The UK fashion sector, often overshadowed by the roaring engines of automotive giants, is now sharpening its needles and threading its way into the political spotlight. As the government crafts its industrial strategy in response to Donald Trump’s trade tariffs—swung like a wrecking ball through global markets—fashion manufacturing remains conspicuously absent from the blueprint.
While car manufacturers and aerospace engineers dominate the conversation, the fashion and textiles sector—with its delicate weave of heritage craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation—finds itself relegated to the bargain bin of policy priorities. Tamara Cincik, founder of Fashion Roundtable, isn’t stitching her words: "Industry isn’t just pistons and propellers. It’s Harris Tweed’s rugged charm and the pixel-perfect precision of digital textile printers."
Her frustration is palpable. The government’s omission, she argues, clashes with its own rhetoric about creative industries fueling economic growth. "This isn’t just about catwalks and couture," Cincik adds. "It’s jobs, skills, and a £32 billion contribution to the UK economy—left hanging by a thread."
Though the UK enjoys a modest 10% tariff rate from the US—a seeming silver lining—the reality is tangled. Most British brands manufacture overseas, stitching their garments in China or Italy. Cincik warns of "a storm of ‘UK washing’—brands draped in Union Jacks but sewn elsewhere, facing tariffs as high as 104%." The result? A bureaucratic snarl that could leave retailers scrambling like models in too-tight heels.
The sector’s plea is simple: recognize fashion as more than frivolity. From public procurement of UK-made uniforms to safeguarding skilled jobs, the industry demands a seat at the table—before the thread runs out.
