The first-ever Fashion Forward Leicester networking event took place on 30th September at LCB Depot, bringing together more than 70 attendees from across the region’s fashion and manufacturing sectors — including start-ups, scale-ups, factories, students, and established professionals.
Organised by FTA Leicester and the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), the event shone a spotlight on innovation, collaboration, and opportunity within Leicester’s evolving fashion ecosystem. The afternoon featured a dynamic speaker lineup, offering a blend of practical insights, real-world experience, and creative inspiration to support the city’s vibrant fashion community.
Exploring the Future of Fashion
Opening the event, Peter Gallagher-Witham from The Fashion Guild led an interactive and thought-provoking session on the role of AI in fashion. Attendees — including students from De Montfort University — engaged in lively discussion around the possibilities and challenges that artificial intelligence brings to design, production, and retail.
Next, fashion entrepreneur Russell Hammond captivated the audience with a refreshingly honest talk on what it truly takes to start a brand. Encouraging attendees to think like “renaissance” entrepreneurs, Russell shared stories from his own journey and delivered actionable advice with warmth, humour, and insight.
Closing the speaker lineup, Kelly Yiu and Miles Anderson from Midori Studio presented an engaging session on e-commerce strategy and digital growth. Their key message struck a chord with both new and established businesses alike:
“There’s no point having a website that isn’t your best sales assistant.”
They shared practical guidance on how to optimise online stores, drive traffic, and convert browsers into loyal customers.
Building Momentum for Leicester’s Fashion Future
The event concluded with an open networking session followed by the ATMF general meeting, led by Jenny Holloway, Chair of ATMF and CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL). Jenny encapsulated the day’s energy, stating:
“There was one resounding theme today – Leicester is FANTASTIC!
There is an abundance of talent and skills, and now it’s time to get behind this glorious city and support the factories.
It’s time for a new platform that showcases what Leicester’s jewels really are.Thank you to everyone who made the event a great success. This is only the start of the journey!”
Guest speaker Russell Hammond echoed the sentiment, adding:
“It was a great cross-section of Leicester’s creative community coming together to share ideas and learn from inspirational speakers.”
Positive Feedback & What’s Next
Attendees praised the event for its atmosphere, insight, and sense of shared purpose:
“Leicester’s spirit is inspiring. Talent, craft, and entrepreneurial drive converging with purpose… Fashion’s future depends on enablers who create low-friction pathways for start-ups and scale-ups.”
“Really insightful and engaging event. Would love to go to another in the future.”
“Three fantastic speakers, lots of practical insights and great networking.”
“Learnt a lot, especially from the session on online marketing and websites. Very insightful.”
With overwhelmingly positive feedback and strong momentum, plans are already underway for the next Fashion Forward Leicester event — with more details to be announced soon.