Clothing, Footwear and Fashion
Subsectors - a list
of Industries covered by this sector
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Overview
The clothing and fashion sectors together form one of the UK's
largest and most important industries, employing about 220,000
people, the majority of whom are women. In many regions, the industry
is the major employer. The shape of the clothing and fashion industry
has been formed partly by Britain's unique retail structure, with
the largest shops and chains controlling around 75% of the market.
Britain is the European Union's fifth
largest footwear producer by value, and home to some of the world's
leading footwear brands and most competitive Made To Order firms.
With over 25,000 jobs directly and indirectly dependent on footwear
manufacturing, the industry has a £1 billion annual turnover and
exports over half its production around the World. Britain's shoemakers
are particularly proud of their quality and value for money in
the areas of Quality Dress Footwear, Youth Street Fashion Footwear,
Safety and Protective Footwear and Made To Order.
Britain's annual clothing production
totals around £8,000 million, of which over £3,300 million is
exported. There is demand for both the very classic and the most
avant garde designs. Many British designers are selected straight
from college to work for top fashion houses in the UK, Europe
and further afield. Overall, the industry is well placed to meet
the challenges of an increasingly global arena.
The majority of this information
was compiled from details supplied by the DTI, the British Footwear
Association and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Government Sponsorship of the Clothing,
Footwear and Fashion Sector
Within the DTI, The Textile, Clothing & Footwear (TCF) Unit
has responsibilities for the sponsorship of the textile, apparel
and footwear sectors. The unit deals with a number of representative
bodies, and with regard to events, especially with the British
Apparel and Textiles Confederation (BATC), British Footwear Association
(BFA), British Menswear Guild (BMG), National Wool Textile Export
Corporation (NWTEC), and UK Fashions Exports (formerly the British
Knitting & Clothing Export Council (BKCEC)). The central priorities
of the unit are to stimulate an improvement in the competitiveness
of our industries and promote the sectors at home and overseas.
If you would
like further information on DTI projects & initiatives for
textiles and clothing please contact the relevant sector manager:
Technical
Textiles & Footwear -
David
Robinson
Tel: 020 7215 2994.
Email: david.robinson@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Wool &
Worsted
Dyeing and Finishing -
Sharon Blake
Tel: 020 7215 5864
Email: sharon.blake@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Education
& Training
Interior Textiles-
Carmel McKean
Tel: 020 7215 0943
Email: carmel.mckean@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Leather,
Carpets, Accessories & Safety wear-
Denise Gonzales
Tel: 020 7215 4146
Email: denise.gonzales@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Supply
Chain (clothing)-
Paul
Lewis
Tel: 020 7215 0911
Email: paul.lewis@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Designer
Fashion (clothing),
Janet Matthew
Tel: 020 7215 0947
Email: janet.matthew@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Menswear,
Knitwear & Intimate Apparel -
Jackie Roberts
Tel: 020 7215 1208
Email: jackie.roberts@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Schemes and Initiatives
For information on Government initiatives available to textile,
clothing and footwear companies and intermediaries please visit
www.dti.gov.uk/support/textile.htm
DTI's Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Unit
The TCF Unit covers a wide range of activities: London Fashion
Week, Supply Chain initiatives, Best Practice Initiatives, Education
and Training, and Benchmarking and Technology Transfer.
Currently the TCF Unit is involved
in creating a Consumer Goods Services (CGS) website, which aims
to promote the directorate and the sponsorship activities it carries
out. It is hoped that the website will help create stronger links
to the individual Trade Associations and their websites.
British Fashion Council
The British Fashion Council organises London
Fashion Week, which continues to grow as an effective platform
for British design talent. The Council also runs the annual Rover
British Fashion Awards, which promote the whole of the UK fashion
industry.
For further information, please contact:
British Fashion Council
5 Portland Place
London W1N 3AA
Tel: 020 7636 7788
Fax: 020 7636 7515
E-mail: bfc@dial.pipex.com
Specific Export Help for the Clothing, Footwear and Fashion
Sector
Trade Partners
UK
UK Trade & Investment is the Government Organisation that brings together
the work of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the
Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) in support of British
trade and investment overseas. Sector specific export help for
the Clothing,
Footwear and Fashion industries can be found on the Trade
Partners UK website.
Other Sector Contacts
Listed below is a selection of organisations that can offer assistance
to companies in this sector.
A more extensive list of Associations in this sector can be found
at the Trade Association
Forum web site.
Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry
Association
Unit 5
25 Square Road
Halifax HX1 1QG
Tel: 01422 354666
Fax: 01422 381184
Email: info@asbci.co.uk
Website: www.asbci.co.uk
British Apparel & Textile
Confederation
5 Portland Place
London
Tel: 020 7636 7788
Fax: 0171 636 7515
E-mail: batc@dial.pipex.com
The following organisations can also
be contacted on the above numbers:
Apparel, Knitting & Textiles Alliance
British Clothing Industry Association
British Fashion Council
(The British Fashion Council was created in 1983 to stimulate
and promote British fashion. Funded by industry sponsors, the
British Fashion Council seeks to encourage links throughout the
industry, with its Colleges Forum and Press, Retailer, Mainstream
and Manufacturer Committees.)
British Knitting & Clothing Export Council
Guild of British Tie Makers
Home Laundering Consultative Council
International Apparel Federation
The Register of Apparel and Textile Designers
Silk Association of Great Britain
British Bridalwear Association
10 Birmingham Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B72 1QG
Tel: 0121 321 3121
British Footwear Association
5 Portland Place
London W1N 3AA
Marketing/Export: Nicholas Parry-Billings, David Robinson
Tel: 020 7580 8687
Fax: 020 7580 8696
E-mail: bfa@easynet.co.uk
Website: www.britfoot.com
BFA promotes British footwear worldwide.
The Association helps to match the needs of international footwear
buyers to the resources of its members, and assists in developing
profitable partnerships. BFA member services include marketing
and advice on exporting, representation at key overseas fairs,
industry statistics to help market research, and a worldwide database
with details of footwear retailers, distributors and agents.
British Menswear Guild
1 Savile Row
London W1X 2JR
Tel: 020 7734 6211
Fax: 020 7734 6277
Website: www.british-menswear-guild.co.uk
British Shops & Stores Association
Middleton House
2 Main Road
Middleton Chaney
Banbury
Oxon OX17 2TN
Tel: 01295 712277
Fax: 01295 711665
Website: www.di-net.co.uk
Fashion Design Protection Association
25 Watsons Road
Wood Green
London N22 7TZ
Tel: 020 8888 1213
Fax: 020 8889 8736
The British Glove Association
Rutland House
44 Masons Hill
Bromley
Kent, BR2 9EQ
Tel: 020 8464 0131
Fax: 020 8464 6018
Northern Ireland Textiles and
Apparel Association
5C The Square
Hillsborough
Co. Down BT26 6AG
Tel: 01846 689999
Fax: 01846 689968
National Childrenswear Association
of Great Britain & Northern Ireland (NCWA)
5 Portland Place
London, W1N 3AA
Tel: 020 7631 5445
Fax: 020 7631 3443
Website: www.ncwa.co.uk
The NCWA is the only National Association
solely dedicated to promoting the British Childrenswear Industry,
both in the UK and abroad. Over the years, the NCWA has expanded
its interests, and added to the services it provides for the Industry
and its members. Membership is now open to Manufacturers, Retailers
and Agents throughout the EU as well as countries further afield.
General
Business Support, Schemes and Initiatives
Small Business
Service
The Small Business Service operate
a number of schemes and initiatives that are designed to help
small businesses in a variety of ways. Sector specific support
for the Clothing,
Footwear and Fashion industries can be found on their Business
Advice Online website.
DTI
Business Support
This page lists many of the initiatives that the DTI and other
parts of Government currently operate. Included on this page are
links with various support schemes and initiatives.
DTI
Information Age
This page lists many of the initiatives that the DTI and other
parts of Government currently operate. Included on this page are
links with schemes and initiatives offering guidance and advice
relating to new technology and fast access to information.
DTI
International Trade and Investment
This page offers a comprehensive menu of links to sites offering
support to exporters (through UK Trade & Investment), investors in
the UK and importers into the UK.
Companies
House
From this site, you can link to a wide range of Government sites
and Professional Bodies that can provide general guidance and
support for all UK companies.
The
Trade Association Forum
The Trade Association Forum helps associations to deliver best
practice to members.
Regulatory Guidance
DTI Regulatory
Guidance provides general guidance from the DTI and also links
to other relevant DTI web pages.
The
Direct Access Government website provides guidance issued
by other Government Departments.
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