Fashion
UK national living wage, minimum wage to rise from Apr 2026
The national living wage (NLW) for those over 21 will rise by 50 pence an hour, or 4.1 per cent, to £12.71 ($17).
The UK government recently accepted the advice of Low Pay Commission on the changes to minimum wage rates.
The national living wage (NLW) for those over 21 will rise by 50 pence an hour, or 4.1 per cent, to £12.71 ($17).
The national minimum wage (NMW) for those aged 18 to 20 will rise by 8.5 per cent to £10.85.
NMW for 16 and 17 year olds will rise to £8 per hour—a 6-per cent uplift.
The national minimum wage (NMW) for those aged 18 to 20 will rise by 8.5 per cent to £10.85. NMW for 16 and 17 year olds will rise to £8 per hour—a 6-per cent uplift.
Reeves said the move, which would take effect in April next year, would support people struggling to make ends meet, according to domestic media.
The latest increase in NLW for workers 21 and over is worth £900 annually and represents a 22-per cent increase over the past four years. Workers aged 18 to 20 will get an even larger rise, worth £1,500 a year.
Trade bodies and economists, however, cautioned the latest hike may harm employment, particularly among the young.
“Every above-inflation wage increase leads to higher business costs, lower investment and fewer opportunities for individuals. Making employment more expensive risks deepening the jobs crisis among young people,” Jane Gratton, deputy director of public policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said in a statement.
“Our research shows that labour costs remain the biggest cost pressure for SMEs [small and medium enterprises], cited by 72 per cent of businesses in Q3. There’s a limit to how much additional cost employers can bear without something having to give,” she said.
“With unemployment rising, the government needs to use tomorrow’s Budget to ease cost pressures for business. Crucially, there must be no new tax increases for businesses,” she added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
China will step up building a higher-level China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.
President Xi Jinping recently held talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Xi said both countries should work together in their modernisation drive, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and prioritise infrastructure connectivity.
While meeting Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the state visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Wang said both sides should focus on implementing the high-level common perceptions, including raising bilateral trade turnover to $500 billion in future.
Hung urged China to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, broaden the list of products eligible for tariff preferences and further open its market. He also called for the mutual recognition of quarantine results for agro-forestry-fishery products, facilitation of Vietnamese exports via cross-border e-commerce, and expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices across Chinese localities, according to a Vietnamese news agency.
China will continue to support Vietnam in setting up additional trade promotion offices, following those already established in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Haikou, Wang responded.
China also expressed readiness to support Vietnam’s stronger exports through cross-border e-commerce, encouraging greater visibility of the Vietnam National Pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD.com to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.
China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and second-largest export market, while Vietnam continues to be China’s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
British actors Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth star alongside models Alva Claire, Babacar N’Doye and Sacha Quenby and a cast of synchronised swimmers and divers.
Burberry’s High Summer 2026 campaign captures Britain’s nostalgic lido culture through a sunlit film featuring Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth.
Blending heritage check with pastel tones, the collection spans swimwear, relaxed tailoring, raffia bags and lightweight layers, evoking effortless, poolside summer style.
Directed by Francis Plummer, the campaign reflects a warm, communal British summer mood.
The campaign film is directed by Francis Plummer and shot by photographer Ryan McGinley. The cameras move from loungers to diving boards, catching mid-air dives and friends stretched out in the hazy afternoon light. Before long, the best spots by the pool are claimed with a Burberry towel. Summer has begun. The film is underscored by the TONE remix of ‘Beating’ by Tirzah.
‘A lido holds a particular kind of nostalgia for the British. The moment the sun comes out, we make the most of the weather. We wanted to bring to life a warm summer’s day spent in and around the water’s edge with friends.’ said Daniel Lee Chief Creative Officer, Burberry.
Key styles
The High Summer 2026 collection features the Burberry Check in heritage-inspired sand beige and pastel shades of aubergine purple and cornflower blue.
The iconic Burberry Check bikini is the beach essential, alongside matching swimsuits and men’s swim shorts trimmed with check.
Poolside separates include tops, skirts and shirts cut from cotton voile, plus cover-up dresses woven with a tonal Burberry Check and deckchair-inspired stripes. Ruffled trims and ties at the neckline capture the floaty, effortless feel of the collection. Festival
tank tops in ribbed cotton jersey are trimmed with check straps, while looks are wrapped in lightweight wool silk scarves.
For men, collared shirts and shorts are tailored to relaxed lines and finished with fresh interpretations of the Burberry Check, from textural weaves to intricate embroidered designs. The co-ord set is crafted from lightweight cotton poplin printed with a playful seahorse pattern in honeysuckle pink.
The classic cotton piqué polo shirt comes in a spectrum of vivid and neutral colours. Burberry Check is subtly placed at the placket and trims the collar of T-shirts in soft cotton jersey.
Lightweight hooded jackets are ideal for cooler evenings and unexpected showers, the new-season designs woven in aubergine purple and cornflower blue check.
In shoes, the new Knight Runner sneakers offer a streamlined, low-profile shape for summer. Sandals are elevated in the form of the whipstitched leather Baez and check-trimmed suede Urchin styles, while Burberry Check slides and Pavilion sandals are made for the beach.
Lightweight Margate bags are handcrafted in Madagascar from locally sourced raffia palm leaves, dyed in signature sand beige Burberry Check. Accessories include crocheted bucket hats and wraparound sunglasses, designed to shield from the sun.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)
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