Editing East Midlands (section)

===Textiles and clothing===
{{See also|List of current and defunct clothing & footwear stores in the United Kingdom}}
The fashion company [[Paul Smith (fashion designer)|Paul Smith]] is in Lenton. The high end metallic thread supplier [[Lurex]] is based in [[Whetstone, Leicestershire]]. The lingerie companies [[Gossard]], [[Aristoc]], [[Pretty Polly (hosiery)|Pretty Polly]], and [[Berlei]] (formerly owned by [[Courtaulds]], now CUK Clothing) were based in [[Daybrook]]; most of their hosiery was made at West Mill in [[Belper]].

[[Speedo International Limited]] is on the [[ng2 business park]] on Queens Drive (near Experian, formerly in [[Bobbers Mill]] on the [[A610 road|A610]] near [[Basford, Nottingham|Basford]] before 2010). Its [[LZR Racer]] suit helped [[Michael Phelps]] win eight golds at the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympics]]. In Enderby, on the B582 close to the M69 and a large electricity substation, is [[Next (clothing)|Next]], created by [[George Davies (retailer)|George Davies]] in 1981, which is the largest company in the region (and the Midlands) by number of employees with 59,000, and has the second largest turnover (£3&nbsp;billion) of companies headquartered in the region, after Boots (£6&nbsp;billion).{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

[[File:Next - geograph.org.uk - 491690.jpg|thumb|left|Headquarters of Next Retailing in July 2007 at Enderby, next to the M69; the largest company by turnover in the Midlands]]
[[Boden (clothing)]] is on the Meridian estate in Leicester. [[Wolsey (clothing)]] is off the A563 in the northeast of Leicester, east of [[Rushey Mead]]. Scott Nichol make traditional socks in Hinckley. [[Per Una]] have a factory near Cossington and the A46/A607 junction. Much of Britain's lingerie and hosiery is made in the region. Guilford Europe (former Guilford Kapwood), at Somercotes, makes fabric ([[warp knitting]]) for sports clothing and automotive products, and have been owned by [[Lear Corporation]] since 2012.

Many footwear companies such as [[Shoe Zone]] (which bought out Stead and Simpson), are based in Leicester. [[Brantano Footwear|Brantano Footwear UK]], based in Leicester before 2002, were in [[Ellistown and Battleflat]] until March 2017, just south of [[Coalville]] near M1 junction 22, nearby to [[Nestlé]]'s national distribution centre. [[Loake]] make shoes at Kettering, and have a Royal appointment. [[Church's|Church's Shoes]] are at Northampton and are also high quality.{{according to whom|date=February 2024}} [[Tricker's]] shoes in Northampton have a royal warrant. [[Sanders & Sanders]] and [[Grenson]] make shoes in Rushden. [[Crockett & Jones]] make shoes in the northeast of Northampton, towards Abington. The [[BLC Leather Technology Centre]] is in Moulton and [[SATRA]], in west Kettering, both conduct footwear research. Aspex make sports sunglasses in Moulton, near [[Moulton College]].

[[File:Telegraph Poles, Boston - geograph.org.uk - 1206673.jpg|thumb|left|[[Calders & Grandidge]] in the south of Boston are the UK's largest supplier of [[Utility pole|telegraph pole]]s and wooden [[Railroad tie|railway sleeper]]s]]
[[Sports Direct]] is based in [[Shirebrook]] on an old [[Bolsover]] coal mine. At the Trent Business Centre is [[Sunspel]], who introduced the [[t-shirt]] to the British market; nearby Meadowmead make premium furniture off the B6540, and [[Aga Rangemaster Group]] make kitchen [[sinks]]. Duresta Upholstery is in Long Eaton, with a factory of [[DFS (British retailer)|DFS]] opposite. W&G Sissons on the Chesterfield Est, now owned by [[Franke (company)|Franke]], has been the UK's largest manufacturer of stainless steel sinks since the 1950s. [[Parker Knoll]] make high-end furniture off the B6016 on the Greenhill Industrial Estate, south of Alfreton. [[Gunn & Moore]] (GM), off the A612 north of Trent Bridge cricket ground, is an exclusive [[cricket bat]] manufacturer.

[[File:Lea Bridge - John Smedley Mill - Factory Shop.jpg|thumb|right|John Smedley factory at Lea Mills: the oldest continuously working factory in the world]]
[[Wild Country (company)|Wild Country]], on the [[Tideswell]] Industrial Estate off the B6049, are the UK's leading manufacturer of [[rock-climbing equipment]]. [[Blacks Leisure Group]] (previous owner of Blacks and [[Millets (retailer)|Millets]] before financial failure and takeover by [[JD Sports]]) was based in [[Duston]], in the west of Northampton, and is now off the A45 in the east of the town on the Swan Valley Ind Est, near the UK & Ireland base of [[Levi Strauss & Co.]] Joules [[British country clothing|country clothing]] is on the [[A4304 road|A4304]], east of Market Harborough at The Point near the A6 roundabout and the Northamptonshire boundary at [[Dingley, Northamptonshire|Dingley]].

[[George at Asda]], based at Lutterworth, in 2009 overtook M&S to become Britain's leading fashion retailer. [[TW Kempton]] are a main manufacturer of uniforms for the armed and police services opposite the National Space Centre on the A6 in north Leicester; they also own the Fortis body armour brand and make [[Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops|PASGT]] nylon fibre helmets for troops.