Jenny Holloway to Present at Westminster Conference

The focus:

Next steps for policy and business practice to ensure that the British fashion industry can grow, widen and sustain its markets – focusing particularly on skills, infrastructure, export, and the wearable technology market.

Context:

• The new Intellectual Property Act providing increased protection for UK registered designs;
• Government support to encourage companies to bring production back to the UK; and
• Recent growth in the wearable technology market.

Overall, areas for discussion include:

• Great British fashion revival – domestic manufacturing, export markets and the ethical dimension: next steps for re-shoring textile and fashion manufacturing; opportunities for the British fashion industry to capitalise on new emerging markets; and latest thinking on ethical policies and corporate responsibility strategies;
• Sector skills, competitive advantage and emerging British talent: recent developments in industry apprentice schemes; options to increase industry links with education and nurture design talent; and examine the challenges for supplying the technical skills and infrastructure needed to match increasing demand for British-made clothing; and
• Wearable technology trends and opportunities for the British fashion industry: analysing key trends in the wearable technology market; emerging commercial opportunities for fashion brands to capitalise on technological innovations and create strategic collaborations with global high-tech companies.

Speakers:

Keynotes: Michelle Emmerson, Chief Executive Officer, Walpole British Luxury; John Miln, Chief Executive Officer, UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) and Lasse Wassermann, Senior Programme Manager, Google X.

Further confirmed speakers include: Simon Bennett, Partner, Fox Williams; Sally Britton, Partner, Mishcon de Reya; Mariel Brown, Associate Director and Head of Trends, SeymourPowell; Professor Frances Corner, Head of College, London College of Fashion; Kate Hills, Founder and Editor, Make it British; Jenny Holloway, Director, Fashion Enter; Tamsin Lejeune, Managing Director and Founder, Ethical Fashion Forum; Bill Macbeth, Managing Director, Textile Centre of Excellence; Dids Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, ACID (Anti Copying in Design); Kate O’Connor, Executive Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Creative Skillset; Stephen Taylor, Senior Manager, Kurt Salmon and Amy Winters, Director, Rainbow Winters.

Chairs: Lord Stone of Blackheath, Member, International Trade Council and David Ward MP, Chair, Associate Parliamentary Group for Textile Manufacturing have kindly agreed to chair this seminar.

Networking:

Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Lords and officials from BIS; theDH and IPO. Also due to attend are representatives from ACID (Anti Copying in Design); Addleshaw Goddard; Addleshaw Goddard; Anglia Ruskin University; Baker & McKenzie; Baker & McKenzie; Barker Brettell; Bath Spa University; Bathspa University; Bird & Bird; Bradford College; Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts; Charles Russell; Cisco; Clarion; Clintons; Collyer Bristow; Coventry University; Creative Scotland; Creative Skillset; Creative Skillset Cymru; Cultural Enterprise Office; Dentons UKMEA;DLA Piper; Dragon Rouge; Eversheds; Falmouth University; Fashion & Design Club; Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust; Fieldfisher; George At Asda; Gill Jennings & Every; Glasgow Clyde College; Google; Holition; Huffington Post UK; Joelson Wilson; Kemp Little; Kensington and Chelsea College; Kingston University London; KPMG; Leeds College of Art; Leicester City Council; LLEP; London College of Fashion; London Metropolitan University; Maclay Murray & Spens; MADE-BY; Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design; Manchester Metropolitan University; Marks & Clerk Solicitors; Nottingham Trent University; Olswang; Organics for Kids; Pera Training;Planet Retail; R A Smart (Holdings); Rapisardi Intellectual Property; Rasmart Holdings; Ravensbourne; Rosebuckle; RS Components;Scottish Textile & Leather Association; Sheridans; Sipara; Society of Dyers & Colourists; Southampton Solent University; State of Mind; Teesside University; The Textile Institute; UAL Awarding Body; UNIT9; University of Bristol; University of Hertfordshire; University of Huddersfield; University of Leeds; University of Westminster and Withers.

Chaired by:

David Ward MP, Chair, Associate Parliamentary Group for Textile Manufacturing

Timing: Morning, Tuesday, 21^st October 2014

Venue: The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, London SW1X 7DR

This seminar is CPD certified

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