a supportive community of individuals that see the benefits of selling products manufactured in the UK. Plans also include content marketing via social media, SEO and website backlinks.

Testimonials

Brands and individuals that have connected with Make it British have reaped the rewards of manufacturing in the UK and selling British-made products. Here are three positive reviews of Make it British as seen on its website:

Shirt Making 

“We have seen a significant increase in traffic online direct from Make it British in the last months, including additional purchases as a result. It is the one place that showcases authentic British makers and clearly Kate Hills’ curating is trusted, and we are all grateful to her for this.” 

Emma Willis MBE. Emma Willis Limited

Womenswear 

“As a proud ‘Make It British’ member, I feel that I am part of a team that are all working towards the same goal. The goal is to produce high-quality products; raw materials sourced and made from the UK.  ‘Make It British’ has provided a platform  for everyone interested in buying British and providing British made products.” 

Marina Leigh, Artejano Spa & Salon  Wear 

Designer Dog Collars

“My business is still relatively new, and I have made many mistakes along the way, some quite costly. Since I discovered Make It British and joined the family I have never looked back. The support, ideas, SEO and connections have been amazing.” 

Lee Gamble, IWOOF