Tiffany Hill

An industry-backed white paper has urged the government to introduce variable Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees to drive sustainability in the UK fashion and textiles sector. Read more below. #EPR #fashion #fashionnews #retail #textile

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The UK 2024 election could be a pivotal moment for British fashion and technology innovation! As the UK gears up for this important election, the apparel industry stands at a critical juncture. Despite contributing a staggering £62bn to the economy (UKFT Association), our sector faces immense challenges—from the collapse of Matches Fashion to sustainability and skills shortages. Industry leaders are calling for robust policy commitments to: 🔹 Restore tax-free shopping 🔹 Support SMEs 🔹 Integrate the arts into education With the right governmental support, the UK could become a global leader in innovative, sustainable fashion. Without it, we risk a steep decline. This election will determine whether British fashion and technology can rival global powerhouses or face an uncertain future. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲? The apparel sector isn't just about products; they're about fostering creativity, driving economic growth, and leading in sustainability. By investing in sustainable practices, we can ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of global fashion and innovation. #UKElection #FashionIndustry #Sustainability #PolicyMatters #Innovation

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It can if consumers who want it to put their money where their mouth is. It’s going to be more expensive if it’s UK made…at least relative to the sort of prices being achieved currently in the market. As consumers and producers if we are serious about scaling UK manufacture significantly then we have to embrace this fact instead of sidestepping or apologising for it …in the end it comes down to economic reality and while prices may well come down over time it’s going to mean digging deeper into our pockets …we need to start by accepting this. Decades of cheap foreign manufacture has addled our brains and we have little conception of actual value any more…and next to no knowledge of the economics of manufacture beyond looking at a price and making assumptions. No one wants to hear this but sadly if there’s to be any serious prospect of reviving the UK manufacturing base we need to collectively pull our heads out of are a***s and face the facts…then change our buying behaviour.

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With a global perspective on the practicalities of large-scale fabric digitisation and use, The Interline and Cotton Incorporated take stock of the journey of digital product development, chart the changing use cases for 3D assets, and find a more meaningful business case than ever for comprehensive digitisation strategies - for cotton and beyond: interli.net/47nqJxK #fashiontechnology #fashionbusiness #digitalmaterials

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FUSION OF HIGH-STREET AND LUXURY FASHION The concept of affordable luxury is increasing as the evolving Highstreet operations of big groups are facing a new market reality. Due to technology, consumers know more about design trends from global brands and also express desire for shifting towards better design quality and long lasting quality garments at affordable prices. Thanks to Van Tong & Inside Retail Asia for the insights about the recent Creative directors appointment at high street gians claire Wright Keller at UNIQLO, Zac Posen at Gap and Stephano Pilati co-Ed project with Zara is an important indictators that the High Street retailers are looking to improve their brand identity and aspirational story telling, which was before more know to luxury fashion brands. Where most successful commercial operations are entirely market and focussed in the same design trend from luxury designer luxury brands they often end up having the same inspirations and outcomes. Instead of being heavily Inspired by luxury designers brand it makes sense to use the design methodologies to develop more design alongside product based upper level affordable luxury segment in their high street store spaces. This also help the retails store brand retail concept to develop more of a proper design related Brand DNA and Image allowing a stronger differentiation in an increasingly difficult retail landscapse where ESG and transparent holistic sustainable practices will be a core vital element of any future brand retail maxtix especially in Europe to start with all the new compliance legislation coming into place. At KONsensX Advisory / Luxury / Fashion / Design / Brand / Strategy / Web 3 / Metaverse / It has long been a vision of ours to fuse the worlds of both where you implement some of the more honest design methodologies to certain product categories and implement with stronger design segmentation in the commercial offering. It is our believe that GEN AI can be used effeciently to joint traditional analogue design processes with more forward looking technology and marketing listening reactive test mechanisms. KONsensX Advisory / Luxury / Fashion / Design / Brand / Strategy / Web 3 / Metaverse / Anne Verrept / Marianna Ferro / Alexander Hidalgo / Câline Anouti / Stephen Milne /

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As a fashion educator I have to ask myself how much should I know about #machinelearning and AI. I know it exists. I know its used in many parts of the industry already. Do I know how to implement it - use my own data sets to create predictions? Well no. Looks like AI bootcamp for me! #lifelonglearning #fashioneducation #studentlife #AI

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UK footfall decreased 1.1% year on year in October and was down from an increase of 3.3% in September, according to new data by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and consultants Sensormatic. Read more here. #fashion #fashionnews #retail #retailnews #footfall

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MEN DON’T NEED TREND!!💁‍♂️ But have you heard about Stealthy Style ? Here's the thing: trends absolutely exist, they've just mastered the art of disguise.🥸 Unlike the constant shifts in womenswear, menswear trends are more like secret agents. They work undercover, subtly changing fits, fabrics, and details. Think about it: looser cuts, bolder tie colors, the athleisure influence creeping in....these are all trends, just undercover.🧐 Menswear might be more about quiet evolution than loud pronouncements. But that doesn't mean it's boring. It's about building a wardrobe of classics with a subtle, modern twist. So next time you think menswear is trendless, think about stealth fashion!🙃

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What's been happening in sustainable fashion week this week? ⬇️ 1) Burberry launched its Childrenswear 'Remake' capsule collection, consisting of surplus fabrics and yarns from previous collections. The new range covers key product categories, and also includes a 'multiple owners label' to encourage pieces to be passed down. 2) BEEN London have partnered with Tate Modern in London to create a limited edition collection of accessories crafted from upcycled banners sourced directly from the gallery's iconic building. The collection focuses on repurposing materials from the banners to give them a second life, whilst also working with next-gen material AppleSkin, made from apple waste. 3) London Fashion Week (LFW) is following in the footsteps of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) by banning exotic skins such as crocodile and snake from its show collections from 2025. LFW also announced a ban on fur at the end of 2023. 4) German brand ARMEDANGELS has partnered with The Sourcery to transform cotton sourcing through their 'direct to grower' scheme - enhancing transparency and fair trade in cotton farming. 5) SAITEX INTERNATIONAL DONG NAI (VN) Ltd., said to be the 'cleanest' denim factory in the world, have published their latest sustainability report, highlighting a 90% reduction in Co2 emissions, 70% reduction in energy consumption and 30% less water usage across all of its sites. Worth having a look if you work with denim and want to reduce your footprint. 6) The Circle Economy Foundation has released a new report (The Circularity Gap Report) which focuses on the textile sectors transition towards circularity - in partnership with H&M Foundation. The headline states that the sector is only 0.3% circular, below a global average of 7.2%. Link below for inspiration on how to move forward. 7) Looks like it could be a 'Merry Thrift-Mas', as UK consumers are set to spend over £2 billion on secondhand gifts this festive season from insights from a report by Vinted and Retail Economics. 84% of consumers are likely to spend a proportion of their shopping budget on pre-loved christmas gifts. 8) Global Fashion Agenda have launched the 'Upstream Circularity Playbook' aimed at scaling-up recycling operations in textile and garment supply chains. The report aims to help industry scale circular business models by valorising post-industry textile waste (in other words recognising the value in material waste) 9) Karen Millen has launched in-store rental services at Selfridges and John Lewis & Partners in London, in partnership with HURR 10) Looking to other industries - the LEGO Group are switching to paper-based bags in their Lego sets as part of their commitment to reduce single use plastics from their packaging. The new bags are verified as recyclable in the European Union, the United States, and Canada. 🔗 Links to articles in comments #sustainablefashion #circularfashion #enkel Image: Burberry Childrenswear Remake Collection

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𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗙𝗜𝗧... ...𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗖𝗔𝗞𝗘 Cristina Holm, one of the UK's leading personal stylists explains: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. This means making sure every garment is right for you. So, what do I mean by 'right'? 𝟭. 𝙄𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 When you know your 'season' and buy accordingly. Just like magic, you find all these matching toned colours will mix and match with ease. 𝟮. 𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚 Believe or not, there are more than 4,000 female body shapes, so it's no wonder what suits another, may not suit you (and that's before you even talk about sizing!) 𝗡𝗢𝗪, 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪? A key reason why 30-60% of the average UK wardrobe is filled with clothes we don't wear is because they are full of the wrong ingredients. So let's turn that frown upside down... Cristina's 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 - 𝗠𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 For less than the cost of a coffee per month, you can see all your favourite brands, all in one place, showing you styles which are ranked best for you. Guiding you to always buy the right ingredients! How great is that. 🤫 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/e2EJhv3j Think of it as your 'Master Cake Baker' as your 'Perfect Outfit Maker'! 😆 👀 😍 #mysecretstylist #personalstylist #digitalstylist #bodyshape #bestshoppingsecret #fashion #clothes #shopping #outfitting #likebakingacake

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The new government has committed to real action on the circular economy, providing roadmaps for sectors to become more sustainable, and the fashion industry must be part of that shift.   Today, our head of resource policy Libby Peake shared insights on extended producer responsibility within the world of sustainable fashion at the UKFT Association Sustainability Conference. Here’s what she had to say👉 #sustainability #sustainablefashion #circulareconomy

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Clip from this weeks episode with Diana Kakkar - Fashion-led luxury garment supplier, founder of MAES London - Luxury Womenswear Manufacturer. Diana is deeply integrated in the UK fashion scene as she is also a mentor at the British Fashion Council, a visiting lecturer at University of the Arts London, and an ambassador for the UK Fashion and Textile Association. In this episode we discuss her entrepreneurial journey, sustainable fashion, and innovation. Listen to the full episode on Apple and Spotify! #CircularFashion #SustainableFashion #Entrepreneurship

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This week's fashion retail people moves include appointments at Clarks and Brand Machine Group. Register for FREE below to keep up with the latest people moves. #retailnews #peoplemoves #fashionnews

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A texfash.com special: Italian #machinery major Tonello's Marketing and R&D Director Alice Tonello tells Subir Ghosh: In recent years, the importance of #finishingtechnology has notably grown, emerging as an important key tool for reducing #environmentalimpact. This shift is further supported by advancements in #fabrictechnology and the adoption of #responsiblechemistry. For users, this marks as a radical paradigm shift from traditional, labour-intensive methods, yet enables the creation of #garments that retain an authentic aesthetic. #denim #textilemachinery #italianmachinery

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The Labour Party are you going to listen to the #fashion #Garment #manufacturing Sector? The garment manufacturing sector has been battered! Since 2019 there has been a steady decline of the number of #manufacturers within the UK. When Fashion-Enter Ltd/ FashionCapital started working in #Leicester there were 1500 garment factories employing the best part of 15,000 skilled workers. Today there are 96 factories left. How on earth could we have let this happen. We once proudly proclaimed that we could make 30,000 #garments a week from our sites in Haringey and Wales. Today, Wales is closed as a manufacturing unit of excellence and it's being transformed into a Fashion Academy with Newtown College. At least there a successful outcome but it hurts! It hurts to close down a fantastic unit with such talented #stitchers that had all worked together at Laura Ashley for over 30 years. How on earth could we have let that skilled workforce just disappear! It's criminal when they could have been making #ppe instead of Lady Mone grabbing contracts of £200m! But there is hope! #Repairs and #reprocessing is now a major sector for garment manufacturers and this requires the machinists to upskill and diversify their skills. We are all for this new segment as we have our own Fashion Technology Academy. The new Labour government needs to ensure that their new Skills England has a budget for adults to learn "real" skills for "real" jobs! For the first time we are being approached by overseas manufactures that want to test and repeat in the UK. Trying to compete with Bangladesh where labour prices are 150BTD per hour (eh that's just 99p per hour!) compared to the UK £11.44 NMW is near on impossible so let's look at the options that labour could provide!  - R&D research grants  - Engagement with funding bodies for ALL sizes of SMEs - Training grants to upskill workforce - Acknowledgement for factories that are ethical and audited. - The urgent need of an independent #adjudicator that will prevent abuse of power from retailers to factories - Preferential loans for expansion/purchase of capital equipment/new software   - A review of apprenticeships; make the apprenticeship scheme easy again for employers of all sizes - For designated areas, such as Leicester, there is a need for special intervention. If the Conservative Government found the funds to support Tata Steel to the tune of £500m to save 5,000 jobs why can't they invest in Leicester? - Use of export fairs to promote Made in the UK. The event at Number10 Downing Street was fantastic but then there was no follow up. I get they were busy at the time however!!!    - Hold more direct CEO roundtables - the one with @MP Catherine West  with six CEO's was so HONEST! Conversations that were direct and essential for the wellbeing of our sector. Well, lets see what happens next. I just hope Labour is prepared to listen to industry and see a new dawn for manufacturing!

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