The UK’s, and especially London’s, fashion industry has long since been one of the ‘top four’, along with New York, Paris, and Milan. However, in the midst of hits from all directions, London Fashion Week’s organizers look towards returning the industry to an economic giant.
Popularity of Fashion as Entertainment in UK
Since being founded in 1984, London’s fashion week has been a mainstay of the global fashion industry’s calendar. This is because the fashion industry has always been popular in the UK, with specific trends sweeping the nation in an all-encompassing fashion across the decades, and shopping being a popular hobby. In fact, 88.6% of UK shoppers buy clothing annually.
Indeed, fashion is so popular that it has overflowed into other areas, inspiring a range of different media. For example, some of the top UK slots have a fashion theme. Shopping Spree is set in a mall, with icons like pearl necklaces, red heels, discount signs, and even a mid-shopping trip snack. Another, Diamond Dealer, takes its inspiration from a more specific sector of fashion – jewelry. The store has a range of fashion items such as diamond rings, pocket watches, and other gemstone accessories.
Elsewhere, one of the most successful comedy franchises to come out of the UK centered around the fashion industry, particularly the changing fashions of the upper and middle classes: Absolutely Fabulous (1992-1996). The sitcom’s popularity resulted in regular revival specials from 2001 to 2004, and 2011 to 2012, as well as a feature film in 2016, and the documentary movie Absolutely Fabulous Inside Out (2024). This illustrates how intertwined fashion is with the UK, not just as its own sector, but as a defining theme across a wide range of entertainment.
Impact on the Economy
According to research by the UK Fabric and Textile Association (UKFT), the fashion industry contributes more than $82 billion to the UK economy. In other words, that’s around $1 in every $45 of their total gross value added (GVA) contribution. In addition, the fashion industry contributes 1.3 million jobs. That means one in every 25 jobs can be attributed to the fashion industry. In turn, this raises almost $31 billion in tax revenue, which accounts for roughly $1 in every $40 of the country’s total tax receipts.
With this data in mind, there’s no doubt that the fashion industry is one of the largest and most influential sectors in the UK. Indeed, its contributions to the economy and society are vital. Without the industry thriving, this could have a significant impact on the growth and health of the UK economy as a whole, as well as revenue, employment rates, and global competitiveness. After all, the British fashion industry’s influence can be seen worldwide.
And this is exactly what Laura Weir’s current campaign as CEO of the British Fashion Council (BFC) has set out to remind the government and general public. Weir, who was the former editor of newspapers and Vogue fashion, was named CEO of BFC in March 2025, which is ultimately in charge of arranging and organizing the world-famous fashion week in London.
Restoring the Power of British Fashion
Over the past few years, it has been reported that British fashion has been hit in many areas: from competitiveness to supply chains, and the impact of the rise in the cost of living, such as decreased demand. In addition, Milan and Paris have been emerging as fashion powerhouses, negatively affecting both London and New York similarly. The UK has also seen decreased funding for the arts, which has limited the creative thinkers who previously may have had the opportunity to excel in artistic areas such as fashion.
What Weir has self-styled as a herculean task is the goal to restore the UK as a fashion powerhouse using a number of tactics. This is said to involve asking the government to consider fashion with its trade deals, which could bring big luxury brands away from other European fashion capitols and back to London. She also sets out to ensure that educational opportunities continue in fashion through liaising with education centers and the potential for support through government funding.
Whether this is enough to restore the power of the British fashion industry, it’s too early to tell. We’ll just have to wait and see what this new passion can bring to the sector.
##
