Creation of Britain’s GREAT Initiative
In order to seize the opportunities that 2012’s extensive media coverage could bring, it is therefore extremely important that Britain is positively promoted internationally ahead of these pivotal events. The ‘Britain’s GREAT Campaign’ has therefore just been officially launched In New York, fronted by Anna Wintour, Hamish Bowles, and Victoria Beckham. Prime Minister David Cameron explains that it’s an initiative which focuses upon positively promoting the key components of the UK: shopping, heritage, music, innovation, sports, entrepreneurship, and countryside. From a shopping perspective, the campaign reinforces Britain’s status as the shopping capital of the world with the largest selection of major global retailers, some of the most famous department stores in the world, and host to London Fashion Week, which is internationally perceived as one of the most important fashion diary dates.
Samantha Cameron’s Plea for British Manufacturing
The Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron, who is an ambassador for the British Fashion Council, believes that British Fashion is an important part of the British economy’s future, and so, in conjunction with London Fashion Week AW12, she used her own reception for the world’s top designers, models, and fashion executives at Downing Street as a platform to ask British designers to start manufacturing in Britain once more. A move towards British manufacturing, highlighted by the media coverage which 2012 will bring, would significantly boost the UK fashion industry’s turnover, and in turn help the economy.
Mary Portas’ Goal
The UK’s celebrity retail advisor, Mary Portas, who has helped an array of British fashion sectors, also appreciates the importance of the shift to UK manufacturing. So much so that she is currently fronting a new British television show which is following the establishment of an underwear factory in Manchester. Portas is fully aware that she can’t compete with cheap manufacturers abroad in the sense of high quantity, but knows that there are Fashion Buyers out there who would prefer a lower quantity of goods at a slightly higher price if it meant an overall better quality.
These are all positive signs that 2012 really could be THE year for the British fashion industry.
Images: Dailymail GraziaDaily Zimbio
