106. The Curious Case of Leicester Part 4: A Manufacturer’s Perspective

Sajjad Khan, the founder of the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), began his journey in the textile industry when he returned to Leicester to care for his father and help his wife start a manufacturing company, Arisetc Ltd., in 1991. Today, in his role… [...]
03 Sep 2024
00:35:02
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106. The Curious Case of Leicester Part 4: A Manufacturer’s Perspective
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Sajjad Khan, the founder of the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), began his journey in the textile industry when he returned to Leicester to care for his father and help his wife start a manufacturing company, Arisetc Ltd., in 1991. Today, in his role at ATMF, Sajjad helps bring together manufacturers from across the UK supply chain to form a collective voice when negotiating with the government and other stakeholders. We talk about his perspectives on the constraints manufacturers in Leceister face, how and why a collective manufacturer voice emerged in Leicester, and the support and solutions they need.

This episode is part of “The Curious Case of Leicester” mini-series. While legislation is often seen as the solution to fashion’s sustainability issues, Leicester’s apparel industry presents a paradox: despite being in a developed country, in a city acclaimed for its strong governance, labour rights abuses have persisted. This series explores how such abuses continue and what this means for using legislation as a tool to address fashion’s sustainability challenges globally.

**Share your musings, ramblings, or questions on this episode – whether fully formed or half baked by leaving Kim a voice memo or posting to our Curious Case of Leicester Community Wall – where you can also swap notes with fellow listeners. 

Also, join us for live virtual conversation on 3 October at 4PM CET to debrief and compare notes on these episodes. Spots are limited, and are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Register here.**

The Curious Case of Leicester has been supported by Lancaster University Management School and the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, working in partnership with Justice In Fashion CIC, a UK-based not-for-profit that works to address imbalances of power and resources across the fashion industry supply chain.


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Find Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business on:
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CREDITS:

Host: Kim van der Weerd 

Co-Host: Dr. Divya Jyoti

Guest: Sajjad Khan

This is a Maed in India production.

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Sean D’mello 

Co-Producer: Meghna Gulati

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

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