Fashion Roundtable’s Representation & Inclusion in the Fashion Industry Paper

Fashion Roundtable, the only Fashion-focused consultancy providing industry leading events, public affairs and policy, have just held the first of their stakeholder meeting groups to gather evidence for their forthcoming Representation and Inclusion Paper, due for release in the Autumn. Fashion Roundtable met with a cross section fashion industry professionals in Parliament on Monday 13^th May.

Fashion generates a £60bn turnover each year for the UK economy, as part of the fastest growing sector, the creative industries are forecast to grow to £150bn GVA by 2023. Yet BAME and less advantaged access to jobs in the fashion design economy is currently cited at just 9% for both groups, according to data released for the launch of the Creative Sector Industrial Strategy last year by DCMS and NESTA.

Globally there are 1.3bn people with disabilities, representing a market the size of China, and in the UK the spending power of disabled people and their households, known as the purple pound, is worth £249bn. The paper will target BAME and the Equality Act for Disabled persons and consider religious and LGTBQ+ identity.

Fashion Roundtable’s Representation & Inclusion in the Fashion Industry Paper will focus on the aspect of artistic creation, including not limited to: fashion and textile design, styling, PR, advertising, fashion publications, modelling and retail.

CEO & Founder of Fashion Roundtable, Tamara Cincik said: “Fashion like politics and indeed the FTSE 250 needs to recognise that inclusion and representation have to be core to systemic change. If businesses and politics are to represent the people they serve, then we need to see a radical transformation to create a sector, which is inclusive and representative of all of us. For businesses to connect with our consumers those in charge should recognise the need for change in order to be effective and valued in these growing and important markets.”

The paper will share the evidence gathered at the meeting and subsequent stakeholder meetings, alongside existing data from NESTA, DCMS, Oxford Economics & The British Fashion Council, and lay out a strategy for fashion to be a more inclusive industry. If you or the company you represent would like to be part of this evidence and paper please contact admin@fashionroundtable.com