British Fashion Council

"More people want to tell their stories from different communities across fashion" - #KaznaAsker   In Season 6, Episode 4, ‘Exploring the Philosophy of Fashion’, the latest episode of the #BFC Fashion Forum Podcast, brings together #BFCFoundation designer, KAZNA.ASKER, is joined by with journalist and editor, Mahoro Seward, and model and actor Yasmin El Yassini, unpacking the different layers of fashion. Listen now on streaming platforms and watch on Youtube via https://lnkd.in/ejasnjgM.

Artist and photographer Jesse Gouveia is a 2024 NEW WAVE: Creative who uses his practice to explore themes of recollection and how we graph and archive mental records. Gouveia’s work navigates us through the mind, using imagery to evoke the memory and delve into patterns of habit. NEW WAVE: Creatives lists 50 of the most dynamic talents who are playing a critical role across the fashion industry. Uncover more via https://lnkd.in/dqQEmQi9.

Happy March! Looking back at February, the highlight was undoubtedly #LondonFashionWeek returning to 180 Studios, bringing an array of catwalks, presentations, brand activations, and showcase events. In our 180 Box and Dazed Space, #LFW guests had exclusive access to Highsnobiety’s “Not In” Travel Lounge, along with activations from Carlsberg Group #1664ukblanc, Alo Yoga, #MoroccoKingdomofLight, and #ReferencePoint — plus a striking art installation by Jude Lartey. Meanwhile, in our XR Studio, the British Fashion Council Showcase Space provided #NEWGEN designers with a platform to present their latest collections to accredited press and buyers in town for LFW. From bespoke spaces designed for brand activations to state-of-the-art production studios, all complemented by exceptional in-house services and interiors, 180 Studios is the home of London’s best brands. Discover more on our website: https://lnkd.in/gYA49Y52 or contact us directly at hire@180studios.com. Installation video by DUCK Productions. #180Studios #180TheStrand #EventHire #SpaceHire #BrandActivation #LondonFashionWeek #LFW2025 

"Limitations can be opportunities.” The BFC Student Fabric Initiative is an annual dead-stock donation programme, providing free, high-quality fabrics to students at BFC Colleges Council member universities. The initiative encourages emerging talent to integrate more sustainable and resourceful design processes, while also gaining support throughout. During the Institute of Positive Fashion Forum 2025, which took place last week, guests had the opportunity to vote for their favourite piece out of five selected BA and MA Fashion Design finalists, along with the chance to connect with the 5 students and find out more about their process. BA Fashion Design, The Glasgow School of Art, Qiai Wang, was the winner of the fifth iteration of the competition. With thanks to #IPF Forum Delivery Collaborator, Deloitte UK, funded by the UK Government, supported by Mayor of London. #IPF #PositiveFashion The BFC would like to extend a special thank you to the materialist and this year’s generous designer donors: Burberry, Edeline Lee, Jimmy Choo, Margaret Howell, Pritch London, Qasimi, Roksanda, and Simone Rocha. Watch the film via https://lnkd.in/ejqXMdkc

Brilliant discussion last Thursday at the British Fashion Council’s IPF Forum, on a topic that is dear to me: how the fashion industry can decouple growth from resource use. It was so exciting to have this conversation with the fantastic Amy Powney, Bella Webb and Hasna Kourda! A few points I shared on the trends pushing us toward decoupling: 🔹 Business: Only 43% of fashion companies that grew between 2014 and 2024 also grew their profitability, meaning that growth often comes at the expense of long-term resilience. This is leading companies to refocus on profitability for example through rationalisation of store footprints, assortment, and discounting. 🔹 Consumer markets: Signs of saturation and cynicism are reshaping consumer behaviour. Fashion has been shrinking as a share of household spending for over two decades, with people increasingly redirecting money toward more rewarding experiences. 🔹 Political: While political momentum is growing – especially in Europe where sustainability is again seen as a driver of productivity and differentiation, many governments still need to understand the role they can play in supporting this transformation. 🔹 Inspiration from tech: Apple is a useful example - growing revenue and profit while reducing emissions (both absolute and relative), and expanding its service business. All these trends point to the growing importance of decoupling strategies - starting with efficiencies at the base of our pyramid, then moving toward product circulation, and ultimately expanding into value-added services. Luxury brands’ increasing exploration of hospitality might just be an early signal of these shifts taking shape. Congratulations for putting together such an inspiring event and for inviting me to share my research Shailja Dubé and Caroline Rush For those interested, we’ve developed a workshop to help brands explore opportunities to decouple growth from resource use — feel free to reach out to learn more. #fashion #sustainability #decarbonisation #businessstrategy #decoupling #circularity AKYN Save Your Wardrobe Vogue Business Swanstant

Last Thursday we participated in the 5th iteration of the Institute of Positive Fashion Forum, an annual, actions-based conference organised by the British Fashion Council which brings together key figures across the fashion industry. The inspiring day-long event consisted of a series of keynotes, workshops, and panel discussions unpacking six themes, with a key focus on circularity and carbon reduction.   That morning, Mulberry CEO Andrea Baldo joined Vogue Business Sustainability Editor Bella Webb for a fireside chat on Mulberry’s new strategy ‘Back to the Mulberry Spirit’ and sustainability’s important role within it. The pair discussed the brand’s leading circular economy programme – The Mulberry Exchange – and the significance of creating items which are Made to Last, while covering Mulberry’s key sustainability goals, as well as the challenges faced by both the brand and the wider industry.    Later that day our Head of Sustainability, Rosie Wollacott Phillips, joined a panel discussion featuring DEPLOY, E.L.V. DENIM, and Good On You, moderated by CNN Style Editor Kati Chitrakorn. The talk – entitled ‘How To Get Ahead in Sustainability Communications’, focused on the power of storytelling in driving sustainability change, from brand communication to policy influence. Topics discussed included how the different businesses are ensuring environmental messaging is credible and accurate, creating compelling sustainability narratives, and how brands of different sizes should approach change. 

“Fashion doesn’t really exist in isolation” - Mahoro Seward   Continuing to dive deeper into the multiple sections of fashion, season 6, episode 4 of the BFC Fashion Forum #Podcast brings together #BFCFoundation designer, #KaznaAsker, journalist and editor, Mahoro Seward, and model and actor Yasmin El Yassini, to delve into the philosophy of fashion, exploring how we can find meaning in aesthetics.    Watch on Youtube - https://lnkd.in/ejasnjgM - and listen on streaming platforms.

Brilliant to join the British Fashion Council Forum— bringing together industry leaders and changemakers to drive sustainable fashion. I chaired a panel discussion on the Low Carbon Transition Programme, backed by £1.2 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supporting small businesses on their journey towards circular fashion. So far, it’s helped 50 London-based SMEs understand their emissions and develop decarbonisation plans - cutting 10 tonnes of CO2 and counting. This project, supported by City Hall and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, shows the real impact we can achieve when we back small businesses to lead the green transition. It’s a key part of delivering on the Mayor’s net zero ambitions, business support plans, and the new London Growth Plan. London has always been a global leader in creativity and innovation - now we’re leading on sustainability too. Patrick McDowell, Maria Grachvogel, Rosella Vaccaro, Binal C., Caroline Rush, Justine Simons OBE, Shailja Dubé

I was honored to join the British Fashion Council's fifth-annual Institute of Positive Fashion Forum on Thursday to discuss something rather fundamental: #sustainability communications only work when they follow substantive business change — not the other way around. My fellow panelists — Anna Foster (E.L.V. DENIM), Dr. Bernice Pan (DEPLOY), and Rosie Wollacott Phillips (Mulberry England) — each demonstrated how brands doing the meaningful supply chain work earn the right to tell more compelling stories. The most effective sustainability narratives aren't segregated as a "pillar" but integrated throughout a brand's identity. The brands reimagining how we relate to fashion in age of disposability aren't just checking regulatory boxes — they're attempting to rewrite what we might call the "architecture of desire" itself. Drawing from my perspective as a journalist, freelance strategist and editor-at-large at #fashion and beauty brand rating platform Good On You (where analysts have assessed thousands of brands' claims), I made the case for treating sustainability narratives with the same editorial rigor we'd apply to any consequential story. The era of claims like "save the planet by buying these shoes made from X% recycled ocean plastics" while ignoring the rest of your supply chain has collapsed under its own contradictions. But so-called #greenhushing, growing more common in our current era, isn’t the answer, either. The path forward isn't just about check-box compliance or merely seeking to avoid the reputation risks of greenwashing — it's about recognizing that few consumers make decisions based on sustainability claims alone, but many engage with #fashion through desire, identity and cultural connection. Understanding that is, after all, the only way you can inspire lasting behavior change. And, certainly, being honest about where the industry has gone wrong is the best place to begin moving forward. Thanks to Kati Chitrakorn (CNN Style) for her incisive moderation and to the British Fashion Council for including me and Good On You in the conversation. (Photos of me and my fellow panelists speaking courtesy Eeva Rinne.)

Season 6 of the BFC Fashion Forum #Podcast continues to explore different topics impacting the creative industry. #BFCFoundation designer KAZNA.ASKER is joined by journalist, Mahoro Seward, and model and actor Yasmin El Yassini in ‘Exploring the Philosophy of Fashion’, an episode delving aesthetics and exploring a deeper meaning within fashion design and imagery. Don't miss it - 27.03.2025, 3pm GMT on podcast streaming platforms and Youtube.