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The British Fashion Council’s nationwide initiative Fashion Britain will run more than 1,000 events across London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Dundee, and Edinburgh. BFC chief executive Laura Weir announced that the scheme threads panel talks, exhibitions, retail activations, and live performances through seven cities during London Fashion Week.
The organisation’s ambitious attempt will rally retailers, designers, and cultural institutions to shift British fashion’s centre of gravity beyond the capital.
This initiative has been long in the making since Weir floated the concept at the BFC’s summer party in July. Her goal is for the British public to see themselves in fashion and drive footfall back to high streets. For years, they’ve been losing ground to online retail.
Fashion Britain is part of BFC’s Strategy 2030, transitioning from promotion to practical, sustained support for designers and businesses. The plan targets 38% revenue growth to £18 million by 2030.
Fashion Britain builds on the BFC’s City Wide Celebration, a public-facing fashion festival running across major UK cities, including London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle. It also follows Fashion Assembly, a pilot that brings fashion education into UK schools.
Fashion House, part of the strategy, involves providing studio space, shared cultural resources and infrastructure across the UK. The new initiatives aren’t limited to the country; BFC International aims to unlock global partnerships, fundraising, and exports.
Dundee opens the nationwide initiative on 4 September. At V&A Dundee, Nicholas Daley and Charles Jeffrey will sit down for a panel moderated by Elle UK’s Avril Mair. This is timed to the museum’s Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show exhibition.
Edinburgh’s St James Quarter will rebrand as Westfield St James Quarter for the month. They’ll be partnering with Jeffrey for an immersive listening experience combining retail pop-ups with live music and archive displays.
Manchester follows on 12 September with Aitor Throup in conversation at Manchester Art Gallery, moderated by Elle UK’s Naomi Pike. The Trafford Centre runs a week of styling content under the banner House of Fashion.
London and Liverpool both host panels on 21 September. Patrick McDowell and Talia Byre talk with Elle UK’s Tamison O’Connor at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery. This is alongside “Beyond the Rail by All Over the Shop,” an immersive fashion experience spotlighting the city’s independent fashion scene. London’s National Gallery panel brings together Saul Nash, Clio Peppiatt, and Luke Derrick under Elle UK’s editor-in-chief, Kenya Hunt.
Hunt said the National Designer Panel series was built to pair “designers who have strong ties to each city” to celebrate creativity across the UK.
Newcastle’s Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art hosts Genevieve Devine and Barbour menswear director Ian Bergin on 26 September, moderated by Elle UK’s Chiara Wilkinson. The Newcastle Future Heritage student showcase is planned for Grainger Market. Bristol closes the panel series on 29 September at M Shed with J.L-AL designer Jean-Luc Ambridge Lavelle, moderated by Elle UK’s Lena De Casparis.
Tolu Coker and Priya Ahluwalia are curating immersive fashion and music experiences at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City. Saul Nash is staging Masquerade in Residence at the Truman Brewery.
The programme also features standalone activations from JW Anderson, Harris Reed with Missoma, Rejina Pyo, Max & Co with Paloma le Friant, and Simone Rocha with Harvey Nichols.
Fashion Britain’s retail component runs alongside the cultural programme, with major brands participating.
eBay is running a series of live-streamed sales spotlighting pre-loved luxury. It is headlined by the return of Endless Runway on 17 September and daily broadcasts from 180 Strand.
Mulberry marks its return to the schedule this season and will livestream its show at its Regent Street and Edinburgh stores on 20 September. This is Christopher Kane’s debut for the house. As part of London Fashion Week, Marks & Spencer will host its first-ever ‘see now, buy now’ show.
The London Fashion Week September season will also see the return of Fashion East, a new showcase from Birmingham City University, and new-generation menswear label Geordie Campbell will join the official calendar.
Collaborating with over 100 designer members and cultural institutions, Weir remarked, we aim to build “a stronger, more connected future for British Fashion.”
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