Nicola Simmons highlights some of the issues facing fashion retailers exporting and importing goods between the UK and EU and offers some practical points for affected businesses to consider.

Fashion Roundtable is holding a unity meeting on 1st March, at 11am-12pm GMT. This follows on from our meeting in January which led to our open letter to the Government, their reply, our follow up engagement. We will discuss the issues and the next steps.

On the 23rd of February 2021, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) added three documents to their website on the Agreement reached between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union. Here, we summarise and analyse the content of these documents and highlight some resources pertaining to future trade with the European Union.

Alice Temperley, Designer: “For the government to come back with this, they are hiding, they are cowards. The government likes to entertain us during fashion week when we are all invited to 10 Downing Street to meet the prime minister. But now the government isn’t here to help, there is no voice, there is no guidance and there is no clarity on the situation. No one is talking about the fashion industry.”

First rumoured back in July of last year, it’s been in the news again that the Treasury are considering a new online sales tax. But a simplistic approach to taxing online retailers creates very little of the desired outcome, and causes chaos for smaller businesses and start-ups that governments are usually so keen to support.

The latest Government updates for your businesses, members and supply chains, including some useful Brexit guidance and FAQs from HMRC below.

As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold last year, click & collect services exploded in popularity, as people were less inclined to spend time inside shops. Retailers with such a service tend to find that it's the fastest growing delivery option, and for those with store networks, up to 85% of customers will buy additional items when they collect their online order.

Sarah Reygate, Make-Up Artist for the Fashion and Music Industry: “As with many of my colleagues, my work has been deeply impacted by the pandemic. A lot of work comes from Paris. If I now have to organise work contracts and visas for each trip I am likely to lose that work to local based talent in Paris. The Government needs to commit to frictionless work travel for all creatives for the UK based fashion and music industry to continue to be a world leading industry.”

According to new data from Tyl by NatWest - where they explored purchasing habits during the pandemic – an estimated £7.2bn pounds was spent with local independent businesses in 2020. Clothing stores were ranked amongst the top 10 types of local business supported by UK consumers.

“Autumn / Winter 2021, entitled Ascension, marks a new dawn for ART SCHOOL, and indeed for myself as its creative director, my first full season alone. Ascension is a dystopian new view of the ART SCHOOL community, our place in the world and the relationships we form in trying times.”

Please see the latest Government updates including ongoing consultations and goods movement flowcharts. Email Fashion Roundtable at admin@fashionroundtable.co.uk is you have any questions or concerns.

This briefing note includes updates on the combined impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on the UK’s £35bn GDP fashion sector.

Tamara Cincik, CEO Fashion Roundtable: “What is taking the Government so long to answer our urgent request for a meeting? We understand there is a pandemic, but the Government has met with our colleagues in the music industry since signing the Brexit deal and we urge them to meet with us as well. Delays and silence are not a way forward for business certainty. This silence from the Government is deeply concerning and I hope that they commit to meeting with our stakeholders in the coming days, as they already have with our colleagues in the music industry. We urge them to show the same levels of concern and support for all aspects of business, creative industries and export brands.”

The Indian Farmers’ Protest has reached a critical point. People have gone missing, there are reports of extreme police brutality, and the number of known deaths caused by the violence is mounting. The Indian government released a statement accusing foreign commentators of joining a bandwagon without knowing all the facts. So here are those facts.

The Covid-19 outbreak has been a catalyst of a global economic downturn. Fashion has been one of the most affected sectors. Disruptions in the supply chain, fast-changing consumer behaviour, and declining sales have left businesses in the fashion industry in dire financial straits.

A key concern for the industry is the limits placed upon freedom of movement for fashion creatives, which is antithetical to a sector that relies heavily on last-minute bookings and an ability to move freely for work. Read our position and briefing on this issue below.

Please see below the most recent updates for your business/members and supply chains.

Following Fashion Roundtable’s open letter to Government, that garnered the support of more than 450 industry-wide signatories including Vivienne Westwood, Twiggy and Katherine Hamnett, we invite you to support our campaign to save the fashion industry.