What we’ve been doing on your behalf in 2023
21/12/2023
It has been a busy year for UKFT, our members and the vibrant industry that we represent. 2023 featured the release of the ground-breaking report ‘The Fashion & Textile Industry’s Footprint in the UK’, busy international tradeshow and career event programmes, as well as our ongoing series of webinars.
The focus on circularity has intensified this past year within the sector, reflected by UKFT’s own activity surrounding sustainability and innovation. We have been at the forefront of large-scale innovation projects aiming to tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges, while providing guidance to help our members meet their sustainability goals.
We offer a warm welcome to the new brands, retailers, manufacturers and textile companies who became members of UKFT in 2023. Plus, a huge thank you to our longstanding members for their continued support. If you’re not yet a member, you can find out about joining us to help create a stronger, more sustainable UK fashion and textile industry here.
If you have suggestions or feedback regarding UKFT’s activity, please email info@ukft.org. We would love to hear from you!
Continue reading to discover UKFT’s key areas of activity…
SKILLS & TRAINING
- Promoted careers and opportunities to the next generation of talented workers through its careers-focused website UKFT Futures and at a wide range of career fairs across the country.
- Facilitated the access to internships and training via the bursary schemes MADE IT and Drapers x UKFT, as well as through the Young Textile Technician Fund.
- Launched an online training programme for production sewing machinists in response to demand from industry, on the UKFT Academy website.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
- Supported a total of 735 UK brands and businesses at international tradeshows, showrooms and events via our Global Brand campaign.
- Provided international business support to help UK companies navigate changing markets, fast-evolving international regulations and complex global trading arrangements.
- Played an essential part in the first trade mission to Japan in many years, alongside the Department for Business and Trade, the British Fashion Council and Walpole.
SUSTAINABILITY & INNOVATION
Sustainability and innovation have been key areas of activity this past year for UKFT. The UKFT Sustainability in UK Textile Conference brought the industry together in September, to discuss the current challenges facing the sector. UKFT also launched the Sustainability 101 series, providing unbiased, industry-specific guidance to simplify the journey towards sustainability.
Furthermore, UKFT is at the forefront of large-scale innovation projects aiming to tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including:
- The Automatic-sorting for Circular Textiles Demonstrator, a £4 million project to develop and pilot a pioneering fully-integrated, automated sorting and pre-processing demonstrator for post-consumer waste textiles.
- The Circular Fashion Innovation Network in partnership with the British Fashion Council, aiming to support and guide the creation of a circular fashion ecosystem in the UK.
- The Digital Supply Chain Hub for Textiles that will improve the visibility of data flows in waste textiles.
- The development of an EPR Data Sandbox, an industry-led Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles.
UK MANUFACTURING
- Introducing the three-part webinar series ‘Disrupting Manufacturing’, exploring how technology can solve issues and create opportunities within apparel manufacturing.
- Arranging visits to UK manufacturers, including HRH The Princess Royal’s visit to MAES London and Kalopsia Collective, as well as Justine Simons OBE’s (London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries) visit to Apparel Tasker.
- Encouraging skills development within the sector through the MADE IT programme, which offers students the opportunity to gain real-life manufacturing and sourcing experience.
THE FASHION & TEXTILE INDUSTRY’S FOOTPRINT
- Contributed £62 billion to the UK GDP
- 1.3 million jobs across the country
- Raised more than £23 billion in tax revenue
The report was researched and written by Oxford Economics, commissioned by UKFT and funded by a range of cross-sector organisations including The Clothworkers’ Company, The Weavers’ Company, Innovate UK, the University of Huddersfield, the Greater London Authority and The Cotton Textiles Research Trust.
It confirms that the UK fashion and textile industry has the potential to play a pivotal role in the nation’s next phase of economic growth. The sector could support an additional £15 billion in GVA, generate 100,000 more jobs and contribute £5 billion in tax receipts if it returns to its 2019 size.
Contact info@ukft.org to access the full report and find out more about the UKFT membership here.