The UK’s fashion manufacturing heartland that was the East Midlands has become decimated as some 200,000 jobs were lost when leading fashion brands relocated their manufacturing overseas.

Thus the national skills resource has become depleted and unable to fuel ambitions for growth across the UK’s fashion sector. Not only are there  limited homes for design and manufacturing skills but the industry is also poorly equipped to handle the future with media convergence and the onset of digital and social media technologies.

Skillset, the industry’s Sector Skills Council conservatively estimates that the clothing, footwear and textiles industries support some 41,000 businesses and 384,000 employees. Nonetheless, whilst fashion and textiles are inextricably linked our focus here is on securing the future of fashion.

Future trends in the labour market

http://www.guidance-research.org/future-trends/clothing/info.

The Sunday Times, 12^th September 2010, reports that whilst much clothing is made in Asia and other low wage regions, some British brands such as Mulberry, Jaeger and Aquascutum, have maintained factories in the UK. They believe a “Made in Britain” label to be critical to their success.

Value of the UK fashion Industry 2010

http://www.britishfashioncouncil.com/valueoffashion

UK Fashion and Textiles (UKFT) is the UK’s fashion and textile association.

UKFT has started a campaign to use it or lose it! With the “Let’s Make It Here” database, UKFT is aiming to make it as easy as possible for buyers of manufacturing to locate the diverse range of firms that are still producing in the UK. Made in Britain has a unique association with classic, high quality products, often using innovative methods of production. The companies on the database provide access to most areas of supply, from yarns and fabric to trims and garment manufacturing, in addition to a wealth of ancillary finishing and processing services.
 
 “Let’s Make it here” - http://www.ukft.org/letsmakeithere/index.php