The Fashion Roundtable, an industry thinktank, is turning attention from runways to workwear as London Fashion Week approaches, urging government action to keep uniform production onshore.
On Wednesday afternoon the organisation plans to hand-deliver a letter to No 10 that calls for a commitment to manufacture uniforms for the Ministry of Defence and National Health Service in the UK. The appeal is backed by more than 1,200 people, among them television presenter and campaigner Ben Fogle.
Supporters argue that buying British-made uniforms would help preserve domestic manufacturing firms and protect jobs in the sector. The push frames uniforms — rather than high-fashion garments — as a strategic part of the industry that can sustain local suppliers and production capacity.
The Fashion Roundtable’s move comes at a high-profile moment for the industry, with London Fashion Week days away, and represents a shift by fashion organisations toward policy advocacy on procurement and supply-chain issues. The group is asking political leaders to use purchasing power to bolster UK manufacturing capacity for essential garments.
The letter delivery to No 10 signals an attempt to bring the issue to the attention of national decision-makers. The initiative highlights growing interest from industry groups and public figures in linking cultural moments such as Fashion Week to broader economic and industrial policy debates about resilience and domestic production.