12 Aug Seize the Opportunity – Islington Designers Have a Unique Studio & Shop Set Up

When FC Designer Collective was in its infancy in 2019 there was no sign of Covid in sight. As we prepared to open photographers were organised by both Islington and Fashion-Enter Ltd and it was a great fanfare with local press; and rightly so! 

The space was, and still is amazing at 113-115, Fonthill Road, London N4, close by to Finsbury Park tube station. Fonthill Road was the only place to go for up-to-date fashion best sellers in 1970’s and 80’s. This was the time M&S was 94% Made in Britain and all retailers made in the UK. A time when manufacturers had real presence and they were almost as big as the retailers themselves. Big names such as S R Gent, Claremont and Ritz who created 100,000s of jobs. 

In turn the factories in London were busy. They made more on cabbage (overmakes) than they did on the actual orders. Runners, cabbage merchants, ran around London in their vans paying cash which kept the factories liquid. In the 1990’s the offshoring started and hence the demise of Made in UK started.

Now fast forward to August 2022. We’ve lived through Covid, horrendous freight issues, China closing down stopping production, Russian invasion, inflation rumoured to become Stag Inflation, 3 fold increase in utility costs (and still going up) and a Bank of England warning were going into recession and the highest recorded number of liquidations for SME in years.

Who’s going to buy clothes?

Well, there are niche markets and they are selling. People are buying local and loving the service they receive. The big guns of retail and etail realise that they can’t predict sales like they used to and now they reduce stock intake and they’re beginning to even make to demand – sales first then make and distribute. 

These niche markets want to know who has made their garments; what’s the real story looking for social and ethical meaning, and that’s where our FC Designer Collective shop works. 

Jenny Holloway CEO of Fashion-Enter said: “We have amazing designers stocked at the Collective that have their own unique story to tell. They live and breathe their brand in Islington. They invest their lives, precious finances and time into their brand 24/7 and they succeed because they care.”

At the neighbouring FC Designer Workspace we have affordable studios for 11 designers and most sell in their products at the Collective or use the shop to host events. Jenny continues: “I don’t know any other initiative in the UK that allows for a fashion circular economy. Islington Council were ahead of their time with the affordable workspace and Collective and designers need to effectively use the space to generate awareness and sales.

Stock needs to be:

• Current and season specific
• Correctly priced and tagged
• Turned over regularly and merchandised 
• Correctly constructed and fit 

“Ideally, the designers should be visiting the shop weekly and volunteering for a slot – just four hours a week and I believe that some have commented that they will. It is the best way to know what your customer wants.

There’s a golden opportunity within Islington for local fashion designers and the time is to seize it now!”

Images of the Collective shop as of 11/08/22