London Fashion Week: Cultural Contribution
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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Rosie Wrighting (Kettering) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the cultural contribution of London Fashion Week.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I am honoured to have secured this debate on the cultural contribution of London Fashion Week, which begins on Thursday. This is an industry and a week with a buzz that is almost indescribable, but in this speech I will do my best to put it into words. About now, across our country and capital, designers and creative directors are reviewing their collections for the final time. Stylists are curating every detail. Make-up artists are checking and rechecking their kits. Streetwear creators are planning their content grids. Production teams are transforming venues across this city into extraordinary stages.
For many of us, fashion is a career driven not just by ambition but by a deep love of the industry and a passion for creativity. When I was 16 fashion was, as it is for many young people, a form of self-expression while I was still trying to figure out who I was, so I was thrilled when I got my first insight into the industry when I was offered a part-time job at Topshop on Kettering’s High Street. I am sure I need not remind colleagues that in 2013 Topshop was quite the brand. It represented a connection to global trends, creativity and culture that felt far away from my day-to-day life in Kettering. I loved watching trends trickle down from the catwalk to the high street and spotting that one piece of the season finally landing in Kettering after seeing it online weeks before. It was in those moments that I realised I did not want to be just on the shop floor, looking at the clothes; I wanted to be part of the world that created them.
Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this really important debate. Lynne Franks is a good friend of mine and a constituent, and she is also the creator of London Fashion Week. However, her impact does not end there. It is global, but also local. She is the founder of the SEED Hub in Wincanton, which provides a space for female entrepreneurs in the area. Will the hon. Member join me in congratulating Lynne Franks on her amazing career in the fashion industry? Does she agree that we must invest in arts education, ensuring that courses are well funded and apprenticeships are available, so that the UK can maintain its global creative and fashion hub?
Rosie Wrighting
Yes, absolutely. I join the hon. Member in congratulating Lynne Franks on her incredible career. The hon. Member is right, and later I will go into more detail on how important it is that we invest in the next generation of creatives across the country, not just in our capital.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this debate forward. Although I am not extremely up to date on fashion—I am probably not a “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion”, as the song goes; my wife knows that for definite—I can certainly appreciate the opportunities that it brings for young people across the UK. A young lady from Northern Ireland whose name is Hope Macaulay has founded her own brand, Hope Macaulay knitwear. She showed her graduate collection at London’s Graduate Fashion Week and in London Fashion Week as well. Does the hon. Lady agree that, along with offering culture, London Fashion Week can offer young aspiring designers real opportunities to get their products on show to support and boost their careers? That is what it does for some of the people in Northern Ireland. I believe it does the same for people across this great United Kingdom—for people in Great Britain as well.
Rosie Wrighting
I absolutely agree. Stories of the careers of graduates who have gone on to be influential designers come from all across the UK. We need to ensure that young people potentially watching this debate now are seeing fashion as a future career and feel as though there are steps they can take and there is a vibrant career ahead of them, so I thank the hon. Member for that intervention.
I grew up with my fair share of challenges, but the thought of a career in fashion gave me drive and determination that shaped the rest of my life. The belief that creativity can be a path forward is something that London Fashion Week represents to me and to thousands of young people across the country, who see their opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
The talent at London Fashion Week is unmatched and embodies the best of Britain—our creativity, diversity and resilience, which comes from every corner of the UK. Take the story of Lee McQueen, the son of a taxi driver and a teaching assistant who became one of the most influential designers the world has ever seen. Lee’s path into fashion was not paved with privilege; he fought his way in. The story goes that he turned up, portfolio in hand, and quite literally knocked on the door of Central Saint Martins, asking for a place on its MA course. At first he was turned away, but his work spoke for itself and he was eventually given a chance.
That image—of a young designer knocking on a door and refusing to be invisible—captures something vital about London Fashion Week and the British fashion industry. It is a space where raw talent, determination and creativity can break through. Lee McQueen—Alexander McQueen—created collections that were provocative, political and deeply emotional, blending his working-class roots with British history and culture.
Fashion was accessible to me when I was growing up in Kettering and it was accessible to Lee when he banged on that door. But it worries me that there are potentially young people today who cannot force their way into fashion in quite the way that Lee did.
Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend for giving way and for securing this debate, and I congratulate her on being one of the best-dressed Members of Parliament. [Laughter.]
My constituency of Stratford and Bow is home to so much art and fashion in London, from Hackney Wick to Fish Island, where we have a fashion show this weekend at The Trampery. And in the Olympic Park, we have the incredible London College of Fashion, which is training up the next generation of students and fashion creators. However, both the teachers and students there have told me that although the fashion industry is a massive force for growth and opportunity, its current practices are an existential threat to its future, because they are prohibiting people from becoming involved in the industry. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is more important than ever that we keep fashion accessible, and that the UK’s world-leading fashion sector prioritises circularity and sustainability in the heart of everything it does? And if she does agree, would she ask the Government to consider those points, too?
Rosie Wrighting
I thank my hon. Friend, both for her intervention and for how much she champions the fashion industry and the creatives in her constituency. East London is a massive part of Fashion Week and she is a great champion of it. And I absolutely agree with her intervention, particularly on the importance of circularity and sustainability. Fashion must move very quickly, given the challenges facing the UK and the world, and it is right that it is supported in that regard.
We must ensure that fashion remains a viable career for young people, particularly those from outside London and from working-class communities. That means making it easier for designers and brands to scale up their businesses without being forced to sell early or relocate abroad. It also means providing stronger financial education and mentoring for young creatives, so that talent is matched with tools to build sustainable businesses. It also means tackling unfair payment practices, because too many freelancers, small brands and small suppliers have to wait months to be paid, making it impossible for them to grow, or sometimes even survive.
We know that talent survives when it is supported. This year is the 25th anniversary of Fashion East, ERDEM and Roxana.
Afzal Khan (Manchester Rusholme) (Lab)
My hon. Friend is making an excellent case for London Fashion Week; I agree with everything she has said. I am very pleased to note that last week Manchester Fashion Week returned after a decade’s break, showcasing our city’s talent, sustainable practices and rich textile heritage. Does she agree that we should do more to celebrate innovation in fashion across the UK?
Rosie Wrighting
Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. I know from my own career that Manchester’s influence on British fashion has increased massively over the last decade. It is right that creatives up there—I know there are many who study at Manchester Metropolitan University on its fashion courses—are supported, so that we harness talent from across our country. So, I thank him for that intervention.
From Vivienne Westwood to John Galliano, Aaron Esh and Simone Rocha, from Savile Row to the rise of grime and contemporary streetwear, fashion in Britain crosses into art, theatre, subculture and politics. If we do not tackle the current challenges, we risk losing some of the very talent that makes Britain a leading name in international fashion.
The British Fashion Council’s work is crucial in that space. London Fashion Week keeps the door open for new voices, providing a shared space, mentoring and practical support for new-gen designers. For many designers, such as Christopher Kane and JW Anderson, who are now some of the biggest names in the industry, it serves as a launchpad. The British Fashion Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport support their talent to grow into a business, helping so many designers get their first break here in the UK.
I could not talk about the British Fashion Council without mentioning decisions made by the new chief executive Laura Weir, who is here in the Gallery today, to scrap fees, levelling the playing field for independent designers and small brands that had been priced out of participating in recent years. Her choice to extend the NEWGEN programme for three years and expand scholarship funding and mentoring for fashion students will directly benefit children who grew up in situations such as mine.
These changes will undoubtedly support working-class creatives in this space, but they will also influence an industry that is fundamentally better off when there are working-class voices within it. A wide variety of voices have made fashion week what it is: an opportunity to bring together different cultures and lived experiences, especially in a week in which London has faced division on our streets. London Fashion Week shows off British values, culture and inclusivity at their best. At a time like this, that should be celebrated.
Fashion has a responsibility to make creativity sustainable. Designers are experimenting with recycled fabrics, circularity, digital presentation and harnessing some of the benefits of artificial intelligence. The result is innovation that is cultural as well as technical. London Fashion Week is an opportunity for Britain to lead not just in fashion but in cultural responsibility. It is also a vital commercial engine for British fashion. It enables emerging and established SME brands to showcase new lines and collections to domestic and international retail buyers.
The cultural and creative industries are rightly recognised in the Government’s industrial strategy as one of this country’s greatest strengths. Over the last decade, the sector has grown one and a half times faster than the wider economy. Within that, fashion makes enormous contributions, adding more than £60 billion to the economy each year and supporting nearly 900,000 jobs. London Fashion Week is a clear example of how British creativity translates into growth, skills exports and cultural influence that is recognised across the world.
In praising that work, we must acknowledge the challenges that the sector continues to face. The pandemic exposed how precarious many creative careers are, and the worsening barriers to entry that risk narrowing the pipeline of talent that London Fashion Week relies on. I have spoken to friends and colleagues in the industry who feel deeply the uncertainty and fear of being priced out of a sector that they love. I am standing here today —in my first Westminster Hall debate and the first ever debate on London Fashion Week in this place—because of the opportunities I had and the drive and determination I learnt from working in fashion.
I admit that—against the advice of my staff—I sometimes read the comments on my Twitter page. Almost every day I see negativity about my background in fashion, as if it somehow makes me less accomplished or less intelligent, but I can tell you that those who thrive in fashion are some of the most resilient, resourceful and driven people I know. It is a career that demands creativity, initiative, quick thinking, a thick skin and intellect. The industry of pattern cutters, make-up artists, buyers, designers, photographers, models, content creators, stylists, set designers and countless others brings so much to our country, often with little recognition.
London Fashion Week reflects who we are, and it shows the world that Britain is and will remain a nation of innovation, artistry and resilience. It cements Britain’s position as a global leader in fashion, and strengthens the UK’s soft power. It is a beacon for the very best of our creativity, craftmanship and bold innovation.
Daniel Francis (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) for securing this debate. I would like to highlight how adaptive fashion is being promoted at this year’s London Fashion Week.
Adaptive fashion enables people who have difficulties in dressing themselves, whether because of physical disabilities, limited mobility or chronic pain, to dress themselves comfortably and confidently. Clothing pieces are often equipped with additional functions such as zips, Velcro and magnetic fastenings, which can help with independent dressing while also providing discreet access for medical ports.
As the parent of a child with cerebral palsy, I know how important adaptive clothing is for someone with a physical disability and limited mobility. I pay tribute to fashion labels such as Unhidden, founded by Victoria Jenkins, that aim to make fashion accessible and inclusive for those with disabilities. Victoria’s new collection, which will be unveiled at this year’s London Fashion Week, will be modelled by individuals living with disabilities, chronic conditions or visible differences.
I applaud Victoria’s mission, but I am also aware of the need for adaptive clothing on the high street. I visited the Primark branch in Bexleyheath last year, where it was outlined to me how the company has launched an adaptive fashion range that was co-designed with Victoria and is available across 96 of its stores. It was refreshing to see a global brand such as Primark making clothing accessible, both physically and financially, for disabled people on the high street. Primark has joined other high street names, such as Asda and my former employer Marks & Spencer, which have adaptive clothing ranges for adults and children. I welcome the increase of adaptive fashion on the high street and in high-end fashion, but I am aware that more can still be done to ensure that it is not just a phenomenon, but easily accessible and available for every disabled person.
As a London MP, I welcome the impact that London Fashion Week has on the economy of our capital. I hope that in future years it will continue to use its role to promote adaptive clothing. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering once again for securing this valuable debate.
Gill German (Clwyd North) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) on bringing this debate to Westminster Hall. It is important, but it is also celebratory; I do not think we do enough of that in this House, so I am glad to see the subject debated today.
Our creative industries are central to driving growth. They are not only powerful economic drivers, but a source of huge cultural influence across the world, which is why they are at the heart of our industrial strategy. London Fashion Week exemplifies that impact. It provides a unique global stage for both established and emerging talent, showcasing British creativity to the world and reinforcing the UK’s position as a hub for innovation in fashion.
Welsh designers are very much a part of this creative story. As a Welsh MP, I am pleased to say that Welsh designers show that the UK’s creative excellence extends far beyond London. Across Wales, a vibrant tapestry of designers, artisans and makers are drawing inspiration from their rich cultural heritage, producing innovative works that resonate on both the national and the international stage. The impact of Welsh designers on British fashion over the years has been undeniable. Laura Ashley, whose designs were sported by Princess Diana, still holds a place in contemporary fashion. Ashley herself noted that she owed much of her success to the hard-working people of mid-Wales. Local women flocked to her Carno factory, making it the largest employer in north Powys. Her influence extended to her community, which is so important. The iconic Welsh designer David Emanuel, who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress, called Ashley an inspiration.
Wales has other designers who are well known across the world, such as Julien Macdonald, whose international client list includes Victoria Beckham and Beyoncé. New to the scene, we have Jayne Pierson, who is focusing on showcasing Welsh heritage to the world, having played a huge role in shaping the global fashion scene. I have not mentioned these people just to boast about the cultural and economic impacts that Wales has had across the world. What is more pertinent is the hope that young people, in Wales and beyond, gain when they see the success of our designers. They see that a creative career is not out of reach and that they too can make their mark.
In my constituency of Clwyd North, the transformative power of creativity is clear in businesses such as the Lost Sheep Company in Colwyn Bay. With the aim of championing Welsh wool, it has grown into a heritage crafts centre that blends creativity with community enterprise, and I was pleased to see its staff at No. 10 as part of the Prime Minister’s celebration of St David’s day. To champion wool, it takes Welsh products out into the world. That small business has an impact right at the heart of my community; it is a great example of how art, craft and tradition can come together to support rural economies, celebrate local identity and inspire new generations to embark on creative pathways. Baa Stool—pun intended—in Denbigh complements this creative ecosystem, providing tools and materials for local makers and craftspeople, and ensuring that people who are looking to pursue creative careers have access to the supplies, advice and community that they need, right on their doorstep.
The opportunities that London Fashion Week provides show what can be achieved when talent is given the right platform. If the same visibility and support were extended to creative hubs across the UK, including in Wales, we could unlock even more potential. By investing in regional infrastructure and nurturing local talent, we can ensure that the creative industries thrive across all our nations and regions.
London Fashion Week is not just about the designers on the runway. It is also about the inspiration that they spark. Seeing Welsh creatives succeed on the national and international stage gives young people tangible examples of what is possible, inspiring them to explore and pursue their own creative paths. That sense of hope and possibility is every bit as important as the economic impact.
I have always been and will continue to be a staunch supporter of the creative sector. I am passionate about ensuring that young people see careers in the arts and creative industries as not only available, but achievable. Role models matter. When our young people see designers and artists from Wales and other parts of the UK succeeding on a global stage such as London Fashion Week, it shows them that they too could follow that path. By showcasing these opportunities, we can inspire the next generation of creatives to dream big and believe in their potential, strengthening not only the economic future of our country, but the cultural richness that defines who we are.
Samantha Niblett (South Derbyshire) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to speak under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I applaud my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) for securing the debate. This is the first time that this subject has been discussed in this place, and I cannot think of anyone better to introduce it.
I am thrilled to take part in this debate on London Fashion Week, which has been one of the highlights of British fashion and creativity since it began in February 1984. London’s is the youngest of the big four fashion weeks; the others are in New York, Milan and Paris. Full disclosure: my partner is one of the global editors at Condé Nast, which owns publications that are iconic brands from GQ, which I was delighted to see championing and celebrating all things British in its latest edition, to Tatler, Traveller, Wired, Glamour, The New Yorker and very possibly the most famous of all, Vogue.
In 2019, Vogue characterised London’s essence as “fearless imagination” and explained how fashion has long allowed designers to explore “tongue-in-cheek rebellion”. Perhaps the most famous is Vivienne Westwood, who was born in Hollingworth village just north-west of Derbyshire. London Fashion Week provides us all with a brilliant opportunity to champion designers and creatives from right across our country. I remember poring over borrowed and old copies of Vogue as a teenager living in a council house in Nottingham and aspiring to feel as classy and fancy-pants as some of the women I saw and read about.
Through an introduction from Chris Warren at Condé Nast, I had the great pleasure of meeting Claire Singer and Ottilie Chichester at Vogue, who told me how they have recently launched the initiative “Vogue Values”, under the banner “Fashion is for everyone”. It is an attempt to recognise that fashion can be a driver of positive change, not just in terms of creativity and culture, but in addressing overproduction, waste and exclusion. When publications as influential as Vogue begin to put sustainability and inclusivity at the centre of their agenda, that suggests that London Fashion Week and the UK fashion industry are entering a new era in which creativity, commerce and responsibility are at the centre. It is so exciting to see British platforms helping to lead that change.
It filters down to our high streets and shopping habits, too. In Melbourne, in my constituency of South Derbyshire, Best Kept Secret is a dress agency selling pristine-quality, previously loved designer clothing. It offers high-end brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Louis Vuitton. We also have some brilliant charity shops giving clothes a second lease of life. In Swadlincote, our Sue Ryder charity shop is a bargain hunter’s paradise, as well as raising money for those experiencing grief, and the Salvation Army offers affordable vintage clothing and raises money for homeless shelters in the UK and disaster relief overseas.
It is great to see young people focusing on sustainability. Students at Burton and South Derbyshire college have worked with Loved Once Again to bring sustainability to life through a series of innovative projects. And there are a great many MPs—women and men—who buy their clothes on sites such as eBay and Vinted. Our very own hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes Central (Emily Darlington) is inspiring people, including my office manager, with her #NoBuyingNew campaign. Each day, she says where her outfits were from. They are always vintage, which helps to reduce waste to landfill one outfit at a time. Her socials are most certainly worth a follow. I wonder whether at London Fashion Week 2026 there might be room for an MPs’ runway.
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) for securing this debate.
London Fashion Week is known worldwide. As we probably all know, it started in 1984 in a tent in a Kensington car park, where the British Fashion Council brought British designers together to show their work. From those modest beginnings, it has grown into one of the most famous fashion events in the world, showing the best of Britain: innovative and inviting the world in.
I had the pleasure of working with two of London Fashion Week’s stalwarts, who sadly are both no longer with us: Hilary Alexander and Lesley Goring. They choreographed two fashion shows in which I took part for Breast Cancer Care in 2009 and 2014, helping to raise many hundreds of thousands of pounds for that charity. They had me on the runway twice in a day in each of those years, with other breast cancer survivors, parading in six or seven different outfits from top designers including Jeff Banks and Stella McCartney. We did it in front of 1,000 people at each session. Looking at me now, you would hardly describe me as a fashion model.
Over the years, London Fashion Week has set new trends, not just in clothing but in values. It was one of the first runways to ban fur, and it is going further this year by banning exotic animal skins such as snake and crocodile. That is important: it shows that the fashion industry can lead the world not only in style but in responsibility.
The fashion and textile industry adds more than £60 billion to our economy and gives work to more than 1 million people. It is not just about glamour on the runway; it is about people’s livelihoods, businesses in our towns and cities, and exports abroad. In London, the effect is clear: during the 2023 fashion week, footfall in London rose by almost 18% compared with a normal day, giving a significant boost to our traders. Shops, cafés, restaurants and taxis all benefited from London Fashion Week. That local boost matters, and it shows how culture and commerce can go hand in hand.
London Fashion Week is not only about money; it is about who we are. Designers from around the world come to London to share ideas and work with our home-grown talent. Our designers shape culture, tell stories through fashion, and give Britain a strong creative voice on the world stage. Through its NEWGEN programme, the British Fashion Council gives young designers a platform to show what they can do. Many well-known names today started out with that support.
Talent does not appear out of nowhere. It begins in our classrooms, our colleges and our apprenticeships. That is why we believe that arts education must be taken seriously. We would include arts subjects in the English baccalaureate, properly fund creative degrees and make sure that there are high-quality apprenticeships in creative and digital industries. Without that, we risk losing the pipeline of young people who will shape future fashion, music, film and design industries.
Of course, there is more that the fashion industry could do. Last year, out of 206 member brands at the British Fashion Council, just seven had published targets for reducing emissions and only five had targets in line with the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. That is disappointing; the UK average across all sectors is 65%. Progress has been made with the recycling of clothing, and many people use platforms such as Vinted and Depop, but around 300 tonnes of clothing are still thrown away every year.
London Fashion Week is well known for embracing sustainable fashion and has a runway dedicated to it, and some designers are using recycled or eco-friendly fabrics, but we need to try to do better. The UK can and should lead the world, not just in style, but in sustainable fashion. That means tackling waste, fixing supply chains and supporting innovation in new materials.
Closer to home, my constituency of Wokingham may not host catwalks, but our young people, our schools and our small businesses are all part of the bigger creative economy. Local designers, digital start-ups and independent shops all have a stake in the future of the fashion industry. The choices that we make here in Parliament about education, sustainability and support for the arts directly affect opportunities for people in our local communities.
London Fashion Week matters on many levels: economically, it is a powerhouse; culturally, it is a beacon of creativity; and socially, it has the chance to lead on sustainability and ethics, but we must not take it for granted. We must invest in the education that produces the next generation of designers. We must demand higher standards on sustainability, and we must recognise the value of fashion, not just as business, but as part of our culture and identity. Our fashion industry is world leading, and the Liberal Democrats believe that, with the right support, it can remain world leading, not only in creativity but in responsibility.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
As always, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate the hon. Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) on securing this important debate and all hon. Members for their contributions. I welcome the Minister to his new role and I wish him well in government.
London Fashion Week has been a regular part of Britain’s cultural calendar since it was first held in 1984. In four decades, it has grown to become one of the world’s leading fashion events, standing alongside Paris, Milan and New York as one of the big four fashion weeks. It is now firmly established as an international institution, but one that is rooted in Britain’s traditions of creativity, design and craftsmanship.
We can look at London Fashion Week’s contribution through several different lenses. There is the economic impact that we have heard about already today, which is unsurprisingly substantial. There is its international reach and the way it helps to shape Britain’s reputation abroad. As we heard from the Lib Dem spokesman, the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones), there is its role in supporting education, training and careers for young designers. There is its influence on sustainability, innovation and regional economies. Perhaps most importantly, there is the less tangible but equally vital contribution it makes to Britain’s cultural life and identity.
It is important to begin with the economic dimension. The fashion industry, as a whole, directly contributes close to £30 billion annually to the UK’s economy and supports nearly 900,000 jobs across the country. London Fashion Week plays a central role in that wider success. Each season, it brings together hundreds of designers, buyers, journalists and photographers from around the world. The event is not only about catwalk shows; it is also about deals and contracts that sustain designers and businesses throughout the year. Many small and medium-sized companies rely on the exposure that London Fashion Week provides. It gives them the opportunity to secure international orders, attract investors and build long-term relationships with global retailers.
The economic impact also extends into the hospitality and tourism sectors. International visitors attending London Fashion Week stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, use our transport system—when it is working—and support our local shops. The event generates millions of pounds of spending, providing a much-needed boost of inward investment for the wider London economy.
Importantly, as the title of this debate makes clear, London Fashion Week is not simply an economic generator; its cultural importance is equally significant. Fashion, at its heart, is a form of cultural expression. It reflects the values, identities and moods of a society. What people wear and how designers present clothing speaks to wider cultural trends, although I must admit that I am not that up on fashion. My sister got all the fashion genes in our house, so she tries to steer me in the right direction when I am looking particularly scruffy.
British fashion has long been known for its creativity and originality. From the craftsmanship of Savile Row tailoring to the rebellious punk energy of the 1970s and the dramatic visions of designers such as Alexander McQueen, British fashion has always had a distinctive voice. London Fashion Week provides the stage on which that voice is heard. At each event, designers bring together traditional materials and skills with new ideas. Tweed, tartan and wool, for example, are reinterpreted for new generations. Alongside them, we see collections that make use of digital technologies, sustainable fabrics and innovative production methods.
London Fashion Week is therefore both a guardian of tradition and a hub for creative experimentation. I have had the pleasure of seeing that when I am out and about in Old Bexley and Sidcup—I will not name all the boutiques that operate in my constituency, as I am bound to forget one and get myself in a lot of trouble. We also have arts students at the likes of Bird college and Rose Bruford college, a big part of whose work involves costume design that feeds the west end and a lot of the talent we enjoy in London.
One of the most striking aspects of London Fashion Week is its global reach. It is reported in newspapers, magazines and online platforms across the world, as we have already heard. Images from the catwalks are shared instantly on social media, reaching audiences far beyond those who have the privilege of attending in person. That means that London Fashion Week plays an important role in shaping how Britain is seen internationally. It presents Britain as creative, innovative and outward-looking. It demonstrates that our country still has something distinctive to contribute to global culture, and it acts as one of the best forms of cultural diplomacy. Just as our music, theatre and sport project Britain’s identity abroad, so too does London Fashion Week.
A vital part of London Fashion Week’s contribution lies in its links to education and training. Britain has some of the world’s most highly regarded fashion schools, including Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion and the Royal College of Art. These institutions attract students from across the globe, and many of the designers who now show collections at London Fashion Week began their career in their classrooms and studios.
The pipeline from education to the catwalk is clear. Students are trained in technical skills, encouraged in creativity and given the chance to develop their own design identity. London Fashion Week then provides a platform where they can present their work to international audiences. The pathway is vital to sustaining Britain’s long-term success in fashion and those vital careers that we all want to see flourish.
Linked to that is the emphasis that London Fashion Week places on supporting emerging talent. As we have already heard, the British Fashion Council’s excellent NEWGEN programme provides opportunities for new designers to show their work, gain visibility and build their careers. Many of today’s established names first appeared through such initiatives. That commitment to new talent ensures that London Fashion Week remains dynamic and forward-looking. It prevents the event from becoming static or predictable and keeps Britain at the forefront of global design patterns.
Young designers tend to be even more eco-conscious than their predecessors, and London Fashion Week has made an important contribution to sustainability. Globally, the fashion industry has faced growing questions about its environmental footprint, from the use of resources in production to the disposal of clothing. Many British designers and retailers lead the way in exploring sustainable practices, including the use of recycled fabrics, investment in traceable and transparent supply chains, and the development of circular economy models in which garments are reused and repurposed. London Fashion Week has become a stage on which such ideas are shared around the world.
On that point, I wish to give a shout-out—which I do not always do—to my local council, which works with an organisation called Traid to recycle textiles in the London borough of Bexley. I would like to see other boroughs roll out that important initiative for recycling fashion, alongside the work of charity shops and others.
By promoting sustainable practices, London Fashion Week not only addresses environmental concerns but shapes the cultural conversation about fashion. It shows that creativity and responsibility can go hand in hand. As that makes clear, fashion does not exist in isolation. It intersects with many other areas of the creative economy. Film, television and music all rely on fashion for costumes, styling and identity. Sports stars and musicians frequently collaborate with fashion designers, and their influence shapes trends in turn. As much as I would like footballers to be more focused on football, a lot of them are budding fashionistas on their social media profiles. London Fashion Week strengthens such connections, contributing to a wider ecosystem of cultural activity.
London Fashion Week has been held for almost 40 years, and its longevity is a sign of its importance. Over time, it has adapted to new technologies, consumer habits and cultural movements, yet it has retained its identity as a showcase for British creativity. The balance of continuity and change is a great part of its success.
London Fashion Week makes a significant contribution to the United Kingdom. Economically, it generates income, supports jobs and boosts tourism. Culturally, it showcases creativity, reflects our traditions and helps define our new identities. Internationally, it strengthens Britain’s reputation and influence. It supports education, encourages new talent, promotes sustainability and even sustains regional industries. It is not simply a series of shows; it is a major cultural event that brings together tradition, innovation, creativity, commerce, national identity and international reach. In conclusion, I again thank the hon. Member for Kettering for securing this important debate, and thank hon. Members for their contributions.
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Ian Murray)
It is a pleasure to speak with you in the Chair, Dr Murrison, for my first Westminster Hall debate in my new role. I thank the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French), for his welcome. May I say that my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting), with her long track record and experience in the industry, introduced this debate with a wonderful speech? If that is her first speech in Westminster Hall, I look forward to many more in the years to come. I particularly liked the way she described how young people relate to fashion as a way of expressing themselves, and how young people should be able to get on to that fashion career path. It is a great passion of the Secretary of State and myself to get more young people from all over the country, particularly from working-class backgrounds, into industries that have been impenetrable for too many for too long.
I am proud, in this debate, to celebrate the successes of Britain’s fashion industry and particularly London Fashion Week, which starts on Thursday. It will be the 41st showcase, and I am delighted to join my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering in welcoming the new chief executive officer, Laura Weir, who has such a busy week ahead but has taken the time to join us in the Public Gallery. As everyone in Westminster Hall can see with their own eyes, my fashion sense makes me perfectly qualified to reply to this debate—indeed, it has caused much consternation and hilarity in the Department that I am responding.
I am responding to this debate, however, because Britain’s fashion is world leading. It is a cornerstone of our creative economy, as many hon. Members have said, with 800,000 people contributing to it. It puts nearly £30 billion into the UK economy, which is more than aerospace and defence combined, and it drives £16 billion of consumer spending in related industries, such as tourism.
London Fashion Week stands at the centre of that success. It is far more than a showcase of style; it is an important driver of economic growth, cultural diplomacy and our national identity. Each season it generates substantial revenue through direct sales, international orders and high-value trade opportunities.
The British Fashion Council estimates that orders placed during London Fashion Week exceed £100 million from overseas buyers alone. By drawing a global audience of buyers, media and investors, London Fashion Week reinforces the UK’s standing as one of the world’s leading creative superpowers. That is really important for the posture of this country, in terms of our creative industries. Moreover, as one of the big four fashion weeks, London Fashion Week puts Britain’s fashion on the global stage. It acts as a cultural ambassador, profiling British creativity, influencing perceptions and attracting tourism, trade and talent from across the globe.
London Fashion Week is not just about London. The BFC’s City Wide Celebration takes the experience and excitement of the capital’s fashion week programme to other cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester—as we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Rusholme (Afzal Khan)—and Newcastle. Throughout this month, more than 100,000 activations and promotions are taking place all across the country as part of the City Wide celebrations. City Wide Liverpool took place two weeks ago, during which Liverpool ONE shopping centre saw a quarter of million visitors and a 14% uplift in sales.
We have heard the voice of the Welsh fashion industry from my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd North (Gill German), showcasing the Welsh creators and the contribution to our national fashion scene. It would be remiss of me, with my accent and constituency, not to mention Scotland’s contribution to the fashion industry. Not only are there great designers and great fashion innovators, but tartan itself is a great fashion icon. I recall a story from when I was in New York for Tartan Week this year. Anyone who goes to America or anywhere else in the world and wears their kilt will know that they often get asked what tartan it is. I said mine, which is the Murray of Atholl—a dark green colour with a red stripe—to this rather flamboyant chap who was marching down Sixth Avenue with us in the Tartan Day parade. When I asked him what his tartan was—it was yellow and black—I expected him to give me the name of some Scottish ancestral tartan, but he merely replied “Vivienne Westwood.” So our wonderful British fashion icons do span the globe.
Alongside its impact in the realms of economics and soft power, as we have all discussed, London Fashion Week is a vital incubator for new talent, and that is really important. It is the only fashion week in the world to host a shared space for emerging designers. The British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme, which supports the best new fashion design talent, is now in its 32nd year. It has been the launchpad for the careers of some of the country’s most prominent designers, whose names we have heard in Westminster Hall this afternoon, including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Grace Wales Bonner. We need to continue to encourage that really important programme. We have recognised its importance, and the Government have supported NEWGEN designers in showcasing at London Fashion Week.
It is right that the Government invest in the talent of the future in that way, and I am proud that we committed to continuing the funding for the UK’s fashion talent pipeline in the creative industries sector plan, which I hope all Members have read. The industry was heavily involved in making sure that fashion was a key part of that programme.
Fashion is a cornerstone of the UK’s creative industries—an area of national pride and economic strength. Together, the creative industries contribute 2.4 million jobs to our economy and £124 billion in gross value added, while also shaping how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. My hon. Friend the Member for Kettering mentioned the recent activities on the streets of London and other cities and towns across the country. I firmly believe that the creative industries are the glue that binds our communities and us all together, so driving that innovation, investment and cultural influence is in all our national interests.
The sector is an ecosystem—that is the most important word we can use for it—where designers, artists, businesses and freelancers inspire one another, and fashion plays a key and leading role. Sir Paul Smith is a powerful example of that. His designs are globally renowned, spanning clothing, furniture, cars and film. Through Paul Smith’s Foundation, he is also nurturing the next generation of creatives with mentoring and training and by giving opportunities to others. That contribution was recognised by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a recent visit to the foundation.
That is why the Government have put the creative industries at the heart of our plan for change. Our creative industries sector plan, launched in June, commits £380 million to extra support for innovation, skills, access to finance and regional growth over the next decade. That includes expanding the British Business Bank’s support to help creative SMEs to secure investment, new flexibilities in training to tackle the skills gap, refreshed careers services for young people, which is hugely important, and measures to boost exports.
For fashion specifically, as well as backing NEWGEN at London Fashion Week, as I mentioned, and supporting British designers on the international stage, including through the British Fashion Council’s showroom at Paris Fashion Week, these initiatives connect emerging UK designers with global buyers and press, driving sales and raising the profile of our British talent worldwide.
Of course, the creative industries do much more than enrich culture; they fuel progress across the wider economy. From video game technology advancing medical research to fashion materials supporting space exploration, creativity is powering innovation and shaping the future of our lives, our communities and the wider country. Like other creative industries, fashion is making an impact beyond its boundaries. The industry has led the way on sustainability by embedding circular design principles into businesses, adopting new low-impact materials, and innovating with production processes and waste reduction, as we heard eloquently from my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Samantha Niblett), who encouraged us all to use Vinted and eBay more often. I am not sure that even on Vinted and eBay I could get a cheaper suit than I am wearing at the moment, but I shall try. She had a pitch to be the new CEO of an MPs’ catwalk next year; she might have dismissed the suggestion rather quickly, but it is in the mix none the less.
The UK Research and Innovation circular fashion programme has provided a launchpad for all this work by facilitating collaboration across the UK fashion and textiles industry to produce a comprehensive national textile recycling infrastructure plan and a practical framework for extended producer responsibility, as well as further insights into the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the fashion sector. London Fashion Week plays a key role in driving this agenda, and it is the first of the big four fashion weeks to have adopted sustainability requirements for exhibiting brands.
Designers themselves are going further. This week will provide a platform for labels such as Patrick McDowell and Paolo Carzana to showcase designs based around innovative, low-impact and recycled materials. Similarly, the fashion industry has taken actions to advance equity, diversity and inclusivity across all its workforce, as we have heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis). London Fashion Week has been at the forefront of all this progress, driving change globally and pioneering representation by championing designers and models who reflect the richness and diversity of all of society—from designers such as Sinéad O’Dwyer, who focuses on size inclusivity, to disabled models such as Kelly Knox. This year’s show will feature Victoria Jenkins’s label Unhidden, which focuses on clothing for people with disabilities, producing stylish, inclusive and adaptive designs, and providing means of expression for the disabled and chronically sick community through fashion.
It has been a privilege to participate in this debate and celebrate the cultural contribution of London Fashion Week. The Government are committed to supporting the fashion sector and the wider creative industries, as shown by the ambitious sector plan that we published earlier this year. I will attend London Fashion Week this week in some capacity, and I look forward to celebrating British creativity and innovation on the global stage. Once again, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering for securing the debate, and I am grateful to hon. Members for taking part and for all their excellent contributions.
Rosie Wrighting
I thank hon. Members from across the House for attending this debate—the first ever debate on London Fashion Week in this place. It is telling that we had Members from across the country talking about how much fashion means to their constituencies and about designers who come from their constituencies. That shows how important this vital industry and sector is to Members across the House. It was great to hear from Members from different parties on what fashion means for their constituencies.
I particularly thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis), who spoke about adaptive fashion, which is deeply important to him. We have had conversations in the Tea Room about our careers in retail, and I was so pleased to hear his contribution. My hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd North (Gill German) spoke passionately about Laura Ashley and what she means for her constituency. I particularly like how my hon. Friend spoke about fashion as giving hope to young people. It so often does, particularly in areas outside London; it ignites a passion that can sometimes be hard to find.
My hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Samantha Niblett) described fashion as “fearless imagination”, which is brilliant. She mentioned Vivienne Westwood, who is such an influential designer and who shows how important it is that we continue to support talent across the UK, including in areas such as Derbyshire. I also put on record my admiration for my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes Central (Emily Darlington). Her videos come up on my TikTok sometimes, and I often watch her “#NoBuyingNew” videos.
I welcome the Minister to his place. I am incredibly pleased to see him here, and I am honoured that, in his first Westminster Hall debate in the role, he is talking about fashion. I hope that my passion for this industry came across and that he recognises the importance of investing in the next generation of designers. It was so important to me to secure this debate, because I believe that the challenges the industry faces at the moment mean that we are at a crucial point. Fashion brings so much to the UK, but unless it is correctly supported, we risk losing incredible talent. I hope to continue to work with him in supporting this vital week and the sector that means so much to me. London Fashion Week makes a huge cultural contribution to our capital and the rest of the UK, and I look forward to it starting on Thursday.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That this House has considered the cultural contribution of London Fashion Week.