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As fashion workers continue to draw attention to poor working conditions in the sector, the Fashion UK union branch is asking industry workers to shed light on their experiences in order to better understand the changes that need to transpire.

Fashion UK’s ‘State of the Sector’ survey launches today, as London Fashion Week kicks off — expect some flyers backstage with QR codes. The anonymous survey covers a range of topics including employment, job satisfaction, finances, mental well-being, health and safety, and diversity and inclusion. The survey is open to all UK-based fashion workers in non-performance roles, not just union members.

“I hope this survey is a wake-up call to those in the industry that they’re not alone and that things do need to change,” says Michael Miller, founding member and co-chair of Fashion UK. “Hopefully people will feel brave enough to be honest and give us really essential feedback so we can build on what we have and get more support.”

Fashion UK was formed within the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) earlier this year, building on the Celebrity Stylist Union that launched amid the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Fashion UK covers all creatives behind the scenes — such as stylists, hair and makeup artists, photographers and designers, among others. Unions offer a range of services from negotiating agreements, to providing training and protecting workers from harassment. The launch of the Fashion UK union branch was notable given that fashion work has historically lacked regulation and a solid union presence. In the UK, there are unions and associations for models, and many fashion journalists are part of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), but there has never been a dedicated union that covers more than one role.

Bectu has previously run similar surveys for other sectors in the creative industry. For a new branch like Fashion UK, the answers will serve as a litmus test to compare fashion to other sectors and understand where solutions might be shared. So far, Fashion UK has about 100 members as well as a broader Whatsapp community of 400. Miller says that he regularly receives messages from people who say discussions about Fashion UK have begun spreading on set, and that people are feeling braver to start talking about the issues they’re facing.

The survey asks basic demographic questions, as well as which roles people work in and whether they are freelancers or employed. It also asks questions about whether respondents have to supplement their income, whether they feel they’re paid fairly (and on time), whether they feel they have job security and whether they are able to have savings or a pension. Questions around the length of the working day, overtime pay and experiencing bullying and harassment are also included. The survey also asks which services Fashion UK could provide — whether a booking confirmations template or a rate card would be helpful, for instance.

“The survey will guide Fashion UK’s strategic priorities and goals for the next year or so, pointing to the biggest issues that require collective action. Miller says it’s essential that these goals are rooted in lived experience. “Previous surveys from other industry bodies often focus on how fashion as a business is doing; we’re asking questions that are worker specific and about how individuals on the ground are doing rather than big business,” he says.

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