London Fashion Week makes us happy

To some, London Fashion Week may seem like a frivolous affair deserving little of the countries attention, a niche trade event aimed at those rich enough to feed a £450-a-pair Louboutin habit and strange enough to invest hours of their life locating the perfect shade of lipstick.

This perception simply fails to take the facts into account. The fashion industry has a direct value to the UK economy of £21 billion and employs 816,000 people across a wide range of jobs throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales making it the largest employer of all the creative industries. According to the British Fashion Council, over 5,000 visitors are expected to come along to this year’s London Fashion week including: buyers, TV & radio crews, journalists and photographers, all of whom will be spending a great deal of extra cash in the capital.

According to a National Survey of Culture, Leisure & Sport, 75% of women are more likely to shop for clothes in their spare time than read, listen to music, do sport or exercise, use the internet, play games or do other crafts and activities. Fashion has become a great deal more than an industry for the financially elite and is now a mood boosting recreational activity for a variety of UK consumers.

Increasing numbers of people seem to believe that the clothes one chooses not only help to project a desired image but certain styles and colours can actually contribute to ones overall “happiness” (evidenced in a variety of online communities). Anna Wintour’s attendance at the TopShop catwalk show this year only goes to highlight that everyday fashion for everyday consumers is increasingly in demand from the media. By dismissing the influence of London Fashion Week, many UK businesses are missing a trick when it comes to understanding and reaching an increasingly wide audience.

This kind of contribution to the UK economy deserves to be celebrated and emerging creative talent needs to be showcased. So, perhaps the 65 catwalk shows, 45 salon shows and infinite fringe events aren’t over doing it all that much!