It’s been a challenging year for the organisers of various fashion weeks with our very own Cheshire Fashion Week who celebrated the launch of a milestone event in 2019, but since been put on a halt, as for so much of the world, things have gone differently.
A report by Oxford Economics for the BFC has shown that the effect of COVID could be twice as hard on the fashion industry than the economy overall, in this way collective activity is needed to guarantee recuperation and positive development of the business as there are numerous businesses and laborers that fall outside of the public authority support measures.
The BFC has continued discussions with the public authority the significance of the requirements of fashion businesses, for example, the development of creatives through a fashion isolate exception and a “visiting” visa to work in key EU markets; support for consultants; an audit of the Shortage of Occupation List to incorporate talented fashion laborers and the requirement for government-backed events protection to permit the industry to restart with assurance. As the fashion industry moves to a perfect development technique, it is fundamental that the public authority upholds through an interest in advancement and R&D as a need.
Responding to the Chancellor’s Rishi Sunak Spring Budget Statement, Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive British Fashion Council said:
“The British Fashion Council (BFC) welcomes the announcements in today’s budget that will enable businesses and workers to recover from the effects of the pandemic including the extension of support schemes to September, the continuation of the furlough scheme, the fourth Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) with the inclusion of “newly” self-employed, and notably the support to retail including continued rates freeze and £5bn in Restart Grants for the retail sector. We encourage responsible retail, ensuring that the benefits of this support are passed on through the value chains to suppliers, designers, and workers within them.
Bristish Fashion Council Press Statement
The combined devastating effects of the pandemic and Brexit have had a greater negative impact on the fashion sector than most, and therefore we call on urgent action by the government to support the industry to play its role throughout the UK in its economic recovery.”
