Small Business Stories: Unpicked Seams By Ethan Leyland

The fashion industry has long been guilty of gatekeeping – whether through sky-high tuition costs, exclusive internships, or the unspoken rule that only those with money can truly participate. But for Liverpool-born designer Ethan Leyland (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), that system is precisely what he’s trying to unpick.

His new start-up, Unpicked Seams (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), is a creative brand built with working-class students and makers in mind. It offers affordable design kits and accessible tools, the kind that make fashion school – or simply hemming your jeans at home – less daunting and more democratic.

Below, Ethan joins The Learner Platform to talk about the disparity in fashion education, the challenges of starting a self-funded business, and why building creative hubs beyond London matters more than ever.