Make it British Podcast

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Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027

In this episode I take a trip to rural Nottinghamshire to the micro knitwear factory owned by Samantha Thomas, founder of knitwear brand Waring Brooke.
Sam was originally a designer for other brands like Alberta Feretti in Italy, but then 10 years ago she started her own knitwear label and took the brave decision to invest in her own knitting machine to create it.
When I had Sam on the podcast 5 years ago she was a one man band - she now has a team and big plans for the future.
In this episode we cover:
How having her own machine allows her to offer personalisation to her customers, which gives the brand it’s USP
What her customers really think about Made in UK
The challenges Sam faced getting to grips with production and keeping the machine busy
Why she's now opening up her factory to other brands for sampling and small production runs

About Waring Brooke
Waring Brooke is a knitwear and accessories brand made entirely in its own micro factory in rural Nottinghamshire. Founder Samantha Thomas designs, programmes and knits everything in-house on a single industrial knitting machine, which allows her to make to order and offer personalised monogram patterns knitted into scarves, snoods, hats, headbands and socks.
You can find Samantha and Waring Brooke at:
Website: waringbrooke.com
Instagram: @waringbrooke

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King's Foundation
Paul Smith's book Threads

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
In this episode I'm joined by Emily Millichip, a fashion designer based in Edinburgh who is relaunching her eponymous brand of 15 years after deciding it no longer aligned with where she is now.
In this episode we cover:
Why Emily decided to pivot after 15 years
How she took her existing customers and Instagram followers with her through the rebrand
Collaborating with local craftspeople on small limited edition batches
How every piece in the collection is made within an hour of her studio

About Emily Millichip
Emily Millichip is a fashion designer based in Edinburgh who also has a parallel career in farming. Her new collection, Pagan, is made from natural materials and everything in the collection is manufactured within an hour of her studio.
You can find Emily and Emily Millichip at:
Website: www.emilymillichip.com
Instagram: @emilymillichip

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Find out more about William Gee at williamgee.co.uk
2a Forest Road, London, E8 3BY
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Sign the Open Letter calling on the government to source military and NHS uniforms from UK manufacturers

Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram