British Designers@FashionCapital Bath - Save Our Shop

British Designers@FashionCapital offers retail support to London Fashion Week designers alongside new talent. In line with the mentoring and support work FashionCapital provides to the UK’s emerging fashion industry the boutique provides an outlet for London Fashion Week designers to sell their previous season stock at discounted prices and for new labels and graduates to showcase and sell their designs – often for the first time. Since opening in September the project has engaged with the local community, up-and-coming designers and students studying at Bath Spa University giving them essential insight into the tough fashion industry. The feedback from customers has been incredibly positive they love the unique product offer, the designer discounts and the fact they are supporting UK based businesses. FashionCapital operates on a not-for-profit basis and only takes a small commission from each sale to cover running and staffing costs; a large proportion of each sale goes directly to the designer. To operate at this level, as the company has in the South East, the outlet needs the backing of the local council and to be awarded discretionary rate relief. British Designers, 14 Milsom Place, Bath has been operating on the understanding that the council would not charge full commercial rates in light of the company’s not-for-profit status and that it engages with the community and local educational bodies. However, after 10 months of waiting for a response Bath & North East Somerset council have concluded that British Designers must pay full commercial rates. We are currently appealing against this but if the council refuse to alter their decision we will be forced to close immediately and will no longer be able to support designers with a retail outlet in the South West. Please do not let this happen, Britain is already becoming a clone town country with the same high street chains wherever you go. Please support us and sign this petition. Much thanks the team at FashionCapital.