Radio Interview for BBC World Service (British Fashion Week)

Rep

Prime Minister, I suppose just looking back very briefly, first of all Britain arrived as one of the leading fashion centres of the world, way back in what we call the swinging sixties, perhaps we've lost a little momentum since then.

Prime Minister

Well, I think rather before that you know, we really were known for our woollen fabrics, our tweeds and our tailoring and we must never forget that, because although the swinging sixties gave a totally new image to fashion for the young, the kind of fashion which hadn't been there before, the backbone I would have thought of the kind of clothes that we sell overseas are the superlative tailored understated suits and coats for which we are famous.

Rep

Is that still the case then? [end p1]

Prime Minister

Well, I think it is-then maybe this is my kind of woman who wears these kinds of things and I do notice that they are coming in again more for the executive woman and you know they do last such a long time and in today's world, I think one of the things that cheers me up enormously is that you have a much larger selection of things in fashion, you know you don't find all the hemlines going right down one year and everyone coming up the next year. You could wear almost any length you like, and so often the changes in fashion are in the detail. So you really can go for good classics, very important, superbly well tailored, superb wool.

Rep

But now there seems to be a feeling that after a slightly dull period they are reemerging again in the fashion nation. But why do you think that is? What is the appeal?

Prime Minister

I think we are in two ways, really. First we have a tremendous number of young designers but you know we have always been creative. If you look at British history, we are creative in ideas, we are creative in research, and we have been quite often creative and formative in engineering design. What we have never been as good at is selling our talents and abilities and that's what we are trying to do. I think now we have got an additional group of young and some not so young designers quite a number of people who were not large in the amount they produce. You know Zandra Rhodes and Jean Muir Gina Fatinni, Conran and so on, but they are quite influential in the group of women who influence fashion by what they wear. And some of the clothes that some of those, ladies and gentleman, design are superb.

Rep

Of course we are also very lucky to have one particular public figure who must do a great deal for the fashion and I am, thinking of the Princess of Wales. [end p2]

Prime Minister

Marvellous—obviously she has a tremendous sense, and a tremendous sense of adventure and fashion and she likes change, you see she does a tremendous lot for setting fashion and for enabling British fashion to be sold world over—to have a fashion-setter like that is marvellous, just what we need at the time when we've got a number of superb designers.

Rep

Can I ask about the time when you personally, you go abroad to speak for Britain, you must also before you go put in a great deal of thought about how you're going to dress for Britain?

Prime Minister

One has to. First it's very important. Secondly, unless you know you're dressed right, you're uncomfortable. I have to look right for Britain, and I have to know and feel comfortable that it looks right for me, so that all my mind can be concentrated on meeting people and what I have to say. We have to look at the climate where we are going, the colours, the backgrounds and indeed most of my new clothes are purchased with an overseas tour in mind. They last of course for more than one but you've always got to have something fresh for each new tour. [end p3]

Rep

I think you are having some of the leading designers here at Number 10 Downing Street tomorrow evening. Do you feel that the industry in general needs a little more Government help, Government support rather more than moral?

Prime Minister

It needs to be seen to have Government support. Again when I go overseas, you know I go to a lot of countries where Governments really regard fashion as a very very important industry. We haven't regarded it as anything like as important as we should. You know the whole fashion industry in clothing employs 300,000 people. It is big business. It is important business. It has repercussions for many many other industries and you know being British we tend to be perhaps sometimes to think of it as a little bit what should I say frothy or not quite so important because it is fashion.

Rep

I think you are having some of the leading designers here at Number 10 Downing Street tomorrow evening. Do you feel that the industry in general needs a little more Government help, Government support rather more than moral?

Prime Minister

It needs to he seen to have Government support. Again when I go overseas, you know I go to a lot of countries where Government really regard fashion as a very very important industry. We haven't regarded it as anything like as important as we should. You know the whole fashion industry in clothing employs 300,000 people. It is big business. It is important business. It has repercussions for many many other industries and you know being British we tend to be perhaps sometimes to think of it as a little bit what should I say frothy or not quite so important because it is fashion.

Rep

Frivolous?

Prime Minister

Well, some people have. I have never looked at it in that way because I know what big business it is and I know what it can do for employment in jobs in Britain. Go to France, it is absolutely vital that the Government is behind the French fashion industry. All the wives will see that they are advertising the French fashion industry and you find that in Europe. I really began to feel that we must do the same for our own industry. I wasn't able to do it last year and we just found the one evening this year on the Saturday when I can invite them all here to let all those foreign buyers know that we are proud of our fashion industry and we are doing everything we can to promote it and to help it.