Creative Destruction: De-industrialisation or a Fashion Capital for the Creative Industries in London Yara Evans and Adrian Smith Department of Geography Queen Mary, University of London London E1 4NS

Synopsis London, Fashion and the Creative Industries The Clothing Manufacturing Industry in UK/London Garment producers in London and Worlds of production De-industrialisation and community restructuring Creative Destruction: creative industries, marginal communities and the clothing industry in London

London, Fashion and the Creative Industries Agenda for London: development of creative industries Fashion design: a central plank in agenda Designer fashion: central to creative London Public and private agencies: London as a fashion capital Initiatives: LFF, Capital Fashion, London Apparel Resource Centre Issue with new agenda/policies : emphasise significance of designer fashion in clothing industry sideline the diversity of clothing manufacturing (CMT/Design) Need to recognise linkages and interactions between worlds of production (Storper 1997)

The Clothing Manufacturing Industry: UK and London UK: major economic sector/ source of jobs but in decline Employment: 800,000 (early 20thc); 59,000 (early 21thc) London: important economic activity/source of jobs but in decline Structure of industry : functional (vertical): buyer/agent; manufacturer; CMT ethnic:recent immigrants as business owners and employees subsectoral: womens outerwear (casual, light, heavy); leather Industrys specific spatiality : Production base and ethnic workforce: North and East London Other features of industry: sweatshop; unregulated/ informal practices

De-industrialisation of Garment Manufacturing in UK/London: market forces domestic policy Market Forces (1970s): globalisation of clothing production: new, low-cost producers in East Asia, North Africa, Central/Eastern Europe Domestic Industrial/Trade Policy (1980s) Sunset Industry: no protective measures; industrys contribution to economy limited by informal practices Outcomes: large-scale outsourcing of production in UK to new producers Marks & Spencer: Made in UK policy: 90% (1980s); 10% (2003) increased importing of ready-made garments into UK The Clothing Manufacturing Industry: UK and London

Worlds of production and Garment Producers in London Analysis of empirical results of research on garment producers in London through Storpers notion of Worlds of Production (1997) market world of production uncertainty/competition/downward pressure on prices interpersonal world of production design-intensive activity/close interaction/sharing of knowledge/ideas Framework helps understand the dynamics of change in industry Results reveal two main trajectories of change that mirror interconnected worlds of production: decline (dominant trend): growth (smaller trend):

Moving across Worlds of Productions: Market/Interpersonal Survival and growth through use of various strategies: changing position in supply chain moving to short-run, high-value, quick response production subcontracting production to firms abroad developing higher-value design-led clothing production spreading risk across a range of activities

Change in the Clothing Industry : Decline and Deprivation in London Industrial decline and manufacturing job loss: dominant trend Relationship between de-industrialisation of clothing production socio-economic marginalisation in declining areas

Correspondence between: geography of industrial decline and de-industrialisation geography of deprivation Worst affected areas in both processes: North and East London Policy for sector (e.g. Haringey City Growth Strategy) : bring together designers and manufacturers to produce short- run, high-value design garments Change in the Clothing Industry : Decline and Deprivation in London

Disjunction: industrial decline, impacts and policy emphasis On the one hand: empirical results: industry in decline but survival of minority of firms large-scale industrial decline associated with deprivation On the other hand: policy emphasis on small-scale production of high-value, design clothing Disjunction: focus/reach of policies for the industry extent and socio-economic impacts of local de-industrialisation

Creative destruction or a future for the creative industries in marginal communities in Londons clothing industry? Argument: Contribution of small-scale, flexible production of creative fashion design in London to declining clothing industry: limited job creation: short of whats needed designers: creative talent but incipient business skills clothing producers: sceptical about working with designers new businesses: no permanence Policy emphasis on creative industries/fashion design for clothing industry in London ignores wider issues of social exclusion and economic justice.