UKFT and UKFT Rise hold regular webinars on various business topics to provide key information to fashion and textile companies. Often joining the webinars are founders, thought leaders and industry experts who provide their time, experiences and knowledge to support the UKFT network.

As a UKFT Rise subscriber, you can access previous webinars for £5 each. Please get in touch with info@ukft.org to arrange.

UKFT members can access for free.

Catch up on UKFT Rise webinars

• UKFT Rise: Selling on marketplaces
• UKFT Rise: Website 101
• UKFT Rise: Grow your following and make sales using TikTok Shop
• UKFT Rise: Social media management and content creation
• UKFT Rise: Getting your business ready for wholesale
• UKFT Rise: Discover how to create strong brand awareness and build an engaged social media following
• UKFT Rise: How to build a lasting relationship with your suppliers
• UKFT Rise: Make manufacturing work for you and your business
• UKFT Rise: How to build a successful fashion & textiles business
• UKFT Rise: Inspirational Conversations with Han Ates of Blackhorse Lane Ateliers
• UKFT Rise X Crowdcube : Crowdfunding for fashion brands
• UKFT Rise Inspirational conversations with Lucy Aylen of Never Fully Dressed
• UKFT Rise: Survive and thrive in a post Covid-19 world

What you can learn

 

UKFT RISE: Selling on marketplaces

Join us to learn how marketplaces can work for your fashion and textile brand with Christina Daniels, head account manager for fashion, jewellery & watches at Ounass, and India Usher, who has almost a decade of experience in fashion marketplaces.

If you’ve ever considered selling on a marketplace, but don’t know where to start then this talk is for you.

This online talk covers:

• A comparison of marketplace sites and an explaination of how they work
• Challenges and solutions for each model
• How to decide which marketplace is right for your business
• Tips and tricks to start your journey
• The application process

 

UKFT RISE: Website 101

Don’t know where to start when it comes to creating a strong brand identity for your website? Stuck when it comes to booking models and shooting products? Then this online talk is for you.

Liam Byrne, UKFT’s marketing manager is joined by Paul Clapham, an internet retail expert and owner of functional clothing brand Uskees, discussing:

• What makes a good website/online shop
• How to create a strong sense of brand identity online
• Logistics of shooting products, booking models and studios
• What is worth spending your money on and how much to expect to pay

 

UKFT Rise: Grow your following and make sales using TikTok Shop

With the ever-increasing surge of consumers shopping via their mobile, it is no surprise that TikTok shop is rapidly becoming a new and exciting way for brands to gain exposure and drive revenue.

UKFT is joined by Christina Daniels, Lead E-commerce Fashion Business Development Manager at TikTok and Emily Caine, Lead of TikTok Shop’s SMB project (for small businesses), covering:

• An overview of TikTok with a focus on TikTok shop and how this works
• How you can use TikTok shop to grow your community and increase your sales
• Key dates in the year for when you should be taking part in TikTok shop
• Top tips on the keys to success when using TikTok shop
• Case studies and how to get started

 

UKFT Rise: Social media management and content creation

UKFT is joined by CEO and founder of The Social Diary, Sidal Ozgurcu, who will be talking us through social media management and content creation and how to apply this effectively to your brand.

With 10+ years in the fashion industry, Sidal has built up a wealth of experience and specialises in social media, content creation and influencers. The webinar covers:

• How to create a strong brand identity using social media
• Successful ways in which you can use social media to generate revenue
• Understanding different styles of content creation
• How to utilise influencer and blogger content creation for your brand
• How to successfully build an engaged audience

 

UKFT Rise: Getting your business ready for wholesale

Are you hoping to launch a successful wholesale business for your brand? Or perhaps just sell direct to the consumer, whatever route you decide to go down, it’s important to understand how to prepare your business so that the choice to wholesale is always open to you. For this webinar UKFT was joined by Kirstie and Lucinda, founders of Toastie, Belinda Yu from Wicker Wings and Samantha and Stephanie from Pretty Lavish who between them have built wholesale partnerships with the likes of Net A Porter, Selfridges, Asos, Scandiborn, Trotters and The Iconic. It covers covers:

• Getting your business wholesale ready
• How to successfully approach target wholesale customers
• How to successfully work with agents and buyers
• Working with the right wholesale customers to complement your brand

 

UKFT Rise: How to create strong brand awareness and build an engaged social media following

Brand awareness is more important than ever and social media offers the opportunity to engage your customers like never before. UKFT was joined by the co-founders of Pretty Lavish to discuss how to maximise your efforts to build a strong following of loyal shoppers and brand advocates.

Sister duo Stephanie and Samantha Frost launched Pretty Lavish back in 2013 out of the back of their living room and it is now worldwide recognised fashion brand, best known for occasionwear, knitwear and more recently bridesmaid’s collections.

Topics covered include:

• The importance of creating a strong brand identity and the fundamentals to do this
• Successful ways in which you can build brand awareness
• Understanding who your customer is
• Bloggers and influencers, how to find the right people to represent your brand
• How to engage with your social media following effectively and convert them into customers

 

UKFT Rise: How to build a lasting relationship with your suppliers

Against a backdrop of supply chain disruption and rising costs, a close working relationship with your suppliers is crucial. Diana Kakkar is the founder of luxury garment manufacturer MAES London, which has built a reputation for quality and innovative thinking, supporting fashion designers by making luxury manufacturing more accessible. Diana has extensive experience gained during a career as a garment tech and product developer that spans across India, Australia, the US and culminating in the UK where she worked at Erdem, before setting up her own premium garment manufacturing unit specialising in high-end womenswear. MAES has recently doubled the size of their atelier having moved into a new 4,000 sq ft studio in Tottenham Hale.

• In this webinar, UKFT discussed:
• What your suppliers need to know
• How best to communicate with suppliers
• How to negotiate the best deal for you and for them

 

UKFT Rise: Make manufacturing work for you and your business

Understanding how manufacturing works for a start-up brand is crucial and this webinar provides an overview oof the process, as well as offering advice on how to work with a manufacturer effectively for mutual benefit.

UKFT’s manufacturing consultant Elliot Barlow has worked in a variety of different production environments and his expertise has been forged from hands-on experience managing high-end clothing factories in London, his own consultancy business producing for multiple brands and designers in the UK and more recently in senior management roles In-house and as a consultant for the UKFT. Elliot has been involved in producing clothing at all levels of quality, volume and design-philosophy and understands the necessary steps required to work effectively with manufacturers.

Topics covered include:

• Finding the right manufacturer
• Typical CMT manufacturing operating structures
• Building your relationship with them; liaising and negotiating
• Developing the right internal systems to work with your manufacturers
• How to get great quality from a manufacturer

 

UKFT Rise: How to build a successful business in fashion or textiles

In this webinar fashion consultant Claire Keville outlines the most important factors to consider when starting and growing a successful business in the fashion and textile industry.

With over 15 years working in design, retail, business support and production management, Claire has a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon, offering advice and guidance in all areas from planning and production to cash flow and business/range development to enable your business to grow, develop and succeed.

If you’re in the early stages of business, join us to hear from Claire as she guides you through some of the key factors of launching and growing a successful fashion or textile brand, including:

• How to ensure you have a strong product offering
• The importance of strong tech packs
• Effective factory sourcing
• The importance of accurate costings

 

UKFT Rise: Inspirational Conversations with Han Ates of Blackhorse Lane Ateliers

Han Ates founded Blackhorse Lane Ateliers in April 2016 as a London-based craft jeans maker specialising in selvedge and organic raw denim. In this webinar, Han discusses how he got where he is today and the hurdles he had to overcome along the way. He talks about creating the Blackhorse Lane Ateliers’ distinctive USP, the importance of social media and working with labels including Raeburn, Martine Rose and Nigel Cabourn.

He explains how designers should approach working with a manufacturer like Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, plus offers advice to entrepreneurs just starting out on their journey. He also outlines his holistic view of sustainability, covering the personal, social and environmental aspects, as well as how he has worked to create a business that is very much part of a local creative community.

 

UKFT Rise X Crowdcube – Crowdfunding for fashion brands

If you run a fashion or textile business in the UK and are looking to raise equity through crowdfunding, this webinar will help you to uncover all the tips and tricks to know before you set out on your campaign.

UKFT is joined by Sacha Waters from crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to discuss:

• Essential things to know about crowdfunding
• Top tips on how to run a successful crowd round
• Crowdcube’s experience working with businesses in the fashion industry
• Why businesses should consider a Crowdcube round

 

UKFT Rise: Inspirational Conversations With Never Fully Dressed

UKFT speaks to CEO and founder of the fashion brand Never Fully Dressed, Lucy Aylen.

In 2009, Lucy started Never Fully Dressed by manufacturing clothing from her parents’ attic and selling the pieces at London markets. From there she launched the Never Fully Dressed store in Buckhurst Hill and now the brand is well known across the world with pop ups featuring in LA, Dublin, New York, Barcelona and Sydney.

Recognised for its standout prints and styles as much as its large social media engagement, Lucy outlines her brand’s journey from initial idea to the well known brand it is today.
In this webinar, you can hear about:

• The highs and the lows
• What Lucy’s set-up was when she first started
• What Lucy’s biggest learning experience has been in business

 

UKFT Rise: Survive and thrive in a post Covid-19 world

Covid-19 has accelerated a variety of structural shifts in the global fashion industry, while businesses are transforming to meet new challenges. UKFT was joined by Jan Miller to discuss what early-stage UK fashion brands and designers should be thinking about to survive and thrive in a post Covid-19 world.

Jan Miller is part-time Finance Director at London Fashion Week brand Marques Almeida, and over the past 15 years has proven her business mentoring passion to over 100+ emerging designers across womenswear, menswear, accessories and ecommerce, notably: Christopher Raeburn, Craig Green, Erdem, Feng Chen Wang, Jonathon Anderson, Mary Katrantzou, Molly Goddard, Peter Pilotto, Richard Malone, Simone Rocha, and Wales Bonner.

During the webinar, Jan talked through some of the issues brands and designers are facing and ways to adapt to the new normal.

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