The British Luxury Awards show why Britain’s brands are creating the conditions to compete
by Helen Brocklebank, Chief Executive, Walpole
Last year, I wrote about the resilience and renewal celebrated at the British Luxury Awards. While the global headwinds remain, this year’s winners make an even stronger case for Britain’s ability to compete. In a fiercely competitive global market, our luxury businesses are combining creativity and commercial ingenuity with the investment needed to win.
Their achievements reflect bold choices about how to grow. They are expanding manufacturing capacity, using contemporary British character and creativity to reconnect with customers, and creating experiences that people will travel for. These businesses understand what gives them an advantage and are backing it with capital, actively creating the conditions for their own success.
British luxury generates £81 billion in turnover and £56 billion in exports, supporting more than 450,000 jobs. Our capacity to make high-value products and sell them internationally is a considerable national strength. This year’s winners demonstrate how developing that strength can bring growth, investment and skilled employment to Britain.
John Smedley, our British Luxury Brand of the Year, has invested £4 million in Derbyshire manufacturing, supporting its own collections while opening production to other luxury houses and emerging British designers. Lanvin, DAKS, Maximilian Raynor and Cecile Tulkens are among those choosing to manufacture alongside it.
For a young designer, access to that expertise can make the difference between an idea and a business. For an international fashion house, choosing Derbyshire is an endorsement of British quality. Both create demand for skills that take years to develop, increasing the return to Britain from one company’s investment.
The ability to translate British character into international demand is equally important. Mulberry, recognised with the Leadership in British Luxury award, reported an 18% increase in first-half sales. Its Back to the Mulberry Spirit strategy has put British heritage and craftsmanship at the centre of the business, with contemporary creativity, including its work with Christopher Kane as its new Creative Director who debuted his first collection for the house this year, giving that heritage global relevance.
This appeal often described as ‘Cool Britannia’, built through British fashion, film, music and design, gives our brands a recognisable character overseas. Mulberry’s progress shows how effectively that cultural influence can work when expressed through collections customers want to buy.
Mulberry’s two Somerset factories and leathercraft apprenticeship connect that success to skilled employment in rural Britain. Its work with British leather suppliers extends the benefit into farming and tanning, linking international demand with opportunity at home.
That connection between place and local expertise to be found in every corner of the British Isles is something much prized by a global customer. Private White V.C., our Made in the UK winner, is taking Manchester manufacturing to international customers, supporting British mills and specialist suppliers through the clothes it makes in the city.
Developing that expertise for the next generation is essential. Neatsmith, winner of the WOLF Award for Future Legacy, has brought specialist furniture finishing into its London factory and trained employees to undertake and teach the work. Its investment is building manufacturing capability alongside the skills to sustain it.
Gordon Ramsay, our Visionary award recipient, has demonstrated that confidence in London through his investment in restaurants at 22 Bishopsgate. His group’s recent results highlighted strong trading at the site. Adding experiences that people seek out helps the capital compete for visitors who have a world of destinations to choose from.
Investment in hospitality is strengthening Britain’s appeal to high-value international visitors, who spend 14 times as much as the average visitor. Walpole’s research with Bain & Company found that they contribute £8 to the wider economy for every £1 spent on accommodation. Their custom supports shops, restaurants and cultural institutions, as well as the businesses supplying them.
The British Luxury Awards offer a clear message about the strength and competitive edge of the UK’s globally renowned high-end businesses. They demonstrate how the investments these brands are making in their people and quality manufacturing foster talent, creativity and commercial ambition, driving increased exports and strengthening the UK’s reputation around the world. Their achievements matter. They show what Britain can offer the world.
Walpole’s message to government is clear: these British businesses need policies that further unlock their ability to compete globally. A more competitive business environment would help turn the demand that already exists around the world for high-quality British brands into greater investment, increased exports and even more skilled jobs across the UK.
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