PRESS RELEASE: Fashion Roundtable Hosts Meeting With Parliamentary Labour Party About The Impacts Of Brexit And Poor Policy On British Fashion
Image shows meeting in progress.
PRESS RELEASE
STEPS TO STOP The Death Of The British Fashion Industry: Industry Leaders Met With The Parliamentary Labour Party To Discuss The Impacts Of Brexit And Poor Policy On British Fashion
Topic: From Designers to Distribution, How Can Labour Support the Fashion Industry?
London, 23rd May 2023 // PRESS RELEASE
On the 17th May 2023, Fashion Roundtable, along with Shadow Minister Stephanie Peacock MP, hosted a meeting with the Parliamentary Labour Party where industry leaders outlined the dire need for urgent action for the British fashion sector, which was at one time the fastest growing creative industry in the United Kingdom.
Chaired by Fashion Roundtable’s CEO, Tamara Cincik, speakers included Stephanie Peacock MP; Kate Hills, CEO, Make It British; Alexander Wills, Founder and Director, Fashion Formula; Julian Vogel, CEO, ModusBPCM; John Horner, CEO Models 1, Chair BFMA; Carson McColl, Co-founder, Hard + Shiny and Creative Director, Gareth Pugh Studio; Karen Binns, Fashion Director, Fashion Roundtable; Professor Dilys Williams, Head of Centre for Sustainable Fashion, UAL.
The meeting gave an overview of the current landscape for UK-based manufacturers and the key challenges and proposed solutions to support the sector to lead on sustainability, social justice, increased social mobility for working-class children, and increased revenue for UK GDP. The UK is not currently on the forefront of legislation coming out of the EU and needs to be more aligned and active with developments to enable the sector to operate in a global market.
Tamara Cincik, CEO, Fashion Roundtable said: “Fashion is core to culture and business, as the largest of the creative industries, it was the fastest growing sector until recently and a massive employer. UK talent leads in work across sustainability, social impact and digital initiatives, but it needs support from the government if it is to thrive and not drive our talent to relocate due to a combination of a lack of support, overwhelming red tape and critical underinvestment. That is why a meeting attended by Stephanie Peacock MP, Shadow Culture Minister, was so important for stakeholders to communicate their frustrations and outline key priorities and ambitions to drive opportunities for the UK at this critical time in the build up to a General Election.”
Shadow Minister, Stephanie Peacock MP said: “The fashion industry contributes tens of billions of pounds to the UK economy, from mainly small and medium sized businesses across the country. I am thankful to all the experts who joined the Labour Party and myself in Parliament to discuss the industry at our roundtable. It was great to hear directly from them and learn about what the industry needs to thrive in the UK.”
Points To Note:
Market Competition
Stakeholders confirmed that brands and manufacturers are finding it difficult to retain market share and remain competitive when many other brands offer cheaper prices due to producing lesser quality items, made under different factory conditions. There is vast competition from suppliers, brands and retailers who are not abiding by UK standards which Professor Dilys Williams, attributed as a ‘licence to do harm’.
Employment, Skills, Retention, Training, Education
Due to Brexit and a lack of EU-skilled workers willing or able to work in the UK, the sector is unable to meet the level of employment required. UK residents do not have the skills or desire to work in a factory/supply chain and retaining skilled workers is very difficult. Kate Hills, CEO of Make It British, offered that while the UK does have world class universities that are creating hundreds of designers, there are not enough people who want to work in roles such as factories, machinists, product development etc.
Freedom Of Movement
All stakeholders agreed that the industry is now in a far worse position compared to the sector’s EU counterparts. Due to Brexit and visa requirements people are unable to work in the EU at short notice, which is a particularly difficult situation for freelance creatives, and especially for models who need to be physically in the place of proposed work before being booked. Julian Vogel, CEO of communications behemoth ModusBPCM stressed that the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated system for registering travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries each time, will only exacerbate the situation.
The industry also relies heavily on transporting samples for press, model fittings and production. Particularly new/smaller designers are finding it extremely challenging to operate and know how to enable their business to function in relation to this specific issue. Stakeholders were in agreement that it is now extremely difficult to import and export goods and components from other countries due to red tape and increased cost and timelines.
Funding And Investment
Overseas (EU) countries are given substantial funding to help promote their businesses internationally and this support does not happen in the UK. As the market has become more challenging brands who operate internationally are deciding to not invest in the UK as much as previous years. This is because their investment is based on sales in the local market. With the cost-of-living crisis and lack of overseas visitors, due to the VAT Retail Export Scheme, the UK is being overlooked and places such as Paris are now being chosen to open Flagship stores, leaving the UK lagging behind to create a competitive market place.
Notes to Editors:
Stephanie Peacock is the Shadow Minister for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure.
The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is the parliamentary group of the Labour Party in Parliament.
Fashion Roundtable is the only think tank dedicated to reimagining a creative and responsible fashion industry.
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