As the June edition of London Fashion Week begins, British Fashion Council Chair David Pemsel has shared a refocused strategy to help champion British fashion as a “creative force on the world stage”.
After taking over from Stephanie Phair last autumn, Pemsel has been working with BCF CEO Caoline Rush to “focus our resources and the expertise available to us on responsible growth, relentless innovation and the global and local amplification of the British fashion industry”.
He added that this comes after “turmoil from Brexit to COVID-19 to War in Ukraine, to the cost-of-living crisis” and that “taking the time to re-set has been essential. The UK fashion industry is harder to navigate than ever, with new international trading terms post-Brexit, challenges to access finance, longer payment terms, increasing regulation on the horizon as our industry transitions to net zero, the need to create a truly diverse workforce with equal access and the opportunity sighted through digital fashion”.
Looking ahead, Pemsel highlighted the council’s refocused strategy that places “the BFC community front and centre”.
As part of this, the BFC will aim to “prepare businesses at all stages for positive change through embracing innovation. Success will be positioning British fashion as a catalyst of change in core commercial and cultural areas of the industry through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B), digital fashion and the environment through our Institute of Positive Fashion”.
The BFC will continue to evolve its platforms to “amplify excellence in creativity and its role in the UK’s cultural influence. Success will be constant iteration of London Fashion Week as the leading creative, diverse and culturally influential platform and the Fashion Awards as a celebration of London as Creative Capital and primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation”.
It will also create connections, insights and advisory opportunities for its community to come together to collectively support the industry to grow, prepare for regulation and for talent to gain access.
“Over the coming months, there will be more opportunities for us to hear from you, and for you to both find and offer connections, insight and advice as a key member of the British fashion community. We invite you to get involved,” said Pemsel at the end of the statement.
The news comes as a small-scale June edition of London Fashion Week gets underway, with events including a BFC X Future of Menswear Panel Discussion, Saul Nash Catwalk and BFC x The Asian Man: An Exploration Into The Forgotten Style Tribe Panel Discussion taking place from 9-12 June 2023.
Source: The Industry Fashion
