The UK continues to produce some of the most influential design talent in the world.
That hasn’t changed.
What I’m less certain about is whether we are building the same strength in making.
The British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion, through its 2030 ambitions, is placing a strong focus on sustainability, innovation and the future of the industry.
Which is necessary.
But it also raises a more practical question.
What actually makes a product last?
There is a lot of conversation around supporting British talent. And rightly so.
But much of that support still sits around design, brand and visibility.
Less around materials, manufacturing, and the people who shape the product itself.
And this is where my experience as a buyer becomes relevant again.
I’ve seen collections with strong ideas, strong narratives, strong creative direction.
But when it came to the product, the execution often didn’t hold up.
Because the connection between design and making wasn’t strong enough.
And that is where longevity is decided.
Not in the concept.
In the cloth. The construction. The decisions made in the process.
We are introducing new materials, new processes, new expectations around sustainability.
But not always strengthening the capability needed to work with them properly.
So there is a disconnect.
We are producing strong creative voices, but not always equipping them with the understanding needed to make products that last.
And if the next phase of fashion is built on fewer, better products, that connection becomes essential.
From the perspective of building Pinto Hervia, this is becoming very clear.
Design decisions are material decisions. Material decisions are manufacturing decisions. They cannot sit apart.
The opportunity for the UK is still very real.
We have the talent. We have the knowledge. We have the capability.
But we need to bring those parts together in a more practical way.
Because the future of fashion will not be defined by ideas alone.
It will be defined by what lasts.
