-By Ankita Dutta
A fresh strategy has been disclosed by the British Fashion Council (BFC) to establish the fashion industry as an agent of transformation in the locality. The plan is expected to amplify the industry through “responsible growth” and was unveiled by David Pemsel, the new chair of the BFC, who assumed the position last October after Stephanie Phair’s departure.
The new strategy, aimed at providing clarity to stakeholders and members on how to engage with the BFC, has a main focus on the commercial and cultural areas of the fashion industry, including diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Web3, as well as its Institute of Positive Fashion.
The Institute of Positive Fashion was launched as a platform for businesses to collaborate globally to increase their sustainability efforts. The BFC intends to introduce more web-based seminars and discussions to assist members in advancing their ventures.
The new strategy also seeks to create connections, insights and advisory opportunities that will help members prepare for regulation and support emerging talent. Pemsel outlined the aspirations of the latest plan, stating that the goal is to observe sustained, responsible expansions each year, expand their networks to facilitate growth, and secure the appropriate know-how and guidance for various phases of their business growth.
Furthermore, the community will back the BFC’s support for promising up-and-coming professionals via mentoring initiatives for fledgling firms through the BFC Foundation. The new strategy responds to a rapidly changing industry, where businesses have expanded their focus on minimising the environmental footprint of their products. Additionally, there is now a significant emphasis on social and ethical dimensions, including the current focus on the industry’s transparency regarding human rights and labor practices, primarily with the use of technology and big data.
The BFC’s strategy comes at a vital time in the industry, where many fashion businesses are starting to respond to calls for more sustainable production methods. However, this has been met with challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on the fashion industry.
To address this, the BFC had previously launched a Covid-19 Support Fund in April 2020 to support businesses in the industry hit by the pandemic. The organisation had since launched a second round of the fund in September 2020, with £1.7m distributed to more than 500 companies.
The BFC’s recently introduced plan also has similarities with the Voice of Sustainable Fashion report, which was unveiled in November 2020. The report urged the sector to spearhead an “initiative to resolve the planet’s climate and ecological predicament” by proposing measures that equip the industry to recover and improve.
