Fashion Enter opens new ethical shop and workspace
25/09/2020
UKFT member Fashion Enter is launching a new shop and workspace in Finsbury Park, north London, in a partnership with Islington Council and local communities.
The FC Designer Collective is a high street retail space for local designers to sell their work, managed by Fashion Enter on behalf of Islington Council. In lieu of rent, it also provides business mentoring and training in tailoring and needlework to local creatives and community groups, to help kick-start their careers in the garment industry. Other fashion businesses in the Fonthill Road area are also set to benefit from the alterations service offered in the new store.
FC Designer Collective brands include:
- Another Earthling – needle-felted animal and bird masks
- Buttress and Snatch – Ethical and sustainable lingerie
- Craftiela – handmade, natural and organic bath products
- Diva Choice – Statement jewellery and accessories (pictured above)
- Hashtag made IV Me – bespoke and handmade ladieswear with a cultural infusion
- Mrnoticed – Luxury menswear
- Jannaty – Modesty wear and accessories
- Sarah Hill – Greeting cards
- The Sundown Society – Ethical sleepwear
Fashion Enter has been working with a local women’s sewing group for the past year to make sure the project meets the needs of local people. During the Covid-19 crisis, the group has been producing face coverings, with material provided by Fashion-Enter, and distributing these to local people in need.
Tricia Blake, founder of Diva Choice, says: “Having a physical shop to display my unique pieces has provided a platform for me to grow, which is invaluable.”
Rachel Kenyon from lingerie brand Buttress and Snatch says: “I am really excited for B&S to be included in the collective and to take up a place in the shop. It’s a great opportunity for us to take part in our local community, having made lingerie and swimwear here in north London for 20 years. We custom-make our pieces individually to each order with a zero-waste system and send them out all over the world, but the physical shop will allow a new and responsive way to work that is full of potential. I am a passionate believer that this kind of small-scale, personal and local approach to clothes making is key for the sustainable fashion that we need for the future.”
The FC Designer Collective store is at 113-115 Fonthill Road, N4 3HH. Opening hours are: 10am-5pm, Tuesday – Saturday.