As the official Christmas countdown began on Friday around the world (nearly there, peeps!), the UK was waking up to the result of the General Election. The first December election since 1910 saw Boris Johnson crowned Prime Minister. It may seem like some Dickensian nightmare (where are those pesky ghosts when you need ‘em?) but in fact, BoJo’s pledge to “Get Brexit done” won the voters over.

So, what does this mean for fashion? Well aside from the obvious: Boris’ hideous hair; his shocking sartorial choices and frightful fashion faux pas, Brexit will have consequences for all involved in fashion, whether they live in, or work with the UK. 

90% of fashion designers told the British Fashion Council they were voting to remain, citing pressures like clothing and footwear tariffs. It’s estimated these costs alone would be just over £1billion more each year. And as the Tories take back border control, it’s likely that it will shrink the work force of around 10,000 European workers. With other things to consider, like the rising costs of material, the increased delivery times and the general uncertainty around what leaving the EU will mean, the future of UK fashion is starting to look bleak, with the likes of Katharine Hamnett setting up overseas.

But is it all doom and gloom? Well perhaps you don’t have to add those Miu Miu loafers to your saved items and pine over them just yet. The pound is up! For the first time since Britain and exit were melded into a word no-one quite knows how to pronounce (seriously, is it Brecksit or Bregzit?!), the value of sterling has risen. That means we have more spending power. And perhaps this momentary honeymoon period will encourage people to spend.

Then there’s the #lewks the fashion industry will be serving. After all, such divisive times have spurned subversive fashion trends throughout history. The excesses and pretension of the 70s brought us the anarchic punk era, with designers like Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren helping to popularize the anti-establishment garms through their own disruptive designs. 

The Thatcher era put power dressing firmly on the agenda. The incendiary premier arguably invented girl power (Tory spice?) all whilst sporting her trademark massive shoulder pads and knife-sharp tailoring. 

Sadly, many commentators think we would suffer both economically and culturally if we leave the EU. Me? *Adds a Hamnett “Cancel Brexit” t-shirt to bag.*

 

Words by Teela Clayton

 

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