The British Fashion Council has announced Fashion Britain, a landmark nationwide initiative designed to decentralise fashion by extending investment, opportunity and cultural participation beyond London across the United Kingdom.

Representing a major milestone in the delivery of the BFC Strategy 2030: Access, Creativity and Growth, Fashion Britain will bring together cities, cultural institutions, retailers, designers, businesses, educators and local communities to connect creativity, culture and commerce - unlocking opportunities for designers, strengthening local creative economies and inspiring the next generation of talent.

Laura Weir, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, said: “British fashion is one of our greatest cultural exports, yet for too long participation has been concentrated in too few places. Fashion Britain represents a fundamental shift in how we think about our role as the British Fashion Council. If we are truly Britain’s fashion council, then our responsibility is to champion creativity wherever it exists, create opportunity, inspire ambition and ensure more people can see themselves in our industry, regardless of where they live. Fashion Britain is about decentralising fashion, not by diminishing London’s global importance, but by recognising that the future of British creativity depends on strengthening the connections between every part of the UK.”

Fashion Britain will launch in September 2026 across six cities: London, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol and Edinburgh. Each location will deliver a curated programme of public events, designer conversations, cultural collaborations and retail experiences celebrating local identity whilst connecting communities with the wider fashion industry.

Among the first programme announcements, the BFC is partnering with ELLE UK to launch the National Designer Panel Series - a new programme of live conversations bringing together leading designers, industry voices and emerging talent across the participating cities.

Fashion Britain follows the pilot launch of Fashion Assembly, which brings fashion education into schools across the country, and represents the next phase of the BFC’s ambition to build a more accessible, connected and geographically representative industry.

For more information, visit britishfashioncouncil.co.uk.