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How fashion is shaping the UK economy. London celebrated its 61st Fashion Week this year London celebrated its 61st Fashion Week (LFW) last February, a highlight of the international fashion and retail calendar which turned global attention to the UK.

How fashion is shaping the UK economy

No longer known as the ‘little sister’ of the big four fashion capitals, London is firmly on the map. It is now seen as the hottest and most exciting capital, creating and nurturing successful global fashion brands. As Changemakers in Retail, it is critical that we are up to speed on the trends, consumer insights and innovation & technology in the fashion industry. Armed with this knowledge we can speak to our clients on equal terms, with a true understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face.

This season we were lucky enough to attend some of the shows, and were certainly not let down by the creativity and pride that shone through from our British designers. The fashion business. Image copyright AFP We know that clothing is big business, but it may be surprising just how big.

The fashion business

The fashion industry's contribution to the British economy is an estimated £26bn - that's twice the size of the car industry's and nearly as big as the contribution from housing, according to the British Fashion Council. It is not just dresses and handbags, but also design and manufacturing that make the sector the largest part of the so-called creative industries, which include marketing, etc. It's an important part of the services sector that makes up around four-fifths of the economy. And services has powered the economic recovery, which I have written about before.

I wrote then that it was a tougher sector to picture than say manufacturing cars which is tangible. But a couple of times a year during London Fashion Week, it is visible as models wear dresses that embody design as they sashay down the catwalk. It's also an industry that has taken to social media to reach that market. Global Recession Impacts on Fashion Industry: Strategies for Survival. The whole world is facing global recession.

Global Recession Impacts on Fashion Industry: Strategies for Survival

The economy is slowing, the business environment is unpredictable and the consumers are getting increasingly diverse, informed, technologically strong and demanding. How much do top fashion brands really depend on China? When, in July 2011, LinkedIn hired Dan Roth, everyone in the media industry thought the “professional” social network was up to something big.

How much do top fashion brands really depend on China?

Roth came with an impressive résumé: Forbes, Condé Nast Portfolio (a great but ill-fated glossy), Wired, then Fortune, where he served as managing editor before being poached by LinkedIn. Four years later, Roth snatched Caroline Fairchild, a young, talented writer and editor from Fortune. Again, many thought this was the moment. The trade press, always prompt to draw doomsday scenarios, came up with sensational headlines such as “How Dan Roth became the most powerful editor in business publishing” (Digiday), or “Media frenemy LinkedIn raids Fortune, Wall Street Journal for editors” (AdAge). Worrisome indeed. Everyone (yours truly included) was wrong about LinkedIn editorial potential; it didn’t became a significant business media player—and most likely never will.

Why? Dan Roth takes the defense of his platform’s transparency to an extreme. UK manufacturers 'want to stay in EU', poll finds. 28 September 2014Last updated at 19:51 ET Both UK and EU manufacturers have been suffering in recent months.

UK manufacturers 'want to stay in EU', poll finds

Britain's manufacturers are overwhelmingly in favour of the country remaining a part of the European Union, a survey suggests. The manufacturers' organisation EEF found that 85% of those it polled would vote to stay in the EU, and only 7% would opt to leave, despite the bloc's economic troubles. Firms with more than 250 employees were most keen on the EU, with 90% saying they would want to retain membership. EEF represents over 6,000 companies. The survey, carried out in August, included 160 companies. Manufacturing companies in both the UK and the wider EU have been suffering in recent months. Two surveys carried out in August showed that growth in the UK manufacturing sector has slowed, with both new orders and output increasing less rapidly than before. 'Makes no sense'