GFF links with government for global campaign supporting young creatives

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Dec 18, 2019

Brexit may be taking up much of the attention span of the UK government at present, but the normal business of promoting Britain on the word stage is continuing. The GREAT Britain Campaign, the major government-backed international marketing campaign, this week unveiled a new initiative celebrating the fashion talent nurtured by UK universities. 

Shot in the Locarno Suite in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the campaign includes a video featuring top young designers, models, stylists and hair and make-up artists. Dame Zandra Rhodes, Lifetime Patron of Graduate Fashion Foundation, and Hilary Alexander, GFF President, both play cameo roles in a film that “encourages brands to look to the UK for their next generation of hires”.

Liz Truss, Secretary of State for the Department for International Trade, said: "The UK is a global leader in the fashion industry and our talented students are the future of this sector. The industry is booming, creating 890,000 jobs and contributing £32 billion to the UK economy. There is no better place in the world for businesses to unearth the next generation of stars.”

The video will be seen in over 140 countries as the British government promotes the UK fashion industry and it will be used next year at major fashion events and trade conferences.

Hilary Alexander said: “Each year Graduate Fashion Week sees over 3,500 exciting and innovative fashion creatives take over the Truman Brewery and the GFF, as the charity behind the event, continually look to highlight their talent throughout the year. This video campaign is a great opportunity for six of our final-year hair and make-up students and 10 select fashion and styling graduates to work with industry and showcase their talent to the world.”