Press Release: Fashion Roundtable release Brexit: The Impact on the Fashion Industry report
Fashion Industry calls for post-Brexit support
London, Thursday 6th May 2021
Fashion Roundtable release Brexit: The Impact on the Fashion Industry report with key recommendations to support the fashion industry to survive and thrive post Brexit
Following on from Fashion Roundtable’s 2018 Brexit and the Fashion Industry paper and #Don't Make Fashion History campaign, we have collated key data and insights to share the most recent impact assessment from the current state of the UK-EU trade deal on the fashion, textiles and fashion retail industry. These insights have been used to form key recommendations, which if the Government could implement would enable the fashion industry to support businesses to not only survive but thrive post-Brexit.
Industry Engagement and Survey
To inform the Brexit: The Impact on the Fashion Industry report, Fashion Roundtable engaged industry leaders and business owners with a snap survey on Brexit and the Impact on the Fashion Industry over 2 weeks in January - February 2021.
Principle Results
59% say Brexit has impacted their business since the end of the transition
77% said they expect to be affected post-lockdown
25% said they have considered relocating all or part of their businesses
15% said they might consider relocating all or part of their businesses
91% say they want a visa that allows creative access to EU countries cheaply and quickly
39% said if offered tax relief they would be more likely to localise manufacturing
39% saying they might consider onshoring
Recommendations
Below are 11 key recommendations to the Government that would enable the fashion industry to support businesses to not only survive but thrive post-Brexit.
Add garment workers to the Shortage Occupation List for Visas
Reinstate the VAT Retail Export Scheme and extend to EU visitors
Reconsider visa requirements for fashion creatives
Close the gap on problems surrounding the rules of origin
Subsidise or scrap ATA carnets for travelling creatives
Begin the Craft and Design T-Level course in September 2021
Establish clarity on the issue of unregistered design rights
Incentivise onshoring with tax relief for those brands who manufacture in the UK, as the UK film industry currently enjoys
Secure a cabotage exemption for the creative and cultural sector – similar to the one that enables the Formula 1 industry to move large amounts of equipment across borders easily
Equal support for the fashion industry for exports to the EU as enjoyed by the fishing industry with their £23m package for a 12,000 workforce generating £1.4bn GVA, versus £2,000 grants available for all of the UK’s 617,600 SMEs
Build a robust IP framework into all trade deals
Catherine West MP, Chair of the APPG for Ethics & Sustainability in Fashion: “The Government’s levelling up agenda post-Brexit must include an absolute commitment to safeguarding and expanding workers’ rights, particularly for workers at the bottom of the supply chain. Over several months, the APPG for Ethics & Sustainability in Fashion has learned of the exploitative working practices in the UK’s £35bn fashion industry, that primarily harms women from BAME backgrounds. I am pleased to hear of significant improvements being made by some UK brands to curb exploitation in factories and hope that this sends a signal to brands that fashion should not come at the cost of the workers that make our clothes.”
Eden Loweth, Creative Director Art School: “This important paper highlighting and dissecting the impact of Brexit to our industry is a vital next step in recommending and realising real and important change within government policy. The effects of Brexit to emerging and small businesses like myself has been huge; Fashion Roundtable’s dynamic and fast response in highlighting these issues once again shows how important their work is to our industry.”
Nick Knight OBE, Photographer and CEO of SHOWstudio: “It is my experience that this government have absolutely no understanding of the fashion industry, even though it supports so many people in Britain and is an industry that if properly supported could be crucial to help fuel the country’s recovery from this awful pandemic and the resulting lockdowns.”
Tamara Cincik, Founder and CEO at Fashion Roundtable: “The UK’s fashion and textiles industry deserves to be understood and valued at this critical time. Our brands lead in innovation, sustainability and creativity, while our fashion retailers outlets are frequently the successful entry point for global brands into Europe. But for us to build back better we need more support, more a redressing of the issues such as the Shortage Occupation List, where we call on the Government to add garment workers to the list to support the greater demand for on-shoring until the necessary T-Levels are rolled out and the ending of the VAT Retail Export Scheme, if we are to attract the tourist consumer to the UK post pandemic.”
Notes to Editors
Brexit and the Impact on the Fashion Industry 2018 report
Don't Make Fashion History Campaign
Following an industry-wide meeting held on Wednesday 20th January 2021, coordinated by Fashion Roundtable, the industry highlighted the key issues, impacts and unforeseen consequences of Brexit in an Open Letter to the Government. Throughout January and February we continued to raise awareness for the sector with our Don't Make Fashion History campaign. The aim of the campaign was to secure a ministerial meeting to discuss the impact of Brexit on the fashion industry and find solutions so we can enable the industry to survive and thrive. Yesterday we hosted an informal roundtable via the APPG for Textiles and Fashion with Paul Scully MP, Minister for Small Business where he answered 13 questions from stakeholders.
Our open letter received cross-party parliamentary support, with signatories including: Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey, John McNally MP, Martyn Docherty-Hughes MP, Lord Cashman CBE, Lord Foster of Bath, Earl of Clancarty, Baroness Bonham-Carter and Lord Taylor of Warwick. The letter also gained industry leaders’ support across manufacturing, retail, modelling, creative business, education, brands and journalism. Signatories including John Horner CEO of Models 1, Jenny Holloway CEO of Fashion Enter, Kate Hills CEO of Make It British, Patrick Grant CEO of E. Tautz, Helen Brocklebank CEO of Walpole, Alistair Knox Chair of ASBCI, Jess McGuire-Dudley Design Director of John Smedley, Caroline Issa CEO of Tank Media Group, Jefferson Hack CEO of Dazed Media Group, Sarah Mower MBE, Nick Knight OBE CEO of SHOWstudio, Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, Dame Twiggy Lawson DBE, Yasmin Le Bon, and Katherine Hamnett CBE.
Fashion Roundtable is the only organisation that sits between the fashion industry and policy leaders; Front Row to Front Bench
We are secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion with members including Dr Lisa Cameron MP.
Fashion Roundtable are also the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, co-chaired by Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey and Catherine West MP.
Fashion Roundtable’s Founder and CEO Tamara Cincik, has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and since launching Fashion Roundtable, has spoken publicly on Fashion and Politics with a range of high-profile business press including SKY TV, BBC, New York Times, Stern, Liberation, WWD, The Telegraph, FT, Sunday Times, Vogue Business and Business of Fashion.
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