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https://www.designforsocialchange.org/journal/index.php/DISCERN-J 

 

ISSN 2184-6995 

 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 

International License. 

 

  

 

 
 

Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the  
United Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise:  
A collaborative training framework 
 
Neha Mathew, Francesco Mazzarella 
 

Published online: November 2023 

 
To cite this article:  
Mathew, N. & Mazzarella, F. (2023). Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the United 

Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise: A collaborative training framework. Discern: International 

Journal of Design for Social Change, Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 4(2), 22-41. 
 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 



 

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Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the  
United Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise:  
A collaborative training framework 
 

Neha Mathewa, Francesco Mazzarellaa 
 

aLondon College of Fashion, UAL 

 

Abstract 

The international fashion industry is heavily reliant on Asian manufacturers, and garment workers  

are predominantly South Asian women, who work in deplorable conditions and face abuse from their 

employers. Furthermore, despite the growing demand for British-made goods, the fashion and textile 

manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom (UK) is facing a severe shortage of skilled machinists, also 

due to Brexit and the increasing disinterest of young people in learning making skills. Within this context, 

this paper reports on a project aimed at developing and testing a collaborative training framework for 

social enterprises wanting to upskill marginalised South Asian women and support their employment within 

the fashion and textile industry. To meet this aim, semi-structured interviews, a series of co-creation 

workshops, and a focus group were conducted as part of participatory action research conducted in the UK. 

Findings from the primary and secondary research validated the need for collaborative training 

programmes, while the delivery of the co-creation workshops aided in the development of a guidebook. 

The paper proposes a framework and discusses how it can be adopted and adapted by social entrepreneurs 

who want to upskill marginalised South Asian women in the fashion and textile industry. In conclusion, the 

paper highlights the original contribution of the research to the theory and practice of social 

entrepreneurship and outlines recommendations for further work. 

 

Keywords: Ethical fashion, Skills training, Co-creation framework, Social entrepreneurship 

 

Introduction 

International clothing companies and high-end luxury brands frequently collaborate with manufacturers  

in countries such as India, Bangladesh, China and Vietnam (McCosker, 2023). However, this practice often 

gives rise to unethical supply chain issues, leading to the exploitation of disadvantaged artisan 

communities, primarily composed of women in these countries (Lewis, 2021). Despite public  

awareness of this situation, the problem persists. 

 

Consumer attitudes towards unsustainable working conditions are changing, and companies risk falling 

behind and losing some of their customers if they do not embrace this shift. A growing number of people 

are interested in craft and design, especially considering requests to empower artisan communities and the 

devastating effects the pandemic has had on artisan labour (EDITED, 2021). The COVID-19 outbreak 

compelled retailers to re-evaluate their operations, pushing them towards a more sustainable and ethical 

approach (EDITED, 2021). In today’s environment, simply purchasing artisanal goods is insufficient and can 

be seen as inauthentic. Companies need to engage artisans from the outset of the design process and 

ensure that they receive a guaranteed living wage throughout the supply chain to empower the artisans 

who create their products (EDITED, 2021). 

 

 



 

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Higher unemployment rates for ethnic minority women in London 

London has a higher unemployment rate for women from ethnic minority backgrounds. Women from 

BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) backgrounds experience an unemployment rate of 8.1% 

compared to a rate of 3.3% for women from a white ethnic group (Devine, 2022). According to the Office 

for National Statistics (ONS), the unemployment rate for BAME women increased by two-thirds between 

the end of 2019 and 2020; that is from 5.8% to 9.5% (TUC, 2021). Ethnic minority groups in Central London 

Forward (14.9%) and the South London Partnership (13.3%) experience higher inequalities compared to 

white citizens in the same regions (6.9% and 5.3%, respectively) (Volterra Partners LLP, 2021). Central 

London Forward (CLF) is a sub-regional alliance representing 12 local authorities in Central London, while 

the South London Partnership is a sub-regional partnership of five London boroughs. 

 

Exploitation of South Asian artisans under invisible global supply chains 

The term ‘invisible’ is used as a metaphor for how supply chains are not transparent to consumers and the 

public. Pledging to stop violating workers’ rights and making that happen are two different things in the 

fashion industry. The same brands that insist on the utmost ethical standards in front of the public then 

demand clothes to be manufactured at an unsustainable pace and overly low price and this leads to 

worker’s rights abuses (Kent, 2020). The laws which are supposed to protect these artisans are commonly 

ignored or not implemented properly throughout the supply chain (Kent, 2020). Since the beginning of the 

pandemic, there have been increasing reports of wage theft and increased debt among artisans (Kent, 

2021a). In this regard, Alexander Kohnstamm, executive director at Fair Wear Foundation stated: “I don’t 

think we should continue to do what we have done for the last twenty years. We need much more drastic 

and ambitious change. To do that, we need new business models” (Kent, 2021a, p. 2). 

 

With this research context in mind, the project presented in this paper aimed to develop and test a 

collaborative training framework for social enterprises wanting to upskill marginalised South Asian women 

and support their employment within the fashion and textile industry. 

 

To meet this aim, the following objectives were set out: 

- To critically review theories and practices of social enterprises training disadvantaged women; 

- To conduct co-creation workshops in order to elicit issues related to training/upskilling 

artisans/workers as well as opportunities for upcycling surplus fabrics; 

- To develop a collaborative training framework and test it within the context of a home decor  

social enterprise. 

 

Literature review 

Today’s fast-paced mass market and globalised fashion industry have given rise to complex and unfair 

supply chains that are filled with labour infractions — ranging from low pay and overwork to dangerous 

working conditions, exploitation of child labour and modern-day slavery (Kent, 2021b). Addressing these 

supply chain issues requires a focus on understanding how businesses are engaging with local communities 

and labour organisations, while also ensuring the inclusion of the workforce and their representatives 

(Kent, 2021b). In the future, there needs to be a system of collaboration and legally binding agreements 

with labour unions (Kent, 2021b). 

 

The UK’s fashion sector has experienced significant growth, with retail sales of apparel quadrupling 

between 1998 and 2018, reaching £60 billion (Fashion Revolution, 2022). British brands and retailers must 



 

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adopt more sustainable and responsible practices, including transparent supply chains. Surprisingly,  

no British brand or retailer made it to the top 10 in the Fashion Transparency Index for 2022 (Fashion 

Revolution, 2022). The Fashion Transparency Index is defined as the annual evaluation of 250 of the world’s 

biggest fashion retailers and brands graded according to their level of public transparency on human rights 

and environmental policies, practices, and impacts in their operations and supply chains (Fashion 

Revolution, 2022). In this regard, Mostafiz Uddin, owner and managing director of Denim Expert Ltd., 

Bangladesh, claims (Fashion Revolution, 2022, p. 32): ''I think transparency is the future because it has the 

power to establish trust among people in the supply chain which is essential for the existence of all of  

us on this planet”. 

 

Transparency allows workers, labour unions, human rights organisations and others the ability to quickly 

notify clothing brands of labour violations occurring in the factories that are supplying them, allowing them 

the option to react, halt and resolve rights abuses at an early stage (Fashion Revolution, 2022). 

Transparency facilitates brand collaboration and partnership working towards minimising, stopping and 

preventing labour exploitation within supply chains (Robledo & Triebich, 2020). However, consumers 

currently lack the information needed to make conscious choices and hold businesses accountable for 

labour conditions since the origin of their garments remains unknown. Consumers are interested in 

learning where garment workers are employed in the supply chain as well as whether those who make 

their products are capable of advocating for themselves for better working conditions (Muller, 2020). 

 

Moreover, the fashion industry's complex and constantly changing global network of manufacturers poses 

significant challenges that cannot be tackled by any single entity alone (Kent, 2020). Despite public 

demands for stricter guidelines and companies’ claims of responsible sourcing, labourers still endure harsh 

conditions and meagre wages. In a report published in 2019, the UK House of Commons Environmental 

Audit Committee voiced concerns that e-commerce companies such as Boohoo were pressuring UK 

manufacturers to agree to pay illegally low wages (Kent, 2020). If brands want to address the issues of fair 

wages and labour exploitation in the fashion industry, they must re-evaluate how they negotiate with 

suppliers and maintain their value chains. 

 

Everlane and other direct-to-consumer businesses have demonstrated how transparent pricing and 

suppliers may attract customers, but this business model has not yet been adopted by the majority of the 

industry (Kent, 2019). Manufacturers and sourcing professionals claim that companies continue to 

frequently change vendors to attain the cheapest bargain, commonly preferring countries having weak 

labour regulations (Kent, 2020). Nevertheless, there is growing recognition within the fashion industry that 

true transformation can only be achieved through collaboration and involvement of all relevant 

stakeholders, even if progress is gradual and challenging (Amen et al., 2021). 

 

To tackle some of the above-mentioned challenges, designers are increasingly engaging in social innovation 

processes, acting as agents of change and collaborating with communities and other stakeholders to co-

create services, strategies and systems (Mazzarella et al., 2021). Social innovations can be defined as “new 

ideas (products, services, and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social 

relationships or collaborations” (Murray et al., 2010, p. 3). For such innovations to have a meaningful 

impact, they must be co-created with designers, artisans/workers, consumers and stakeholders.  

 

Additionally, cultural translation is essential to ensure that these innovations align with contextual factors, 



 

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addressing the important aspects of social acceptance and preference, which are often overlooked (Meroni 

& Selloni, 2018). Designers can play a role not only in developing social innovations but also in shaping new 

social entrepreneurial models for sustaining and scaling such initiatives (Selloni & Corubolo, 2017). Social 

entrepreneurs play a significant role in the field of social innovation because their mission is to create 

opportunities for inclusion. Their social impact activities are commonly focused on economic, social and 

community development; employment and training; and social services (Drencheva & Stephan, 2014). 

 

With these sustainability challenges in mind, the research presented in this paper focused on London, one 

of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK, whose fashion and textile industry is affected by social 

inequalities and limited access to good job opportunities. For instance, in boroughs like Waltham Forest, 

which has a diverse ethnic population and lower average income compared to the London average, there  

is an evident disparity in pay and employment rates among BAME groups (A New Direction, 2019). 

Unfortunately, the creative sector in London, particularly the fashion industry in East London, lacks diversity 

and connectivity, leaving the Asian community and former textile workers with limited employment 

prospects (A New Direction, 2019). This emphasises the need for an encouraging network to foster 

collaborations between designers and makers (Mazzarella & Black, 2023). The rise of fast fashion has 

further contributed to the loss of specialised technical skills and a shortage of skilled labour, jeopardising 

the preservation of London's heritage fashion and textile expertise (Mazzarella & Black, 2023). Therefore, 

upskilling potential employees and protecting existing skilled labour becomes imperative. In response to 

the problems faced by South Asian workers in the fashion industry and the demand for a transparent 

supply chain, sustainable business models should focus on training workers locally and implementing 

ethical practices, ensuring safe working conditions. 

 

To understand these challenges and identify opportunities for empowering marginalised women, two case 

studies were conducted by reviewing business reports. Images 1 and 2 synthesise the findings from the 

case studies on Making for Change and Sewing Friendship. Making for Change in the UK is an exemplary 

organisation based in London aimed at empowering disadvantaged women through skills training. The 

Making for Change fashion training and manufacturing unit was developed as a collaboration between 

London College of Fashion, UAL, and HM Prison Service (Caulfield et al., 2018). The Thusa Batho Sewing  

for Africa community sewing project, which is based in Durban, can be used to demonstrate how higher 

education and society can collaborate to challenge prejudice, tribalism and racism through community 

participation (Mutero et al., 2021). The case studies showcase the importance of co-creation processes in 

eliminating workers’ exploitation and supporting local communities and highlight the need for collaborative 

training programmes in this context. 

 



 

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Image 1: Case study on Making for Change. 

 

Image 2: Case study on Sewing Friendship. 

 

Research methodology 

The research project presented in this paper had an emancipatory and exploratory purpose (Robson, 2002), 

as it aimed to create opportunities for disadvantaged South Asian women in the UK and to drive social 

change. Since limited research exists on upskilling this specific group, the project also explored the 

potential impact of collaborative training programmes in enhancing their skills and career prospects. The 

research adopted an interpretivist philosophy (Saunders & Tosey, 2013) to gain subjective insights into how 

local stakeholders can aid disadvantaged women in obtaining the necessary training for supporting secure 

livelihoods. This project employed an inductive research approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), as qualitative 



 

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data was collected to understand the impact of collaborative training programmes on upskilling 

underprivileged South Asian women in the UK and subsequently used to inform the development  

of a conceptual framework.  

 

Participatory action research (Kemmis & McTaggart, 2005) was the chosen research strategy for this 

project, as it sought to develop a collaborative framework to empower disadvantaged South Asian women 

with improved employment opportunities. The first author of this paper actively collaborated with 

stakeholders and facilitated a co-creation process to develop the training framework. The research 

employed a non-probability sampling strategy, specifically purposive sampling (Mays & Pope, 1995), to 

select organisations and social entrepreneurs in the UK based on specific criteria such as location, expertise 

and roles. However, unforeseen circumstances necessitated the inclusion of a new organisation  

in a different setting, leading to the use of opportunistic sampling (Robson, 2002). To meet the research 

aim and objectives, multiple data collection methods were used in the project. 

 

Four semi-structured interviews were conducted via MS Teams with industry professionals with in-depth 

knowledge relevant to the research subjects, as summarised in Table 1. 

 

Table 1: Industry professional  participants. 

 

Participant Job Role Expertise 

Olusola McKenzie Founder and 

Director – Learn to 

Recreate 

Learn to Recreate is a social enterprise which provides a 

bridge between the fashion industry and access to entry-

level opportunities. 

Anna Ellis 

 

Head of Business 

Development – 

Making for Change 
 

Making for Change is an award-winning project offering 

women prisoners a route away from re-offending whilst 

addressing a skills shortage within the UK fashion 

manufacturing industry. 

Dr Seher Mirza Founder – S jo 

 

 

S Jo is a social enterprise which creates original 

accessories, drawing inspiration from traditional textile 

craftsmanship handcrafted by artisans, mainly women 

from villages in Pakistan. 

Olivia Weber Creative Director – 
Olivia Lara 

(previously, 

Trashion Factory) 

Founder of a non-profit company that promotes 
upcycling and with experience in delivering free craft 

workshops to women, providing a safe space for women 

to meet up and get creative, as well as learn making skills. 

 

The researcher and first author of this paper also facilitated co-creation workshops over two days in 

collaboration with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association (EGNA), a charity organisation based in 

Southampton, UK. Nepali women with no prior sewing experience participated in the workshops, receiving 

training in machine sewing and hand embroidery, and created upcycled home decor products using surplus 

fabrics. The workshops were conducted to validate the need for collaborative training programmes aimed 

at upskilling disadvantaged South Asian women in the UK. This process contributed to the development  



 

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of a framework and explored how co-creation workshops can be used to effectively upcycle surplus fabrics 

and empower disadvantaged South Asian women through upskilling. 

 

At the end of the workshop series, a focus group was conducted with the participating women, who shared 

their insights on the effectiveness, challenges and benefits of the training programme being developed. The 

focus group played a crucial role in testing and refining the collaborative training framework for a home 

decor social enterprise. The data captured for the research project (i.e. the audio recordings of the 

interviews and focus group, as well as field notes collected at the workshops and focus group) was 

thematically analysed, following the method described by Miles and Huberman (1994), encompassing data 

reduction, data display and conclusion drawing and verification. Nvivo software aided in coding the data, 

identifying main themes and sub-themes and colour-coding each theme and quote for clarity. 

 

Findings 

The analysis of the data collected through the semi-structured interviews revealed five main themes and 

corresponding sub-themes, as depicted in image 3. 

 

 

Image 3: Themes and sub-themes emerging from the analysis of the data collected through interviews. 

 

Collaboration 

Collaboration was a concept consistently emphasised by all four social entrepreneurs; in fact, the word 

‘collaboration’ was mentioned 36 times in the interviews. Three participants highlighted the additional 

benefits gained through collaborating with other organisations, expressing their willingness to engage  



 

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in future partnerships. Additionally, all four participants expressed their intent to continue collaborating 

with workers/artisans. 

 

The participants referred to the concept of collaboration in terms of partnership projects, co-creation, 

community and innovation. Two participants mentioned that their collaborative approach involves 

disadvantaged women in product co-creation. Participant 2 creates a safe space for women to connect and 

openly discuss issues, contributing to the meaningful co-creation of products that hold value for each 

community member: 

 

“We explored issues that we like to talk about and visuals that are connected to that. So, we have  

a lot of nice feminist mornings talking about things. And then, through that, they developed symbols, 

letters, writings and visuals, which they embroider on their T-shirts. In the end, everybody had  

a T-shirt that they embroidered, and then I put all of these on my website with pictures from them 

and said that these are designed and made by them. Then, the community was able to vote [for] the 

T-shirts that they liked the most”. 

 

The collaborations aided three of the participants in forming a community of disadvantaged women who 

play a crucial role in their businesses. The interview findings revealed the feasibility of collaborating with 

multiple stakeholders simultaneously. Some interviewees formed communities with artisans/workers 

before facilitating co-creation processes, while others collaborated with organisations solely for training or 

product co-creation purposes. It was also stated that, since many brands outsource their production in the 

UK and do not deliver any local training, collaborative training workshop spaces are in demand. 

 

Participant recruitment and engagement 

The analysis of the interviews revealed that social entrepreneurs delivering training programmes and 

engaging in co-creation processes face challenges in recruiting and engaging with participants and need to 

tailor their offer to the skillset of the people they work with. The word ‘participants’ was mentioned 30 

times across the interviews. All the interviewees, being social entrepreneurs working with disadvantaged 

groups of women, face unique challenges in participant recruitment. The interviewees highlighted the fact 

that sometimes participants do not complete the training programme or lose interest in the workshops. 

Although the training sessions were offered free of charge by the interviewed individuals and organisations, 

there have been instances where participants lost interest, as Participant 1 explained: 

 

“Because those are disengaged at that point, just let them go, but engage other people who are 

committed. They will gain value from it and will use it to their own advantage. I say that because, 

anytime something is communicated as free, and if they feel like you are the one that’s going to be 

advantaged by it and not the other way around, then it’s easy for people to abuse it.” 

 

The interviewees emphasised the importance of having a structured training programme with engaging and 

desirable spaces, moving away from mundane classroom settings. Effective communication and providing 

incentives can also foster participant commitment. Creating an environment that encourages experimental 

co-creation enables participants to feel a sense of ownership over the products they contribute to.  

A challenge discussed by the interviewees is the need to accommodate participants with varying skill levels. 

Training programmes often involve people who already have sewing skills and attend the sessions to reach 



 

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a professional level, alongside others who are beginners. Interviewee 4 highlighted that participants seek  

to acquire skills in high demand due to the UK’s shortage of skilled machinists. 

 

Structure of training programmes 

The analysis of the data collected via the interviews contributed to understanding how social entrepreneurs 

structure their training programmes and identifying various methods used by relevant organisations, along 

with their respective advantages and disadvantages. This theme was mentioned 27 times in the interviews. 

The different structures of training programmes included a community interest company, a ‘bilateral 

working model’, a social enterprise and a ‘contract-based working model’ which was further subdivided 

into grants and training programmes. Each working model operates differently, yet they share similarities  

in terms of collaboration. However, working on contracts poses challenges, as participants are not 

financially committed, making it problematic if they lose interest and quit the training programme, 

impacting the facilitators. Participant 1 provided valuable insights on delivering programmes supported  

by external grants: 

 

“Our approach mainly entails delivering contract-based activities. […] If it was possible, I think we 

would always just settle for and work only with grants. Grants that don’t put additional layers of 

contractual obligations. That would be our preferred way of working”. 

 

As stated by Participant 2, a community interest company needs to have a social purpose to receive funding 

from larger organisations to support skills training workshops for women and community members.  

A bilateral working model was described by Participant 3, who works in a social enterprise collaborating 

with artisans to co-create products. This approach ensures equal access to information, training workshops 

and a platform for feedback and discussion among the artisans. Building personal relationships with the 

artisans fosters a supportive and comfortable space where they can share their stories and interact with 

others, enabling them to fit the training within their schedules. Participant 3 described the ‘bilateral 

working model’ as follows: 

 

“If you think of it in terms of a diagram, it would be me directly interacting with all the artisans who  

I work with and doing workshops in the village where I work. I meet everybody, and we sit together. 

And there is a bilateral dialogue or communication. So, it’s not through a leader within the 

community. I mean, there are leaders within the community, those manage materials, or manage the 

petty cash and things like that”. 

 

Participant 4 highlighted the fact that the social enterprise model offers training programmes and industry-

recognised credentials through their collaboration with a university. This model also enables women to 

apply for jobs and secure employment in making products for commercial clients. According  

to Participant 4: 

 

“We have many parts of Making for Change, working with the community, working with the prisons 

and also our manufacturing unit here at Poplar Works and at HMP Downview, which is the women's 

prison. We take commercial orders, we manufacture for designers of small brands, or we collaborate 

with bigger retailers. The idea behind the social enterprise is really to enable us to employ some of the 

women that we train as part of our programme”. 

 



 

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The different approaches to collaborative training programmes, as shown in Table 2, provided valuable 

insights into effective practices and potential pitfalls. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages; 

understanding these aspects is crucial for developing an effective collaborative training framework, which 

should align with the organisation’s vision and strategy, cater to its specific context and community and 

ultimately benefit all the stakeholders involved. 

 

Table 2: Summary of findings from the interviews, which informed the development of the framework and 

the design of the structure of the co-creation workshop series. 

 

Working model Findings 

Contract-based Model Working with grants that have fewer contract obligations 

is beneficial because it allows for greater flexibility when 

delivering training programmes.  

Community Interest Company Having a social purpose aids in obtaining funding and 

supporting disadvantaged people. 

Bilateral Model Connecting with the people who receive training is 
effective because it fosters a sense of community and 

creates a safe environment in which everyone can 

exchange ideas within a co-creation process. 

Social Enterprise Progression pathways are important within social 

enterprises which train trainers. This means recognising 

those participants in the training programme who have 

become skilled enough to be hired to train other women, 
amplifying the impacts of the work/project. 

 

Challenges and opportunities 

The interviewees mentioned ‘challenges’ 23 times in the interviews. The data analysis contributed to 

understanding the challenges faced while delivering training programmes and collaborative projects. 

Amongst the common issues faced during skills training programmes, the interviewees highlighted 

language barriers between participants (often non-English speakers) and workshop facilitators. Attendance 

and participants' commitment to training programmes also resulted as recurring concerns. For instance, 

Participant 2, who delivers training workshops for other organisations, faces challenges in terms of 

insufficient sewing machines or storage space when the workshops are delivered over several days. 

Conversely, some challenges occurred in reverse when partner organisations had all the necessary 

resources, and the social entrepreneur’s role was solely to train people. Additionally, one interviewee 

shared a negative experience while collaborating with NGOs and larger organisations due to misalignment 

in values/objectives, as mentioned below: 

 

“With larger organisations, sometimes there is a danger of their agendas being quite different. What 

are their motivations? Is it just for corporate social responsibility? Why are they doing those things? I 

find that particularly difficult to navigate. So, I work directly with communities. Having worked with 

NGOs in the past, I’m not saying I wouldn’t be open to working with them again, but I think that we 

have to align our objectives”. 

 



 

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Skills training programme 

The analysis of the data collected contributed also to understanding the concept of ‘training programme’, 

which was mentioned 14 times in the interviews and was further categorised into sub-themes: training 

programme highlights, the future of collaborative training programmes and the hybrid model. The 

interviewees provided feedback and advice on delivering effective collaborative training, and this input was 

considered during the development of the framework and the design of the co-creation workshop series. 

Participant 1 stated: 

 

“Go and speak with the individuals you want to work with, find out from them what they really want 

to do, and why. […] If you don’t ‘parachute’ something into a community or try and impose something 

on someone, and if they feel like there’s some ownership because they have had some involvement in 

the creation of the course/programme, I think they’re more vested”. 

 

Understanding customer preferences is crucial in every business, and in this context, Participant 1’s 

statement emphasises the importance of comprehending what people aim to achieve in a co-creation 

workshop series. The goal is to foster a sense of shared ownership and belonging to a community that 

values their ideas and thoughts. The primary research findings also highlighted the importance of setting 

clear expectations for participants at the outset of the training programme to ensure a smooth delivery 

process. Designing the product to be created during the training and structuring the workshop format in 

advance ensures a successful and interconnected training programme. 

 

Moreover, the interviewees confirmed the knowledge gap identified in the literature review. Participant  

4 highlighted a severe shortage of skilled machinists in UK fashion manufacturing, partly due to Brexit 

impacting the workforce, as many workers were from Eastern Europe. Furthermore, increasing demand for 

UK-made products necessitates bridging this skills gap. For instance, the social enterprise described by 

Participant 4 is striving to address this issue: 

 

“There is a real shortage of skilled machinists in the UK fashion and textiles industry. That’s 

something that we want to try and change. […] We think it will also benefit the industry because we 

are basically able to supply it with people who’ve got the skills, starting to get the experience, but 

more importantly, are enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the industry. For us now engaging with 

other manufacturers, we could be a resource. […] At the same time, we have a shortage of skilled 

staff to be able to do that. So, hopefully, we will be able to build a bridge to fill that gap in the 

future”. 

 

Feedback on co-creation workshops 

A series of workshops was conducted in collaboration with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association 

(EGNA), which provides machine sewing and upcycling training to disadvantaged Nepali women in 

Southampton, UK (Image 4). 

 



 

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Image 4: Facilitation of a co-creation workshop. 

 

The lead researcher and first author of this paper facilitated the workshops, providing references to 

support the creative process, while the participating South Asian women had the freedom to choose their 

fabrics, colours and designs. These workshops provided a safe space for women to build relationships and 

gain confidence through learning new skills, like machine sewing and hand embroidery, leading to the co-

creation of cushions using surplus fabrics (image 5). 

 

 

Image 5: Participants showing their upcycled products at the end of the workshop series. 

 



 

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The focus group with the participants contributed to validating and finalising the collaborative training 

framework developed to upskill marginalised South Asian women in the UK and create home decor 

products. The thematic analysis of the data collected through the focus group revealed that the 

participants had no prior experience in machine sewing, upcycling cushions or co-creation processes. All 

the participants expressed the view that the training workshops provided them with new skills and boosted 

their confidence. They enthusiastically expressed a desire to attend similar workshops in the future, valuing 

the unique experience of co-creating products. The uplifting training atmosphere received high praise, 

emphasising the participants’ enjoyment and the success of this collaborative training initiative. 

 

Collaborative training framework 

The developed framework addresses the knowledge gap identified through a literature review and 

confirmed by the industry professionals interviewed for the research presented in this paper. The 

framework underwent testing through co-creation workshops and refinement via feedback received  

at a focus group. This collaborative training framework is tailored to a UK-based home decor social 

enterprise, aiming to train and upskill disadvantaged South Asian women. Additionally, it serves as a 

valuable guide for other home decor brands or any companies interested in collaborative training for 

marginalised women in the UK. The framework aims to bridge skills gaps and meet the demand for 

collaborative training programmes in the country. 

 

Inspired by the concept of jigsaw puzzles, the framework – as illustrated in image 6 – is divided into  

two phases. The first one represents the three key stakeholders in the fashion industry. In Phase 2, the 

pieces come together to complete the puzzle, symbolising the resolution of the knowledge gap in this 

research project. 

 



 

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Image 6: Collaborative training framework. 



 

38 
 

The accompanying guidebook (image 7) offers further details on implementing the framework into  

practical training programmes and outlines potential developments for Phase 3, which users can adapt  

to their needs. 

 

 



 

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Image 7: Guidebook. 

 



 

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Conclusions 

This paper discussed a research project which made a theoretical and practical contribution to the field of 

social innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of the UK fashion industry. The project contributed 

to the development of an original collaborative framework (Image 6) informed by findings from both 

primary and secondary research on social entrepreneurship. Another key output of the project is a 

guidebook detailing the implementation of co-creation workshops as part of a collaborative training 

programme for upcycling surplus fabrics into home decor products. The guidebook can be adapted and 

adopted by social entrepreneurs aiming to upskill or train disadvantaged women in the UK. Additionally, 

the research highlighted challenges and opportunities faced in the UK fashion manufacturing industry and 

artisan communities and generated information valuable to entrepreneurs and researchers concerned with 

the need for skilled machinists and collaborative training programmes. 

 

Although the research presented in this paper made a valuable original contribution to knowledge, several 

limitations were faced throughout the project. Despite efforts to collaborate with various organisations and 

local councils, specific participants, such as disadvantaged South Asian women, could not be recruited for 

the co-creation workshop series. Additionally, language barriers were faced during the co-creation 

workshops with Nepali women, leading to minor communication challenges during the focus group. One 

significant constraint was the tight timeline, as the project was delivered over three months. Only two 

cycles of participatory action research were completed instead of the desired three due to time 

restrictions. Furthermore, the proposed framework could not be fully validated with existing social 

enterprises, as time limitations prevented further investigations. 

 

These limitations highlight areas for potential future research and improvement of the proposed 

framework. We acknowledge that the framework is in its early stages and requires additional analysis 

through testing with other established social enterprises to investigate and gather feedback on how it can 

support collaborative training with its stakeholders. It is suggested that the developed framework gets 

adapted, applied and explored further in other contexts to understand how it can help disadvantaged 

women outside of the UK’s South Asian community. Moreover, the guidebook for facilitating a series of co-

creation workshops to create upcycled cushions could be extended to diverse product categories and 

applied in partnerships with organisations other than charities. 

 

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of fashion 2021. McKinsey & Company. https://tinyurl.com/2c9zpmxx  

A New Direction. (2019). Waltham forest fashion district: Partnership plan. A New Direction. 
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Skills in a Fashion Training & Manufacturing Workshop. London College of Fashion, UAL. 
https://wlv.openrepository.com/handle/2436/623304  

Devine, B. (2022). Unemployment by ethnic background. House of Commons Library. 
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Drencheva, A. M., & Stephan, U. (2014). The state of social entrepreneurship in the UK: SEFORÏS country report. Seforïs 
https://tinyurl.com/h2wd467k  

EDITED. (2021). Empowering artisans - A market snapshot. https://app.edited.com/#retail/article/retail-tw-artisan-
2021-150421 

Fashion Revolution. (2022). Fashion transparency index 2022. https://issuu.com/fashionrevolution/docs/fti_2022  

Kent, S. (2019, May 2). Why fashion doesn’t pay fair. The Business of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/y7puaxsx 

Kent, S. (2020, July 23). Fashion says it can police its supply chain. So why are there so many scandals? The Business  

of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/mrn7k7cm 

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41 
 

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https://tinyurl.com/ysyvffp3 

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Sage Publications. 

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1-18.https://www.cristal.ac.za/index.php/cristal/article/view/236  

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https://tinyurl.com/h8twr4x3

	https://www.designforsocialchange.org/journal/index.php/DISCERN-J
	ISSN 2184-6995
	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
	Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the  United Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise:  A collaborative training framework
	Neha Mathew, Francesco Mazzarella  Published online: November 2023
	To cite this article:  Mathew, N. & Mazzarella, F. (2023). Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the United Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise: A collaborative training framework. Discern: International Journal of Design for S...
	Upskilling marginalised South Asian women based in the  United Kingdom through a home decor social enterprise:  A collaborative training framework
	Neha Mathewa, Francesco Mazzarellaa
	aLondon College of Fashion, UAL
	Abstract
	The international fashion industry is heavily reliant on Asian manufacturers, and garment workers  are predominantly South Asian women, who work in deplorable conditions and face abuse from their employers. Furthermore, despite the growing demand for ...
	Keywords: Ethical fashion, Skills training, Co-creation framework, Social entrepreneurship
	Introduction
	International clothing companies and high-end luxury brands frequently collaborate with manufacturers  in countries such as India, Bangladesh, China and Vietnam (McCosker, 2023). However, this practice often gives rise to unethical supply chain issues...
	Consumer attitudes towards unsustainable working conditions are changing, and companies risk falling behind and losing some of their customers if they do not embrace this shift. A growing number of people are interested in craft and design, especially...
	Higher unemployment rates for ethnic minority women in London
	London has a higher unemployment rate for women from ethnic minority backgrounds. Women from BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) backgrounds experience an unemployment rate of 8.1% compared to a rate of 3.3% for women from a white ethnic group (D...
	Exploitation of South Asian artisans under invisible global supply chains
	The term ‘invisible’ is used as a metaphor for how supply chains are not transparent to consumers and the public. Pledging to stop violating workers’ rights and making that happen are two different things in the fashion industry. The same brands that ...
	With this research context in mind, the project presented in this paper aimed to develop and test a collaborative training framework for social enterprises wanting to upskill marginalised South Asian women and support their employment within the fashi...
	To meet this aim, the following objectives were set out:
	- To critically review theories and practices of social enterprises training disadvantaged women;
	- To conduct co-creation workshops in order to elicit issues related to training/upskilling artisans/workers as well as opportunities for upcycling surplus fabrics;
	- To develop a collaborative training framework and test it within the context of a home decor  social enterprise.
	Literature review
	Today’s fast-paced mass market and globalised fashion industry have given rise to complex and unfair supply chains that are filled with labour infractions — ranging from low pay and overwork to dangerous working conditions, exploitation of child labou...
	The UK’s fashion sector has experienced significant growth, with retail sales of apparel quadrupling between 1998 and 2018, reaching £60 billion (Fashion Revolution, 2022). British brands and retailers must adopt more sustainable and responsible pract...
	Transparency allows workers, labour unions, human rights organisations and others the ability to quickly notify clothing brands of labour violations occurring in the factories that are supplying them, allowing them the option to react, halt and resolv...
	Moreover, the fashion industry's complex and constantly changing global network of manufacturers poses significant challenges that cannot be tackled by any single entity alone (Kent, 2020). Despite public demands for stricter guidelines and companies’...
	Everlane and other direct-to-consumer businesses have demonstrated how transparent pricing and suppliers may attract customers, but this business model has not yet been adopted by the majority of the industry (Kent, 2019). Manufacturers and sourcing p...
	To tackle some of the above-mentioned challenges, designers are increasingly engaging in social innovation processes, acting as agents of change and collaborating with communities and other stakeholders to co-create services, strategies and systems (M...
	With these sustainability challenges in mind, the research presented in this paper focused on London, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK, whose fashion and textile industry is affected by social inequalities and limited access to good...
	To understand these challenges and identify opportunities for empowering marginalised women, two case studies were conducted by reviewing business reports. Images 1 and 2 synthesise the findings from the case studies on Making for Change and Sewing Fr...
	Image 1: Case study on Making for Change.
	Image 2: Case study on Sewing Friendship.
	Research methodology
	The research project presented in this paper had an emancipatory and exploratory purpose (Robson, 2002), as it aimed to create opportunities for disadvantaged South Asian women in the UK and to drive social change. Since limited research exists on ups...
	Four semi-structured interviews were conducted via MS Teams with industry professionals with in-depth knowledge relevant to the research subjects, as summarised in Table 1.
	Table 1: Industry professional  participants.
	The researcher and first author of this paper also facilitated co-creation workshops over two days in collaboration with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association (EGNA), a charity organisation based in Southampton, UK. Nepali women with no prior sewi...
	At the end of the workshop series, a focus group was conducted with the participating women, who shared their insights on the effectiveness, challenges and benefits of the training programme being developed. The focus group played a crucial role in te...
	Findings
	The analysis of the data collected through the semi-structured interviews revealed five main themes and corresponding sub-themes, as depicted in image 3.
	Image 3: Themes and sub-themes emerging from the analysis of the data collected through interviews.
	Collaboration
	Collaboration was a concept consistently emphasised by all four social entrepreneurs; in fact, the word ‘collaboration’ was mentioned 36 times in the interviews. Three participants highlighted the additional benefits gained through collaborating with ...
	The participants referred to the concept of collaboration in terms of partnership projects, co-creation, community and innovation. Two participants mentioned that their collaborative approach involves disadvantaged women in product co-creation. Partic...
	“We explored issues that we like to talk about and visuals that are connected to that. So, we have  a lot of nice feminist mornings talking about things. And then, through that, they developed symbols, letters, writings and visuals, which they embroid...
	The collaborations aided three of the participants in forming a community of disadvantaged women who play a crucial role in their businesses. The interview findings revealed the feasibility of collaborating with multiple stakeholders simultaneously. S...
	Participant recruitment and engagement
	The analysis of the interviews revealed that social entrepreneurs delivering training programmes and engaging in co-creation processes face challenges in recruiting and engaging with participants and need to tailor their offer to the skillset of the p...
	“Because those are disengaged at that point, just let them go, but engage other people who are committed. They will gain value from it and will use it to their own advantage. I say that because, anytime something is communicated as free, and if they f...
	The interviewees emphasised the importance of having a structured training programme with engaging and desirable spaces, moving away from mundane classroom settings. Effective communication and providing incentives can also foster participant commitme...
	Structure of training programmes
	The analysis of the data collected via the interviews contributed to understanding how social entrepreneurs structure their training programmes and identifying various methods used by relevant organisations, along with their respective advantages and ...
	“Our approach mainly entails delivering contract-based activities. […] If it was possible, I think we would always just settle for and work only with grants. Grants that don’t put additional layers of contractual obligations. That would be our preferr...
	As stated by Participant 2, a community interest company needs to have a social purpose to receive funding from larger organisations to support skills training workshops for women and community members.  A bilateral working model was described by Part...
	“If you think of it in terms of a diagram, it would be me directly interacting with all the artisans who  I work with and doing workshops in the village where I work. I meet everybody, and we sit together. And there is a bilateral dialogue or communic...
	Participant 4 highlighted the fact that the social enterprise model offers training programmes and industry-recognised credentials through their collaboration with a university. This model also enables women to apply for jobs and secure employment in ...
	“We have many parts of Making for Change, working with the community, working with the prisons and also our manufacturing unit here at Poplar Works and at HMP Downview, which is the women's prison. We take commercial orders, we manufacture for designe...
	The different approaches to collaborative training programmes, as shown in Table 2, provided valuable insights into effective practices and potential pitfalls. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages; understanding these aspects is crucial for...
	Table 2: Summary of findings from the interviews, which informed the development of the framework and the design of the structure of the co-creation workshop series.
	Challenges and opportunities
	The interviewees mentioned ‘challenges’ 23 times in the interviews. The data analysis contributed to understanding the challenges faced while delivering training programmes and collaborative projects. Amongst the common issues faced during skills trai...
	“With larger organisations, sometimes there is a danger of their agendas being quite different. What are their motivations? Is it just for corporate social responsibility? Why are they doing those things? I find that particularly difficult to navigate...
	Skills training programme
	The analysis of the data collected contributed also to understanding the concept of ‘training programme’, which was mentioned 14 times in the interviews and was further categorised into sub-themes: training programme highlights, the future of collabor...
	“Go and speak with the individuals you want to work with, find out from them what they really want to do, and why. […] If you don’t ‘parachute’ something into a community or try and impose something on someone, and if they feel like there’s some owner...
	Understanding customer preferences is crucial in every business, and in this context, Participant 1’s statement emphasises the importance of comprehending what people aim to achieve in a co-creation workshop series. The goal is to foster a sense of sh...
	Moreover, the interviewees confirmed the knowledge gap identified in the literature review. Participant  4 highlighted a severe shortage of skilled machinists in UK fashion manufacturing, partly due to Brexit impacting the workforce, as many workers w...
	“There is a real shortage of skilled machinists in the UK fashion and textiles industry. That’s something that we want to try and change. […] We think it will also benefit the industry because we are basically able to supply it with people who’ve got ...
	Feedback on co-creation workshops
	A series of workshops was conducted in collaboration with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association (EGNA), which provides machine sewing and upcycling training to disadvantaged Nepali women in Southampton, UK (Image 4).
	Image 4: Facilitation of a co-creation workshop.
	The lead researcher and first author of this paper facilitated the workshops, providing references to support the creative process, while the participating South Asian women had the freedom to choose their fabrics, colours and designs. These workshops...
	Image 5: Participants showing their upcycled products at the end of the workshop series.
	The focus group with the participants contributed to validating and finalising the collaborative training framework developed to upskill marginalised South Asian women in the UK and create home decor products. The thematic analysis of the data collect...
	Collaborative training framework
	The developed framework addresses the knowledge gap identified through a literature review and confirmed by the industry professionals interviewed for the research presented in this paper. The framework underwent testing through co-creation workshops ...
	Inspired by the concept of jigsaw puzzles, the framework – as illustrated in image 6 – is divided into  two phases. The first one represents the three key stakeholders in the fashion industry. In Phase 2, the pieces come together to complete the puzzl...
	Image 6: Collaborative training framework.
	The accompanying guidebook (image 7) offers further details on implementing the framework into  practical training programmes and outlines potential developments for Phase 3, which users can adapt  to their needs.
	Image 7: Guidebook.
	Conclusions
	This paper discussed a research project which made a theoretical and practical contribution to the field of social innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of the UK fashion industry. The project contributed to the development of an original col...
	Although the research presented in this paper made a valuable original contribution to knowledge, several limitations were faced throughout the project. Despite efforts to collaborate with various organisations and local councils, specific participant...
	These limitations highlight areas for potential future research and improvement of the proposed framework. We acknowledge that the framework is in its early stages and requires additional analysis through testing with other established social enterpri...
	References
	Fashion Revolution. (2022). Fashion transparency index 2022. https://issuu.com/fashionrevolution/docs/fti_2022
	Kent, S. (2019, May 2). Why fashion doesn’t pay fair. The Business of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/y7puaxsx
	Kent, S. (2020, July 23). Fashion says it can police its supply chain. So why are there so many scandals? The Business  of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/mrn7k7cm
	Kent, S. (2021a, July 13). Brands face new pressure on labour rights. The Business of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/mnu7x39y
	Kent, S. (2021b, March 23). Fashion is still failing on workers’ rights. The Business of Fashion. https://tinyurl.com/ysyvffp3
	Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2005). Participatory action research: Communicative action and the public sphere.  Sage Publications.
	Lewis, M. (2021). Breaking point - Wage theft, violence and excessive workloads are pushing garment workers to breaking point during the pandemic. Clean Clothes Campaign. https://cleanclothes.org/breakingpoint
	Mazzarella, F., May, A., & Mitchell, V. (2021). A methodological framework for crafting situated services. Journal  of Service Management, 32(5), 752–782.
	Mazzarella, F., & Black, S. (2023). Fashioning change: Fashion activism and its outcomes on local communities. Fashion Practice, 15(2), 230–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/17569370.2022.2095729
	Mays, N., & Pope, C. (1995). Rigour and qualitative research. BMJ Pub. Group.
	Meroni, A., & Selloni, D. (2018). Design for social innovators. In S. Walker, M. Evans, T. Cassidy, J. Jung, & A. Twigger Holroyd (Eds.), Design roots: Culturally significant designs, products, and practices (pp. 305–318). Bloomsbury. https://doi.org/...
	McCosker, J. (2023) The impact of fast fashion on garment workers. Good On You. https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/
	Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
	Muller, D. (2020). Out of the shadows: A spotlight on exploitation in the fashion industry. Clean Clothes Campaign. https://tinyurl.com/4v5vtjek
	Murray, R., Caulier-Grice, J., & Mulgan, G. (2010). The open book of social innovation. NESTA.
	Mutero, I., Mchunu, K. and Govender, I. (2021). Sewing friendship: Increasing inclusivity through creating shared social spaces for migrant and local populations in Durban. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (CriSTaL), 9(1), 1-18.https://www.cr...
	Robledo, P., & Triebich, M. (2020). Position paper on transparency. Clean Clothes Campaign. https://tinyurl.com/yfnv2v3w
	Robson, C. (2002). Real world research. Blackwell Publishing.
	Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A., (2019). Research methods for business students. (8th ed). Pearson Education.
	Saunders, M., & Tosey, P. (2013). The layers of research design. Rapport, (Winter), 58–59. https://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy109/resources/layers.pdf
	Selloni, D., & Corubolo, M. (2017). Design for social enterprises: How design thinking can support social innovation within social enterprises. The Design Journal, 20(6), 775–794. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1372931
	Strauss, A. L., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and Techniques.  Sage Publications.
	TUC. (2021, February 27). TUC: BME unemployment is rising twice as fast as white workers during pandemic. https://tinyurl.com/h8twr4x3

