‘We want to show people they don’t need to move to London or Manchester to work in fashion’

Decentralising fashion? In 2026? Groundbreaking. Well, sort of, yes. Over forty years on from its first London Fashion Week, the British Fashion Council (BFC) has decided it is time to give the north a look in.

Fashion Britain is the organisation’s latest initiative to disentangle British fashion from the capital’s hold, bringing shows, talks, and events to cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, and Edinburgh.

Liverpool creative Bethan Flanagan hosted one of the weekend’s main events Beyond the Rail, at her Metquarter store, All Over The Shop on Friday, September 18 – a series of workshop and showcases from Merseyside fashion designers including Drew Kent, Melissa-Kate and Charlie Supastar.

While much of the hands-on work for the event was carried out by volunteers and small businesses – like All Over the Shop – Bethan says having the backing from high-profile organisations like the BFC has been “incredible”.

She said: “They put us on the map. Just having the name and logo builds traction, and they have been really good at giving a platform and pushing out the workshops.”

On platforming local talent, Bethan added: “It is important to show people they don’t need to move to London or Manchester to get a creative job. You shouldn’t have to move to do something you love.”

However despite the weekend’s success, others believe there is still a long way to go to equal the playing field between other cities.

Set up in its own words to “protect and support” British fashion globally, the BFC pools revenue from government support, donations, and partnerships to fund events, scholarships and other schemes.

But with London Fashion Week (organised by the BFC) boasting over 50 evening events, Aleisha Petafi, founder of Liverpool-based fashion magazine Destined, says Liverpool’s comparatively modest schedule is a sign the city is not being taken seriously.

Aleisha, 22, said: “It’s better than previous years. There’s a definite improvement and I feel like [the BFC] is working with the community.”

While visibility and practical support from the BFC has been praised by event organisers, not all have received direct funding.

She added: “Seeing what was going on in other cities was a shock, like, wow they have really had funding and attention put here. We want to show we have the professionalism to also put on big shows here”.

For Burnley-born fashion designer Charlie Supastar, 23, who featured at Beyond the Rail with trans-charity Protect Scouse Dolls, while the Fashion Britain initiative has been “really good” he also feels Liverpool’s fashion scene is largely upheld by grassroots initiatives.

Speaking of fashion opportunities generally, he said: “We have all been coming together in the North. It’s like we said, if no one is going to let us in, we will build our own centre of fashion here.

“People in Liverpool feel the lack of opportunity, so they are hungry for it. They are underrepresented, so they work twice as hard to show their skills.”

Perhaps the most high-profile of the events will take place at the Walker Art Gallery in partnership with Elle UK on Monday.

The panel will be made up of designers Patrick McDowell and Talia Byre who both left Liverpool for London.

While both designers have both noted in the past that the capital has – at least historically – been key to gaining visibility, others think it could be in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Among those proving that a fashion career in Liverpool is most certainly possible is Drew Kent, 26, who runs a Liverpool-based knitwear brand. His brightly coloured, maximalist pieces have been worn by high-profile figures such as Tom Daley, with Drew appearing at Friday’s Beyond The Rail event and at Manchester Fashion Week.

Drew, who moved to study at Central Saint Martins in London, said: “Everyone believes you make it in London. It is known for its fashion. There was that attraction”

However since returning home to Liverpool he hasn’t looked back. Following a recent collaboration with eBay, Drew said: “It just proved to me that you can be anywhere. If people want to work with you and invest in your brand, they will do it.”

For 28-year-old Melissa-Kate, who returned to her hometown of Birkenhead after showing at London Fashion Week, it’s about drawing attention back to the North.

Her recent collection, titled London, Paris, New York, Birkenhead, showcased at local venue Future Yard. She previously told the ECHO: “I got to a point where I thought, ‘I’m not coming down to you anymore – you can come to me.’ There is fashion here. It’s just not all in one hub.”

Looking to future years, Bethan told the ECHO: “I’d like Fashion Britain to get bigger, get more people involved, attract investment, and be able to pay volunteers.”

Reflecting on the weekend, she added: “If this is what we can do without money, imagine what we could do with money.”