A nation’s wealth and it’s attraction to work and live is determined by Gross domestic product (GDP), which is the market value of all final goods and services from a nation in a given year.

This means that as an economy we want to be productive, work hard, and make money.

To make money we have to have conditions in which businesses are supported by the Government to prosper, and in turn the government reap the reward of prosperity through taxes. These taxes can then be redistributed to contribute to the wealth and wellbeing of society as a whole.

Fashion businesses are a unique, unusual combination of art and commerce. For a fashion business to be successful they need to be supported financially and to employ exceptional talent. 

The UK is known for its creativity and a fashion education system that produces the most talented people in the world. So therefore it would make economic sense to capitalise on that talent, to help them to prosper, to attract them to study, work and build businesses here, in the UK.

So why do we make it so hard for international students to remain in the UK after their student visa ends? And why do we not support designers to hire the best talent in the world?

Ashish Gupta, Founder of luxury fashion brand Ashish, is a global success, but one we regard as British. Having shown at London Fashion Week 27 times, Ashish has experienced first how stressful and counterproductive the visa process can be. 

In this podcast Ashish and Tamara Cincik, CEO & founder of Fashion Roundtable discuss how an immigrant from Delhi, who was educated at Central St Martins, has made a successful fashion business in the UK despite extremely challenging economic environmental circumstances. 

Though the discussion we begin to build a picture of a way forward in which the Government can support our unique fashion industry. And that’s where Fashion Roundtable, through manifestos that propose a way forward, make Ashish’s and many other fashion industry works voices heard, so the Government can make sure the UK is the best place for the fashion industry.

www.ashish.co.uk

www.fashionroundtable.co.uk

www.blackneondigital.co.uk