In this first episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Dee McGilvray, founder of CLÒ FOLD.

Dee has launched a womenswear brand built entirely around 100 percent British traceable wool. In just five months, alongside a full time job, she has taken an idea rooted in farming and the British countryside and turned it into a finished product made entirely in the UK.

Her first piece is a wool gilet woven in Yorkshire using traceable wool sourced through British Wool. Every part of the supply chain, from farm to finished garment, has been kept in Britain.

This isn’t just a story about launching a fashion brand. It’s about supporting farmers, restoring value to British wool and building a genuinely local supply chain.

1. Why so much British wool goes to waste and why farmers are often paid very little for it
2. How Dee built a fully traceable supply chain starting with British Wool
3. What traceable wool actually means and how customers can scan a QR code to see which farms their garment came from
4. Working with UK mills, manufacturers and suppliers
5. Why launching with one product was a smart move
6. The reality of starting a brand quickly and testing demand in small batches
7. Why wool is one of the most underrated fibres in British fashion

If you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.

CLÒ FOLD is a British womenswear brand built on the principle of land led living. Every garment is made using traceable British wool, with full transparency from farm to finished product.

You can find Dee and CLÒ FOLD at:

Website: www.clofold.com

Instagram: @clofold

Make sure you join her mailing list to hear about upcoming launches including traceable British wool welly socks and future outerwear pieces.

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram

Series 8 of the Make it British podcast is here!

After many of you asked, “Where’s the podcast gone?”, it's coming back with a brand-new themed series: Women in Wool.

Over the past few months, I've been recording interviews behind the scenes. As the conversations unfolded, a clear thread emerged. Every guest was a woman. And every one of them was working with the same fibre - Wool.

This new series shines a spotlight on the women driving innovation, craftsmanship and revival across the UK wool supply chain – from farming and spinning to weaving, knitting and manufacturing.

🐑 Why Wool? Why Now?

The UK textile industry was built on wool. Entire towns, trades and skills grew around it, yet over recent decades, wool has been pushed aside by cheaper synthetic fibres.

Now, the tide is starting to turn.

Recent cultural moments have helped bring wool back into the spotlight:

1. The 'Traitors effect' with Claudia Winkleman’s tartans, tweeds and knits dominating headlines.
2. The Princess of Wales visiting Welsh mill Melin Tregwynt and wearing Welsh wool.
3. Growing attention on natural fibres and fully traceable supply chains.
4. The launch ofThe Great British Wool Revival, a platform dedicated to strengthening British wool supply chains.

At a time when brands are preparing for Digital Product Passports and increased traceability requirements, wool stands out as one of the very few fibres we can genuinely grow and process here in the UK.

👩‍🦰 Why Women in Wool?

While the textile industry has historically been male-dominated, more and more women are now leading businesses across every stage of the wool supply chain.

From micro-factories to knitwear brands, from farming to finishing, female founders are shaping the future of British wool. This series celebrates them.

🎙️Be My Guest

If you work in wool, or know a woman who does, and would like to be featured in the Women in Wool series, email kate@makeitbritish.co.uk with the subject line Women in Wool.

🧡 Love the Podcast?

If you’re a regular listener and this show has helped you, please take a moment to leave a review. Reviews help more people discover the amazing prhttps://www.instagram.com/makeitbritish/oducts still being made and manufactured in Britain.

Want to start or grow a British-made brand?

There are several ways that we can work together depending on what stage your business is at.

➡️ Let's Work Together!

Follow Kate on Instagram @makeitbritish

🚀 Want to join British Brand Accelerator? Apply here: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Got a question before applying?

DM me on Instagram: @makeitbritish

Not all factories are created equal!

And if you’re contacting 20 different manufacturers hoping one will say yes — you're doing it the hard way.

In this episode of MANUFACTURING SOS, I’m talking about one of the most common mistakes I see when people start looking for a UK manufacturer: assuming every factory can make every kind of product.

You’ll learn why factory specialisms matter, how MOQs and capacity make a difference, and what you actually need to look for when shortlisting a manufacturer.

I’ll also share why I took down my free directory of UK manufacturers and the surprising truth about what manufacturers really said about being in it.

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube

Listen now to find out:

🏭 Why not every factory with a sewing machine is right for your product

🧵 What kind of research you really need to do before reaching out

🛑 The red flag that means a manufacturer isn’t a good fit

🍷 What looking for a factory partner and choosing a wine having in common!

Get a copy of my UK Manufacturers List

▶️ Watch all 5 episodes of MANUFACTURING SOS on YouTube

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

In this episode in the MANUFACTURING SOS series, I’m breaking down why placing a big order with your manufacturer, especially on your first production run with them, can be a costly mistake.

You’ll learn why it’s always smarter to treat your first production run as a test, how to avoid tying up all your money in stock, and how to respond when a manufacturer insists on high MOQs.

If you’re at the stage of placing your first order with a factory, or wondering how many units to start with, don’t miss this one.

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube

🎧 Listen now to find out:

📦 Why ordering big on your first run is rarely a good idea

🧪 How to treat your first production like a product test

👚 How to avoid ending up with stock you can’t sell

⭐️ Why less really is more when you're building a UK-made brand

🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don’t miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series

Get my Range Plan Template Here

▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

Think tech packs are optional? Or that your manufacturer can just "sort it for you"?

Think again.

In this episode of Manufacturing SOS, I’m breaking down exactly what happens when you don’t have a proper tech pack, and why skipping this step is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.

You’ll learn why a tech pack is your blueprint, not just a boring admin task, and how trying to wing it will cost you more in sampling, quality control, and wasted materials.

I’m also busting the myth that you need to spend thousands on a designer to create one – and showing you what to include (in plain English).

Whether you’ve been told you don’t need one, or you’ve been avoiding it because it sounds too techy, this episode is your wake-up call.

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube

Listen now to find out:

🧵 What a tech pack actually is and why it matters

💸 How skipping it costs you money, time, and control

🧠 Why pay £100s to get one made

📋 What to include in a tech pack (and how to keep it simple)

🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don’t miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series

Get my Tech Pack Template Here

▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

What UK Manufacturers Really Think When You Ask About Price

If the first thing you ask a factory is “How much?” — you’re not alone.

But it might explain why you’re not getting the response you hoped for.

In this episode of Manufacturing SOS, I’m unpacking what actually happens when you lead with price, and why it’s one of the fastest ways to put off the best manufacturers.

You’ll learn how to work backwards from a realistic retail price, how to spot when your margins just don’t add up, and what to do before you ever ask for a quote.

You’ll also get a reality check on what it really costs to make something in the UK — and why bartering isn’t a strategy.

If you want to be taken seriously by UK factories and avoid wasting everyone’s time (including your own), this episode is for you.

▶️ Watch this video on YouTube

Listen now to find out:

💸 Why asking for price too soon makes you look unprepared

🧮 How to calculate a realistic target cost price

🧵 Why most founders get their garment costings completely wrong

📉 What happens when you treat manufacturing like price shopping

🔁 What to say to a factory instead of “how much is this to make?”

🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don’t miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series

▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

If your inbox is full of unanswered emails to factories, it's not personal. It's a sign you're making critical mistakes that scream 'newbie'.

In this first episode in this special series MANUFACTURING SOS I’m diving into one of the most common frustrations I hear from founders - that they've contacted manufacturers and no one got back to them.

Sound familiar?

Before you assume UK manufacturers are just ignoring you, you need to hear this.

I’m sharing the real reasons factories hit delete, including vague enquiries, missing tech packs, and the one thing they’ll always check before replying to you.

You’ll also hear a cautionary tale about what happens when you work with a so-called UK manufacturer that turns out to be a middleman. Spoiler: it nearly cost one founder £30k.

If you want to stop wasting time and make sure you’re actually factory-ready, this episode is for you.

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube

🚩 What red flags instantly tell a manufacturer you're not ready

👻 The mistake that gets your enquiry ghosted 75% of the time

💌 Why your email address and Instagram feed matter more than you think

👬 How to avoid falling for middlemen posing as UK factories

🤓 What to do before you ever send that first email

🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don't miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series.

▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube

🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply