UKFT relaunches annual awards

Leading industry body, the UK Fashion and Textile Association, has announced that it is relaunching its annual awards to celebrate the entire fashion and textile industry. Previously named the Export Awards, the new awards will mark a new

partnership with NatWest and the awards will be renamed the NatWest UK Fashion and Textile Awards 2013.

Not only will there be awards celebrating export but there will also be prizes for designer, textile and accessories businesses, supplier, retailer, and brand of the year, as well as the coveted Let’s Make It Here UK manufacturer of the year and the outstanding achievement award.

Commenting on the relaunch, UKFT chairman Peter Lucas said: “It is a fantastic time to be British and an even greater time to be working in the British fashion and textiles industry. We think we should celebrate this not with a whisper but with a real shout and all the acclaim that the companies and individuals who make up our sector deserve.

“We work tirelessly to support our industry and these Awards will be a wonderful platform to say thank you to those who make the UK fashion industry really standout, be it on a catwalk or in shops around the globe.”

He added: “We are an industry not just of designers but also suppliers, manufacturers and some of the best and most innovative textile businesses in the world. Without them our industry could not exist and they should be recognised for thriving even in such difficult economic times. ”

To launch the new look event, which will be held at One Mayfair on May 23, the UKFT held a flash fashion show at London’s St Pancras Station, showcasing the work of some of its fashion members, including Charlotte Taylor, The House of Nines, Orla Kiely, Ariella, and Tatty Devine, surprising unsuspecting commuters on their way home.

The Awards are open to members and non-members of the UKFT and can be entered at www.ukftawards.org. The deadline for entries is March 8.