Brexit casts shadow on London Fashion Week

“CANCEL BREXIT”: Katharine Hamnett’s slogan
t-shirts express the mood of many fashionistas ahead of London Fashion Week
starting on Friday, with Britain’s withdrawal from the EU on March 29 weighing
heavily on the industry.

The British designer created the clothes as “a knee-jerk reaction” to the
2016 referendum result, she told AFP — others feature slogans such as
“FASHION HATES BREXIT” AND “SECOND REFERENDUM NOW”.

Why does she hate it? Because Brexit “would be a disaster for the UK
economically, socially, educationally, culturally, diversity-wise, employment,
security-wise, defence-wise”, she said.

Hamnett is known for her political activism but is far from alone in her
views.

A study by consultants Fashion Roundtable found 96 percent of business
leaders in the British industry voted to stay in the EU.
Their almost unanimous hostility to Brexit reflects a feeling across much
of British cultural life, but also the fears of a sector strongly dependent on
international trade.

Fear of no deal

Like many other parts of the British economy, the fashion industry
particularly fears the prospect of leaving the EU with no agreement.

In this “no deal” Brexit, trading conditions between Britain and its
closest economic partner would dramatically change overnight.

“Not only is there a risk of higher tariffs on goods both imported and
exported, but the movement of goods could also be delayed due to increased
customs declarations,” said Samantha Dover from research firm Mintel.

This spells trouble for designers who need flexibility to work with Paris
or Milan, whether it’s sending accessories at the last minute, preparing
catwalk shows or showrooms, or simply exporting their goods to the continent.
British fashion house Burberry warned last month that a “no deal” Brexit
would result in “tens of million of pounds” in extra duty costs.

Relocation

“It’s not so much the practical difficulties,” said Lulu Kennedy, the
director of the Fashion East collective.

“It’s also the message that (Brexit) sends out, it’s so negative… this
message of not cooperating and not being part of the European family.”

It is not surprising that the British Fashion Council, which organises
London Fashion Week, recently came out in support of a second Brexit vote to
avoid a no-deal exit.

Faced with the risks, some labels have already decided or are planning to
relocate to EU countries, to maintain the advantages of being in the bloc’s
single market and customs union.

“We took avoiding action early at quite some cost, so all our product
development, manufacturing and logistics are now located in Italy,” said
Hamnett.

It is a similar story at menswear designer Oliver Spencer.

“If there is a bad Brexit, I will use my manufacturing facilities and
warehouse facilities in Portugal to service my market,” he told AFP.

He is more relaxed about Brexit than many of his fashion colleagues — even
if, like them, he voted against it.

“The problem is not knowing what is going on,” he said.
But he added: “I find in times of disturbance, political unrest, and
recession that a lot of creative people are more creative.”(AFP)