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LEAD IN:

London has always been one of the world's leading lights in the fashion industry - but has Brexit dulled some of its shine?

At the Pure London fashion retail show - and with London Fashion Week on the horizon - brand owners and designers give their views on doing business in Brexit Britain.

STORY-LINE:

On the catwalk at Pure London it's business as usual.

The models strut their stuff to the music and packed crowds squeeze in for a glimpse of the latest trends.

But behind the flash and the glamour - is London still an attractive venue for fashion brands?

With Britain voting to leave the EU, and uncertainty hanging over all sectors of industry, the UK's fashion talent is preparing to weather the storm.

Maggie Song studied fashion in Beijing but came to the UK 13 years ago to make her name in the industry she loves.

In this time she has founded three labels, her most successful brand is Jolie Moi which can be found in some of the UK's largest department stores (John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser).

She considers her business to be small to medium sized. Her clothes are designed in the UK but the materials and production happen in China.

When the result of the Brexit vote was announced she was on a business trip in Beijing and recalls her horror at hearing the news.

"I was shocked (when she heard the Brexit result). I couldn't think anything and also I couldn't speak, so, I was watching the exchange rate on the Internet, I can see the drop, the pound, this dramatic drop to the dollar and immediately I realised how tough it will be for small business," she says.

Song is expecting a tough 2017 as the low value of the pound starts to bite. She expects she will have to lower her margins to absorb the impact of Brexit.

But not everybody is suffering from the falling pound, according to Pure London's show director Julie Driscoll.

"So the exchange rate means for international brands it's really easy for them to enter the UK market, so more than ever before we're seeing international companies, international fashion collections wanting to come to the UK to explore opportunities and indeed this means this is our largest Pure London ever," she says.

One of the foreign fashion brands visiting Pure London for the first time is French jewellery maker Pas Si Sages Bijoux (Not So Wise) from Lyon.

Their funky, Bohemian-inspired jewellery is low/to mid priced and is all designed and produced in France. They are now looking to expand into the British market.

Chloe Chenu, the director of Pas Si Sages Bijoux, demonstrates the latest product - a back necklace.

She believes Brexit has not changed anything in the fashion world and thinks the UK is still a great place to do business... perhaps thanks to the eccentric English style.

"London is always the place for fashion, the most important in the world, even after Brexit, that doesn't change anything. We always come to sell products, English people are always eccentric and they want French products," she says.

It's the same story for Turkish designer Ece Kavran, whose range called Urun features minimalist, classic pieces.

She says London is still top of her list for places to do business because of its pace and willingness to try new brands. She says in France and Italy the market is much slower and more traditional.

"But England is an expandable market, it's forever open to the new idea, to the new brand, and I think that's what makes it, England, very compelling for us," she says.

But fashion is more than just sales and spreadsheets, it's about creating brands - and there is no bigger brand than a country itself. So has brand Britain been tarnished by its decision to leave the EU?

Personal stylist Justyna Szal is at the show to soak up inspiration for new season looks.

She is originally from near Krakow in Poland, but works in London - dressing and making her clients look as on trend as possible.

Szal likes the idea of Brexit and does not feel it has had any negative impact on London as a fashion hub. In fact, she's quite enjoying all the attention, with the eyes of the world turning to Britain.

"No, I haven't found it less interesting. I actually found it more interesting because of the whole situation people are starting to be more interested in the UK and I think actually it's a pleasant advantage and the fashion business hasn't been more in bloom than it is nowadays," she says.

According to an industry report, compiled by Inside Retail, fashion is worth 50 billion UK pounds (approx. 62 billion US dollars) per annum in the UK - the second most important retail sector only behind food.

The British Retail Consortium estimates that in October 2015, online accounted for 26.3 per cent of total clothing sales - even higher for footwear.

The UK is already the world leader in online fashion sales, leading France, Germany, Japan and the USA.

Keely Stocker is the editor of Drapers, a long-running fashion industry magazine.

In a typically British way, she thinks this is a time to keep calm and carry on.

"I think it's definitely a challenging time, mainly because of the uncertainty more than anything else," she says. "But I think those people that are doing well are the ones that are really focusing on their customer, focusing on their product and just getting on with it until we know exactly what that (Brexit) is going to mean."

One of those at the show who is hoping to do just that is Bilguun Brower, owner of Mongolian Kingdom.

He is buying high-end Mongolian woollen products and selling them in the UK. The fall in value of the pound is an issue he will have to contend with in the coming years, but Brower believes there is a strong market for his products in the UK because of its damp, cold climate.

Exhibiting for the first time, he is introducing his new line of yak's wool scarves.

Brower, and the other small British business owners at Pure, will all be hoping the UK can secure strong trade deals as quickly as possible.

Pure London is one of the leading fashion retail shows in the Europe, with over 11,000 buyers visiting the show between February 12-14.

London, UK - 12 February 2017

1. Mid of woman on catwalk in furry coat and sunglasses

2. Various of woman in camel coat with long scarf on catwalk

3. Cutaway of woman taking photo of catwalk

4. Mid of woman in grey dress with metal bead shoulder attachments

5. Various set up shots of Maggie Song, owner of labels, Jolie Moi and Emily & Me, taking red dress from peg

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Maggie Song, British fashion labels owner (Jolie Moi and Emily & Me):

"I was shocked (when she heard the Brexit result). I couldn't think anything and also I couldn't speak, so, I was watching the exchange rate on the internet, I can see the drop, the pound, this dramatic drop to the dollar and immediately I realised how tough it will be for small business."

7. Mid of show visitors walking

8. Mid of woman hanging jacket

9. Various of man looking at shoes

10. Various set up shots of Pure London show director, Julie Driscoll looking at scarf

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julie Driscoll, Pure London show director:

"So the exchange rate means for international brands it's really easy for them to enter the UK market, so more than ever before we're seeing international companies, international fashion collections wanting to come to the UK to explore opportunities and indeed that means this is our largest Pure London ever."

12. Pan right of Pas Si Sages Bijoux jewellery from Lyon, France

13. Pull focus of bracelets

14. Tilt up from bracelets to earrings

15. Tilt up of back necklace

16. Mid of Chloe Chenu demonstrating how the back necklace is worn

17. Close details of necklace

18. SOUNDBITE: (French) Chloe Chenu, director, Pas Si Sages Bijoux:

"London is always the place for fashion, the most important in the world, even after Brexit, that doesn't change anything. We always come to sell products, English people are always eccentric and they want French products."

19. Close tilt up of two-tone leather skirt by Urun (from Turkey)

20. Close pan left of designer Ece Kavran showing colleague her new skirt design

21. Mid of same

22. Close of Kavran

23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ece Kavran, designer, Urun:

"But England is an expandable market, it's forever open to the new idea, to the new brand, and I think that's what makes it, England, very compelling for us."

24. Wide of woman in gothic clothing on catwalk

25. Close of woman photographing the show

26. Wide pull focus of crowd on smartphones watching the show

27. Tilt up of model during gothic show

28. Various set up shots of personal stylist Justyna Szal

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Justyna Szal, personal stylist:

"No, I haven't found it less interesting. I actually found it more interesting because of the whole situation people actually are starting to be more interested in the UK and I think actually it's a pleasant advantage and the fashion business hasn't been more in bloom than it is nowadays."

30. Various set up shots of fashion editor Keely Stocker looking at show

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Keely Stocker, editor of Drapers magazine:

"I think it's definitely a challenging time, mainly because of the uncertainty more than anything else but I think those people that are doing well are the ones that are really focusing on their customer, focusing on their product and just getting on with it until we know exactly what that (Brexit) is going to mean."

32. Close pull from Mongolian/UK flag to Bilguun Brower, owner of Mongolian Kingdom

33. Close tilt down to yak

34. Various of Brower looking at Mongolian yak scarf

35. Various of fashion show with models in red dresses

LEAD IN:

London has always been one of the world's leading lights in the fashion industry - but has Brexit dulled some of its shine?

At the Pure London fashion retail show - and with London Fashion Week on the horizon - brand owners and designers give their views on doing business in Brexit Britain.

STORY-LINE:

On the catwalk at Pure London it's business as usual.

The models strut their stuff to the music and packed crowds squeeze in for a glimpse of the latest trends.

But behind the flash and the glamour - is London still an attractive venue for fashion brands?

With Britain voting to leave the EU, and uncertainty hanging over all sectors of industry, the UK's fashion talent is preparing to weather the storm.

Maggie Song studied fashion in Beijing but came to the UK 13 years ago to make her name in the industry she loves.

In this time she has founded three labels, her most successful brand is Jolie Moi which can be found in some of the UK's largest department stores (John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser).

She considers her business to be small to medium sized. Her clothes are designed in the UK but the materials and production happen in China.

When the result of the Brexit vote was announced she was on a business trip in Beijing and recalls her horror at hearing the news.

"I was shocked (when she heard the Brexit result). I couldn't think anything and also I couldn't speak, so, I was watching the exchange rate on the Internet, I can see the drop, the pound, this dramatic drop to the dollar and immediately I realised how tough it will be for small business," she says.

Song is expecting a tough 2017 as the low value of the pound starts to bite. She expects she will have to lower her margins to absorb the impact of Brexit.

But not everybody is suffering from the falling pound, according to Pure London's show director Julie Driscoll.

"So the exchange rate means for international brands it's really easy for them to enter the UK market, so more than ever before we're seeing international companies, international fashion collections wanting to come to the UK to explore opportunities and indeed this means this is our largest Pure London ever," she says.

One of the foreign fashion brands visiting Pure London for the first time is French jewellery maker Pas Si Sages Bijoux (Not So Wise) from Lyon.

Their funky, Bohemian-inspired jewellery is low/to mid priced and is all designed and produced in France. They are now looking to expand into the British market.

Chloe Chenu, the director of Pas Si Sages Bijoux, demonstrates the latest product - a back necklace.

She believes Brexit has not changed anything in the fashion world and thinks the UK is still a great place to do business... perhaps thanks to the eccentric English style.

"London is always the place for fashion, the most important in the world, even after Brexit, that doesn't change anything. We always come to sell products, English people are always eccentric and they want French products," she says.

It's the same story for Turkish designer Ece Kavran, whose range called Urun features minimalist, classic pieces.

She says London is still top of her list for places to do business because of its pace and willingness to try new brands. She says in France and Italy the market is much slower and more traditional.

"But England is an expandable market, it's forever open to the new idea, to the new brand, and I think that's what makes it, England, very compelling for us," she says.

But fashion is more than just sales and spreadsheets, it's about creating brands - and there is no bigger brand than a country itself. So has brand Britain been tarnished by its decision to leave the EU?

Personal stylist Justyna Szal is at the show to soak up inspiration for new season looks.

She is originally from near Krakow in Poland, but works in London - dressing and making her clients look as on trend as possible.

Szal likes the idea of Brexit and does not feel it has had any negative impact on London as a fashion hub. In fact, she's quite enjoying all the attention, with the eyes of the world turning to Britain.

"No, I haven't found it less interesting. I actually found it more interesting because of the whole situation people are starting to be more interested in the UK and I think actually it's a pleasant advantage and the fashion business hasn't been more in bloom than it is nowadays," she says.

According to an industry report, compiled by Inside Retail, fashion is worth 50 billion UK pounds (approx. 62 billion US dollars) per annum in the UK - the second most important retail sector only behind food.

The British Retail Consortium estimates that in October 2015, online accounted for 26.3 per cent of total clothing sales - even higher for footwear.

The UK is already the world leader in online fashion sales, leading France, Germany, Japan and the USA.

Keely Stocker is the editor of Drapers, a long-running fashion industry magazine.

In a typically British way, she thinks this is a time to keep calm and carry on.

"I think it's definitely a challenging time, mainly because of the uncertainty more than anything else," she says. "But I think those people that are doing well are the ones that are really focusing on their customer, focusing on their product and just getting on with it until we know exactly what that (Brexit) is going to mean."

One of those at the show who is hoping to do just that is Bilguun Brower, owner of Mongolian Kingdom.

He is buying high-end Mongolian woollen products and selling them in the UK. The fall in value of the pound is an issue he will have to contend with in the coming years, but Brower believes there is a strong market for his products in the UK because of its damp, cold climate.

Exhibiting for the first time, he is introducing his new line of yak's wool scarves.

Brower, and the other small British business owners at Pure, will all be hoping the UK can secure strong trade deals as quickly as possible.

Pure London is one of the leading fashion retail shows in the Europe, with over 11,000 buyers visiting the show between February 12-14.

London, UK - 12 February 2017

1. Mid of woman on catwalk in furry coat and sunglasses

2. Various of woman in camel coat with long scarf on catwalk

3. Cutaway of woman taking photo of catwalk

4. Mid of woman in grey dress with metal bead shoulder attachments

5. Various set up shots of Maggie Song, owner of labels, Jolie Moi and Emily & Me, taking red dress from peg

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Maggie Song, British fashion labels owner (Jolie Moi and Emily & Me):

"I was shocked (when she heard the Brexit result). I couldn't think anything and also I couldn't speak, so, I was watching the exchange rate on the internet, I can see the drop, the pound, this dramatic drop to the dollar and immediately I realised how tough it will be for small business."

7. Mid of show visitors walking

8. Mid of woman hanging jacket

9. Various of man looking at shoes

10. Various set up shots of Pure London show director, Julie Driscoll looking at scarf

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julie Driscoll, Pure London show director:

"So the exchange rate means for international brands it's really easy for them to enter the UK market, so more than ever before we're seeing international companies, international fashion collections wanting to come to the UK to explore opportunities and indeed that means this is our largest Pure London ever."

12. Pan right of Pas Si Sages Bijoux jewellery from Lyon, France

13. Pull focus of bracelets

14. Tilt up from bracelets to earrings

15. Tilt up of back necklace

16. Mid of Chloe Chenu demonstrating how the back necklace is worn

17. Close details of necklace

18. SOUNDBITE: (French) Chloe Chenu, director, Pas Si Sages Bijoux:

"London is always the place for fashion, the most important in the world, even after Brexit, that doesn't change anything. We always come to sell products, English people are always eccentric and they want French products."

19. Close tilt up of two-tone leather skirt by Urun (from Turkey)

20. Close pan left of designer Ece Kavran showing colleague her new skirt design

21. Mid of same

22. Close of Kavran

23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ece Kavran, designer, Urun:

"But England is an expandable market, it's forever open to the new idea, to the new brand, and I think that's what makes it, England, very compelling for us."

24. Wide of woman in gothic clothing on catwalk

25. Close of woman photographing the show

26. Wide pull focus of crowd on smartphones watching the show

27. Tilt up of model during gothic show

28. Various set up shots of personal stylist Justyna Szal

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Justyna Szal, personal stylist:

"No, I haven't found it less interesting. I actually found it more interesting because of the whole situation people actually are starting to be more interested in the UK and I think actually it's a pleasant advantage and the fashion business hasn't been more in bloom than it is nowadays."

30. Various set up shots of fashion editor Keely Stocker looking at show

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Keely Stocker, editor of Drapers magazine:

"I think it's definitely a challenging time, mainly because of the uncertainty more than anything else but I think those people that are doing well are the ones that are really focusing on their customer, focusing on their product and just getting on with it until we know exactly what that (Brexit) is going to mean."

32. Close pull from Mongolian/UK flag to Bilguun Brower, owner of Mongolian Kingdom

33. Close tilt down to yak

34. Various of Brower looking at Mongolian yak scarf

35. Various of fashion show with models in red dresses