The Black Blog
Dress Minister
At a dinner on Saturday night I came face-to-face with my very own minister. The Minister for Abi.
No. Not what happened.
When the Rt Hon Ed Vaizey MP told me that he was Minister for Fashion and Ecommerce (AKA 'my minister' as he declared himself), I think I said something like: 'No way. I don't believe you. I can't believe there's a Ministry of Fashion'. My reputation for being gullible could not have preceded me on this occasion, given that we were strangers. I know nothing about politics. He is indeed Minister for Fashion (and Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries ... plus archaelogy, broadband and digitised technology...etc, etc.) - and, impressively, he appears to know much about it.
It turns out that he is in awe of the British Fashion Industry; taking very seriously the significance of the sector within the British economy (worth £1.6bn in retail terms) and also as a cultural export, whose creative reputation pitches it at the apex of the global stage. Recently he had been invited to attend a NEWGEN event. NEWGEN is a brilliant program that invests in, sponsors and consults emerging designers just as they are coming to prominence and therefore when they most need it. It is organised by the mighty British Fashion Council and sponsored by TopShop while the UK Ambassador for Emerging Talent, Sarah Mower, plays an instrumental role.
(Above - Backstage at Christopher Kane, autumn/winter 2010 at London Fashion Week February 2010. Christopher Kane was a beneficiary of the NEWGEN project)
Mr Vaizey spoke to me of Erdem, Christopher Kane and Browns. He said he was planning on installing a mannequin in his office whose garments are to be changed every six months in strict accordance with S/S and A/W. 'What about Resort?' I asked. Nonplussed, he got up to speak.
Still, what a breath of fresh air to hear an MP speak so excitedly about fashion and to really understand the importance of the industry not just on an economic basis but also on a creative level - for in the world of design it is this that leads often to profitability and not just a stark focus on the bottom line.
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