Home & Grown

Scrolling through one of my much loved blogs, The Business of Fashion (or BOF as some may call it), I came across this article from a few days ago.

Made in Britain's new wave - Telegraph

It talks of how the manufacture of British fashion is slowly beginning to creep back to shore. I find the topic of oversea manufacture and the UK's real position and influence within the fashion market to be very interesting as I always seem to get riled up and passionate when it pops into topic.

The real question I always seem to pose though, is how long will it take before we are reunited with the prosperous textile industry that the UK was once home to? And what will be the effects of this? As much as I hope to see this change happen for the good, I'm sure that it will have some kind of effect on the fashion industry that may not work for the better.

For example, when manufacturing moved overseas to. countries of cheaper labour, yes, fashion companies were now able to supply products at low prices, but it was at the expense of employee exploitation. By bringing manufacture back to the UK, will we then face the cost of higher priced garments? Yes, quality is now a factor that consumers are beginning to look for and pay more attention to in their purchases, but are we as a country really ready and willing to pay these higher prices?

So many more questions and potential scenarios arise when I debate this topic. How will this effect fast fashion? How will it effect the economy? What will be the new world pecking order? As the BRIC economies emerge and begin to take greater stances on the fashion industry, will the UK be forgotten? Are we soon to be exploited in a similar way to those before?

But despite the sceptical questioning, I know that the UK is home to many of the worlds most innovative and creative designers. We hold heritage of past ancestors and generations who were and still are highly skilled in textile manufacture. So why not be proud of our heritage and share that with the world?

I have no hesitation in our ability to produce quality goods. I have hesitation in our ability to sustain the production in quality goods. But I would not be so passionate on the topic if I didn't want to have an impact on it myself. With the hope and ambition to one day start my own company and clothing brand, I want to be a part of the new generation that believes in home grown manufacture and recognises the significance of heritage.

Just some food for thought :)

TheGoldSmith. x