Government Office for London Annual Review 2001-2002 | Download the Complete Review in PDF Format here
London Fashion Forum
|
|
In April, GOL commissioned a report from V K Associates, mapping the clothing and textiles sector in London. The report "Help for Business, Textile Study", published in September, found that the sector was fragmented; needed a voice to promote itself; that London's clothing manufacturers were suffering from competition from overseas manufacturers; were not supplying the short runs of high quality clothes quickly enough that the potential world class designers (coming out of the fashion schools) were demanding. The designers themselves, coming out of the fashion schools, lacked the business expertise to set up their own businesses and had few links with the design sector. GOL helped the sector set up the London Fashion Forum (LFF) to become "the single voice for the London based clothing and textiles industry and to ensure its continual stability and growth by improving competitiveness." This is being achieved by the LFF providing both a strategic overview for the industry and also commencing "grass roots" projects directly to facilitate the aims of improved competitiveness. The project has now secured funding from the London Development Agency who worked closely with GOL on this project from its inception. (Fashion Show at the London Unzipped event at the London College of Fashion, organised by the London Fashion Forum) |
Projects underway or planned include:
Manufacturers Showcase with Cutting Edge that gives CMT (cut make and trim businesses) and manufacturers the opportunity of making new sales leads.
Delivery Day which addresses the concern that new fashion design graduates do not have the necessarily skills to commence working within the clothing and textile industry. The Forum aims to bridge that gap between educational learning and the "real" world by providing a Delivery Day. This is when the Forum offers hands-on advice and information to enable them to be better prepared for business.
Designers Day which helps designers find work or start their own business by raising their profile among buyers, thereby promoting enterprise. In future this will work with fledgling designers that have progressed from London Graduate Week but are not yet to the standard the BFC London Fashion Week.
Dealing Direct (a joint partnership with Cutting Edge) aims to encourage retailer to deal direct with CMTs and Manufacturers. This aims to re-route manufacturing production back to the UK and away from overseas suppliers capitalising on London's proximity. Thus, enabling London to respond quickly to orders, both in response to changes in fashion and in demand through fast track production - whereby retailers pay slightly more to obtain quality fashion on-trend items.
The LFF already has a database and are working to integrate the Fashion Capital portals project with organisations across London to provide a facility to put London fashion on the map. The LFF's newsletter is already circulated to over 3,000 contacts across London.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
London is home to 80% of the country's fashion designers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|