London Fashion Week: Cultural Contribution

Debate between Rosie Wrighting and Afzal Khan

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Rosie Wrighting]

I thank my hon. Friend, both for her intervention and for how much she champions the fashion industry and the creatives in her constituency. East London is a massive part of Fashion Week and she is a great champion of it. And I absolutely agree with her intervention, particularly on the importance of circularity and sustainability. Fashion must move very quickly, given the challenges facing the UK and the world, and it is right that it is supported in that regard.

We must ensure that fashion remains a viable career for young people, particularly those from outside London and from working-class communities. That means making it easier for designers and brands to scale up their businesses without being forced to sell early or relocate abroad. It also means providing stronger financial education and mentoring for young creatives, so that talent is matched with tools to build sustainable businesses. It also means tackling unfair payment practices, because too many freelancers, small brands and small suppliers have to wait months to be paid, making it impossible for them to grow, or sometimes even survive.

We know that talent survives when it is supported. This year is the 25th anniversary of Fashion East, ERDEM and Roxana.

[Afzal Khan (Manchester Rusholme) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is making an excellent case for London Fashion Week; I agree with everything she has said. I am very pleased to note that last week Manchester Fashion Week returned after a decade’s break, showcasing our city’s talent, sustainable practices and rich textile heritage. Does she agree that we should do more to celebrate innovation in fashion across the UK?

[Rosie Wrighting]

Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. I know from my own career that Manchester’s influence on British fashion has increased massively over the last decade. It is right that creatives up there—I know there are many who study at Manchester Metropolitan University on its fashion courses—are supported, so that we harness talent from across our country. So, I thank him for that intervention.

From Vivienne Westwood to John Galliano, Aaron Esh and Simone Rocha, from Savile Row to the rise of grime and contemporary streetwear, fashion in Britain crosses into art, theatre, subculture and politics. If we do not tackle the current challenges, we risk losing some of the very talent that makes Britain a leading name in international fashion.

The British Fashion Council’s work is crucial in that space. London Fashion Week keeps the door open for new voices, providing a shared space, mentoring and practical support for new-gen designers. For many designers, such as Christopher Kane and JW Anderson, who are now some of the biggest names in the industry, it serves as a launchpad. The British Fashion Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport support their talent to grow into a business, helping so many designers get their first break here in the UK.

I could not talk about the British Fashion Council without mentioning decisions made by the new chief executive Laura Weir, who is here in the Gallery today, to scrap fees, levelling the playing field for independent designers and small brands that had been priced out of participating in recent years. Her choice to extend the NEWGEN programme for three years and expand scholarship funding and mentoring for fashion students will directly benefit children who grew up in situations such as mine.

These changes will undoubtedly support working-class creatives in this space, but they will also influence an industry that is fundamentally better off when there are working-class voices within it. A wide variety of voices have made fashion week what it is: an opportunity to bring together different cultures and lived experiences, especially in a week in which London has faced division on our streets. London Fashion Week shows off British values, culture and inclusivity at their best. At a time like this, that should be celebrated.

Fashion has a responsibility to make creativity sustainable. Designers are experimenting with recycled fabrics, circularity, digital presentation and harnessing some of the benefits of artificial intelligence. The result is innovation that is cultural as well as technical. London Fashion Week is an opportunity for Britain to lead not just in fashion but in cultural responsibility. It is also a vital commercial engine for British fashion. It enables emerging and established SME brands to showcase new lines and collections to domestic and international retail buyers.

The cultural and creative industries are rightly recognised in the Government’s industrial strategy as one of this country’s greatest strengths. Over the last decade, the sector has grown one and a half times faster than the wider economy. Within that, fashion makes enormous contributions, adding more than £60 billion to the economy each year and supporting nearly 900,000 jobs. London Fashion Week is a clear example of how British creativity translates into growth, skills exports and cultural influence that is recognised across the world.

In praising that work, we must acknowledge the challenges that the sector continues to face. The pandemic exposed how precarious many creative careers are, and the worsening barriers to entry that risk narrowing the pipeline of talent that London Fashion Week relies on. I have spoken to friends and colleagues in the industry who feel deeply the uncertainty and fear of being priced out of a sector that they love. I am standing here today —in my first Westminster Hall debate and the first ever debate on London Fashion Week in this place—because of the opportunities I had and the drive and determination I learnt from working in fashion.

I admit that—against the advice of my staff—I sometimes read the comments on my Twitter page. Almost every day I see negativity about my background in fashion, as if it somehow makes me less accomplished or less intelligent, but I can tell you that those who thrive in fashion are some of the most resilient, resourceful and driven people I know. It is a career that demands creativity, initiative, quick thinking, a thick skin and intellect. The industry of pattern cutters, make-up artists, buyers, designers, photographers, models, content creators, stylists, set designers and countless others brings so much to our country, often with little recognition.

London Fashion Week reflects who we are, and it shows the world that Britain is and will remain a nation of innovation, artistry and resilience. It cements Britain’s position as a global leader in fashion, and strengthens the UK’s soft power. It is a beacon for the very best of our creativity, craftmanship and bold innovation.