The B Word
This week, Fashion Roundtable published an open letter to Boris Johnson and other senior members of his Government.
The letter signed by 400+ senior members of the British Fashion Industry deals with many of the concerns following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
I applaud the intention and the execution. The letter is signed by many who are important to me, several are I believe - although they’ll disagree – the very essence of a national treasure. They aren’t some clique, nor ivory towered, ill informed, and out of touch, instead, people like me, you, us all. People who are trying to make the best of what life has given them. People who want not to make a difference for some facile reason, but because they care.
Below are some thoughts, in part linked to the letter and other general ideas. They are rough and perhaps passionate; I believe in open and fair debate. They have been sent to friends and colleagues who believe I needed to publish.
Before I get to that, I adore my country, not in some nationalistic or silly little way, it has given me, me. It is where I am from, where I live and where I love. It has been the focus of my career within the fashion industry. Whether working on projects at home or abroad, I have always sought to promote and raise up the fortunes of the British fashion industry.
I am also proud of our place in the world, I believe in a world economy and a community of nations. I believe that we should do our singular and collective best to help our fellow human. It is our privilege to do so.
The past 7 or so years, from announcement of referendum through to result and subsequent negotiation, have left me with a nagging ache. Having been given the right to vote upon our future relationship with Europe, it was of course imperative that the will of the people was followed, that’s the basis of democracy. This ache, it comes from how did we end up here? What drove us to make and feel the way that we do, turn families and communities and countries against each other?
And how can we remedy that, for us all?
Brexit is a disaster, plus the pandemic, a tragedy.
Good, solid businesses large and small have been threatened by this deal. Individuals have seen their livelihoods already wrecked by Covid-19, complicated beyond belief.
It adds fuel to my long term concern about what Brexit will mean for generations to come. Those who weren’t part of the democratic process, who weren’t afforded either the right to vote, nor the chance to vote on the actual contents of a deal.
A mess.
The demands stated in the letter are correct. The fashion industry is of vital importance for the UK economy, so must be protected.
But I wonder if there is another way for this to be approached. If it would be better to appeal to those in charge, to reframe the conversation and try to turn a negative into a positive, not how bad it will be, but how we can make it better. Pushing for positive outcomes for all parties and all interests best served.
The European Union is right to protect the best interests of its members it, of course, has to act as a trading partner with the UK, but it will now focus on promoting trade between its remaining member states.
So what do we do?
Well, I think we need to look at why as an industry we aren’t being protected and separately why as a nation we voted to leave.
Brexit, like first Trump election, was pitched as an emotional issue. Those in charge, and those who wish to disrupt and have that magic cure. The ‘Vote remain’ pitch wasn’t one of positivity for staying but one of negativity for leaving, ‘project fear’ as ominously titled.
‘Vote Leave’, well that was going to save you. Make Brexit great again. Silver bullet.
I, like the majority of the fashion industry, voted to remain. As an industry, we are informed, progressive, liberal, inclusive, and politically aware. An industry looking outwards. An industry which has always punched above its weight.
During the pandemic, we have stepped up, wonderful and caring work has been carried out by many who had lost so much.
We also have an image problem. We are easy to tease, to ridicule and do ourselves no favours on that front. The public at large sees us as a bunch of air-heads and those more concerned with frippery and vanity, again all nonsense, but, for an industry filled with PR, an industry which is driven by creativity and the desire to progress whilst paying tribute to what has been before, we are staggeringly bad if not hopeless at putting across our case.
This must be addressed, carefully and cleverly, we need to present what we see as wonderful to the public in a new and fresh way.
At present we are seen as an industry for the fortunate; the wealthy; those who don’t need to work; an industry focused upon the grand, all nonsense which allows the public to forget that fashion is all around us, we are an industry which as the letter rightly states is of huge economic importance to the UK.
We need to show this. Look at the food revolution in the UK, we need a Jamie Oliver or Nigella moment, where we sell aspiration, we promote talent, we offer an alternative, modern, and sustainable view.
I watched Jamie Oliver recently talk with great passion about Ricotta from Westcombe Dairy, which is just down the road from me, it’s great cheese made by good people, they also own Landrace in Bath, it’s also a niche product which can only meet a certain demand, where is the clothing or art version of this? Where we present garment a) and accessory b) and talk about the process, the simple joy that it gives, in a way which is far removed from the present factory visit style tv programme and isn’t one of those awful crap-jazz sound-tracked smarmy video love-ins that we specialise in menswear and are great for those seeking affirmation - my socks get a mention 1m30 in – and such a turn off for anyone else.
The four industries highlighted in the letter are tricky because for a variety of reasons all are easy vote winners for the Government and industries on the whole dominated by a small number of key players and household names/brands who then feed out into a network of organisations and individuals.
Fashion operates differently and in a much more individual but still collaborative way, the tasks required to make a fashion business – once materials and tools are provided - to design, make, market, sell and ship can be carried out by one person sat at home in their bedroom, but often require people to congregate and communicate in person with others.
We also operate in a different financial system, fashion holds inventory, inventory booked and arranged months in advance, very few other industries do this, cars are made to order, fish has a short shelf life, and a constant supply, Movies and Film are often sold or streamed digitally and therefore rarely truly possessed by purchaser, etc etc.
They are also industries that capture the emotions of some and any attack upon is felt personally by others.
Perhaps as an industry, we need to look at what we can do to capture people’s emotions, to appear less cynical, and what the future of consumption really looks like.
Of course, all of them, are an integral part of day to day life and highly visible. But fashion as an umbrella term is even more integral, but it’s easier to forget and is viewed with disdain by many, it is these voters that the Government is courting. Politicians at present are worried about looking as if they have means, look at the carefully chosen suits they wear...
There are wonderful best practices in all of these industries, ones which can be adopted by us all and to paraphrase Jo Cox, far more unites us than divides us, so it can be a mistake (albeit I understand from a funding point of view) to pit industries against one another.
Instead, we must find ways to raise each other up collectively, because a strong economy…
The art of good governance is to protect and support all equally. But, in a short term democratic system driven by the fear of losing votes, this is unlikely to happen. It is too easy to leave difficult decisions for future administrations to deal with.
Decisions are taken in favour of those who drink the kool-aid, support the cause, keep the train rolling.
So what fashion must do, is make the case for hope and engagement.
This isn’t the case of supporting Brexit, nor being party political, far from it, instead how can we lessen the pain by supporting and backing our industry, taking an awful situation, and turning it to our own ends.
That means avoiding the trap of demanding things with consequences attached, no more “if you don’t do this by the count of three (1, 1¼, 1½, 1¾, etc) the world will collapse”, but again appealing to those in charge and say, if you work with us and support this, look how far we will go.
We can and will prosper together.
We can build a global and better Britain. As this global Britain will have to be innovative, outward looking, and entrepreneurial all the things the fashion industry already is, why not support us?!
Through this, we can instil the confidence that consumers and retailers need, confidence to spend and confidence to invest and grow.
Creating a strong brand Britain which the EU will not only need but will want to trade with.
We need to put across publicly that fashion isn’t just cocktails, canapés, and runways, but a serious economic powerhouse of an industry.
One which employs 1m people and could employ more.
An industry filled with people who run serious businesses, businesses which pay serious tax, businesses which operate on tight margins because of the constant reinvestment required, all of which aids the economy.
Also, an industry filled with single person organisations, people who drive things forward. Who through passion and talent not only keep this country going, but are our advertisement to the world, they are what excites people across the globe who dream of a little slice of this island.
When people think of the UK they think of our creative industries. We have gifted the world so much and if we work together we can give so much more. We are at the forefront of all the emerging innovations, a hub for tech and fashion, as well as sustainable and circular fashion.
These creative industries are the future, they operate in new and innovative ways, they are the very model of what a progressive economy ought to be, problems placed in front of them are overcome through talent, ability, and sheer will.
When the government talks of ‘levelling up’ it is these businesses which will lead that charge, those who care about their community and invest in it. So why penalise them?
The duty-free VAT move is a mistake, as the letter states. Instead, governments of any persuasion should work with existing stakeholders to strengthen our position; to continue to attract the best talent (this is vital) - whether to work or to study - from across the world; to protect those who have travelled here, built lives here and are working so hard; to improve the quality of British manufacturing; to push our image away from twee and the keep calm and sell another dishcloth brigade.
This is in part my problem, I get so excited and angry - probably could have made my “use the letter’s content and turn it on its head” message in 20 words – but I see the potential, the wonderful things that have and are happening which are being stifled, and may disappear, and I question why certain things aren’t being done.
Brexit is at present a disaster, but its scale is yet to be determined and I don’t want it to turn into the same old disaster overseen by the same old people, those who know how to play the game and nothing else.