There hasn’t been much cause for celebration in Downing Street recently, but following a champagne reception on Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson pledged £80m in government funding to aid sustainable fashion in the UK.
This comes shortly after Johnson survived a vote of no confidence by the skin of his teeth after 148 Conservative MPs rebelled against him.
During the champagne reception in honour of sustainable fashion, the PM pledged £80m in government funding for a programme of structural change which the British Fashion Council believes can move the UK industry towards a circular model.
Not to be confused with already given, a pledge is a solemn promise, but Johnson promises that the cheque is on its way and if Johnson wants to try and turn the tide of public opinion – this better be true.
Boris Johnson also spoke of London’s rich heritage as the birthplace of the suit, claiming that the tailoring invented in London was worn “by everyone from Mao Tse Tung to the men in grey suits in my office the other day.”
The PM spoke of advances in fabric technologies including mushroom leather. This is a vegan-friendly material used as a sustainable alternative to animal leather as it’s made from Mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus.
Carrie Johnson, wife to Boris Johnson, has already made a number of conscious efforts to show her support for sustainable fashion.
Carrie Johnson has raised the profile of renting clothes by making it public knowledge that her wedding dress she wore while marrying Boris Johnson in 2021 was a rental and so was a Vampire’s Wife dress she wore for last weekend’s Platinum Party at the Palace – both can be seen below.
Fashion has a number of problems when it comes to sustainability, and this £80m pledge, which is said to focus on establishing a world-leading circular fashion eco-system in the UK, could be one of the first steps in the right direction.
Circularity could help encourage and nurture the growth of the rental industry, which many consider an option for the future of fashion and has already been endorsed by Carrie Johnson.
Fast fashion is one of fashions issues. Studies have found that young people between the ages of 16-24 consider a piece of clothing “old” if worn more than twice.
Garment factory workers’ wages and the consumption of materials, to both make and ship clothing around the world are all things we assume will be at least addressed after this pledge is made.
It’s unknown when exactly Johnson’s government donation will be made to the British Fashion Council’s circularity programme, but the sooner the better as an £80m donation could help the industry massively.
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