Predictably, the general election seems to have got stuck in men-shouting-at-each-other mode, rather than any concrete ideas on policy. The poor old fashion industry, so often overlooked in spite of its not insubstantial contributions — ie, the £28.9 billion it adds to the UK economy — could certainly do with some manifesto promises.
London Fashion Week might be marking its 40th anniversary — with a mini programme of menswear events over this past weekend — but our designers are facing dicey futures. Matchesfashion collapsed into a messy administration earlier this year, Susie Cave’s much admired The Vampire’s Wife has gone under, while Roksanda Ilincic’s beloved label was recently sold to a white knight investor, which hopefully means she’ll reach her 20-year anniversary next year. But there’s a lot of support needed here, redundancies abound everywhere.
