Fashion
British Fashion Council 2030 to strengthen UK fashion industry
The strategy brings together funding, education, skills, space, partnerships and global access into a connected system designed to nurture creative excellence, strengthen commercial resilience and drive long-term growth, the BFC said in a press release.
The BFC has launched ‘BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth,’ shifting from promotion to industry support.
The strategy integrates funding, education, and global access, while introducing initiatives to nurture talent, build skills, and expand partnerships.
It aims to strengthen resilience, support designers, and sustain the UK fashion industry’s long-term economic and cultural impact.
BFC will modernise its membership structure, refresh its prizes and programmes, and expand scholarships to strengthen support for British craft, innovation, and manufacturing, while creating clearer routes from education into the fashion industry.
To enable long-term growth, it will deliver four core initiatives: BFC Fashion Assembly, which reconnects designers with schools and communities to champion arts education and inspire future talent; BFC Fashion House, providing shared studio spaces and resources across the UK; BFC Mini MBA, equipping emerging leaders with expertise in business, technology, and sustainability; and BFC International, focused on growing global partnerships, increasing fundraising, and boosting trade and export opportunities for UK designers.
Delivered through a structured three-year growth plan and a fourth year focused on measurement and scale, the strategy positions the BFC not simply as a promoter of fashion, but as a steward of a national creative asset, convening partners, unlocking investment and enabling designers to build resilient, future-facing businesses and support long-term industry growth.
“Fashion is not ornamental. It is strategic. What we wear speaks before we do. It shapes identity, expresses culture and signals what we stand for. The industry contributes £67.5 billion (~$89.8 billion) in gross value added annually to the UK economy, supporting jobs, exports, tourism and soft power. Yet the creative engine that drives this impact is under critical strain and if left unchecked, we risk weakening both the nation’s cultural influence and economic resilience,” said Laura Weir, chief executive, British Fashion Council.
“This strategy sets out how we will act, unlocking smarter funding pathways, building stronger partnerships and supporting designers to create resilient, future-facing businesses. The British Fashion Council cannot deliver this alone. But we can convene, catalyse and lead, working collectively to ensure that Britain’s fashion creativity endures and thrives for generations to come,” added Weir.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
This marks the first comprehensive revision in decades, with the last fee increases recorded in 1998 for trademarks, 2016 for designs, and 2018 for patents. The IPO stated that the changes aim to address a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 while supporting continued investment in digital systems and services.
The UK IPO has increased fees for trademarks, designs and patents from April 1, 2026 under new rules, marking the first major revision in years.
The move reflects a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 and aims to support continued investment in digital systems and services, with transitional provisions applicable for certain filings and payments.
The updated fees apply to all applications and payments made on or after April 1, 2026. Transitional provisions have also been outlined for certain cases. For designs, deferred registration requests submitted from April 1 onwards will be subject to the new fees, even if the original application was filed earlier.
For trademarks, applicants using the permitted period of grace may still be eligible to pay the previous fee, provided the application was filed before April 1 and any outstanding payment is completed within the IPO’s deadline.
Separately, UKFT has submitted industry feedback to the IPO regarding the UK’s updated Design Framework, which is expected to be announced later this year.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)
The 2026 apparel slowdown signals a structural reset rather than a cyclical dip, with fragmented demand and weaker pricing power reshaping growth.
Rising input costs and inventory build-up are compressing margins, while cautious consumer spending and supply chain risks prolong a low-growth, high-complexity phase.
Export demand remains inconsistent, limiting visibility for manufacturers.
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Cost pressures, though no longer accelerating, remain elevated. Firms continue to report difficulties in recruitment, while a significant proportion expect to raise prices in the coming months.
UK business confidence remains subdued and investment intentions are weak, the BCC Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2026 shows.
Cost pressures, though no longer accelerating, remain elevated.
Firms continue to report difficulties in recruitment, while a significant proportion expect to raise prices in the coming months.
Firms are not reporting crisis conditions, but neither are they signalling momentum.
The QES did not register a sudden collapse. Instead, it showed a long plateau of hesitation. Investment balances weakened and remained weak. Confidence drifted rather than fell. Firms delayed decisions. The signal was not panic but paralysis, a BCC release noted.
Firms are not reporting crisis conditions. But neither are they signalling momentum. The British economy appears to be operating below potential, with limited resilience to absorb further shocks.
The nature of the next shock will determine how these indicators move, and how severe the impact will be, the BCC feels.
An escalation of conflict in Iran would most likely transmit through energy prices and global supply chains. If so, the QES would be expected to register a familiar pattern: rising input costs, increased price expectations, and a renewed squeeze on margins. Confidence could weaken further, particularly if financial markets react sharply. Investment, already subdued, may be delayed again.
The risk is not simply the shock itself, but the accumulation of shocks and their long-term economic consequences. Over the past decade, UK businesses have had little time to rebuild buffers. Each episode—uncertainty, shutdown, inflation, volatility—has left its mark. The latest QES shows an economy that has adapted, but not fully recovered.
The latest data does not yet show a new earthquake, but does reveal some very shaky ground, BCC added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
UK revises intellectual property fee structure effective April 2026
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