With a long career in the fashion and textile industry and living and working in Leicester, I’ve been deeply saddened by the reports that garment manufacturing has potentially had a part to play in the spread of Covid-19 and the extended lockdown.

In my time here I have seen the rise, demise and rise again of garment factories, but this time around it’s not something to be proud of

While there are some great factories used by retailers that have done much locally to support improvements in ethical standards, unfortunately not all adhere to these practices. 

The issue is the rapid growth of some etailers, whose business model is built on small quantities, fast turnaround, quick repeats and low prices, which requires a close-to-home supply chain.

“Sadly, the factories that have tried to do the right thing have seen their orders dry up as they are too expensive”

Small runs are not cost-effective to manufacture. There should be a 20% to 30% on cost for the 200 to 300 units that would be ordered, but the selling prices do not sustain this. 

With cloth prices a fixed cost, the reduction comes from the labour costs. If the retailer does not care how they get their cost price, does not ask the right questions or monitor the production that allows illegal practices to go on.

Any buyer with the right education should know the breakdown of the standard minutes required to make a garment at the correct legal pay rate plus the cost price of fabric and pay this. Business leadership should support the buyer in paying the right prices. 

Proud heritage

There are anywhere between 500 and 1,000 factories in Leicester, many not visible because they will be subcontractors. I’m sure for workers in some of the factories, it’s a choice of low pay or no pay, so it continues. Sadly, the factories that have tried to do the right thing have seen their orders dry up as they are too expensive and have been forced to close or downsize, compounding the problem. So what will change the situation, because this is not new news

First, the spotlight that Covid-19 has cast needs not to go away. The etailers need to demonstrate leadership that does not support this type of manufacturing. It may require higher selling prices, which may create less volume, but that has been done by some and should be done by all. This is the only way to break the vicious circle as it’s supply and demand. 

Second, the consumer who is demanding fast, low-priced fashion needs a better understanding of the implication of their buying habits. Although I would like to think the enforced lockdown has changed people’s demand for fast fashion, the reaction to bars reopening at the weekend makes me doubt it.

“If factory conditions and wages improve and prices go up in Leicester, will production simply be moved elsewhere and leave a void in the industry”

A hard-hitting documentary along the lines of Blue Planet is needed. The customers need to walk in the shoes of the workers and spend some time in factories, seeing the conditions and living on the pay the workers receive.

Third, support needs to be given to local officials to check and enforce the correct factory conditions – this is under-resourced. 

My one concern as the heat of the spotlight continues is that there is a mirror image of Leicester in Prato, Italy, with small units filled with similar orders from the same etailers. If factory conditions and wages improve and prices go up in Leicester, will production simply be moved elsewhere and leave a void in the industry I care so passionately about?

I believe now is the time for change. We should rightly call out and champion the retailers and factories that are doing the right thing and the pressure needs to continue to be put on those that aren’t. I’d love to see Leicester return to its heritage as a proud garment manufacturing hub. 

Read more: Deep dive - Can fashion ever recover from coronavirus?

UK fashion sales will fall between 35% and 46% in 2020, according to McKinsey, which predicts that a third of global fashion players will not survive the coronavirus crisis. Read our latest deep dive to discover what’s next for the hard-hit clothing sector.