A new survey by the UK’s creative industries union Bectu and its fashion branch, Fashion UK, reveals troubling conditions for creatives in the country’s fashion sector. The survey found that nearly 80 percent of fashion workers have been pressured to work for free. Only 14 percent report being paid on time for their work.
The survey sheds light on ongoing challenges in the fashion industry, where a glamorous public image is often supported by the hard work of overburdened and underpaid stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and assistants, among others.
One freelance fashion assistant shared their experience, recalling being subjected to difficult conditions, such as 16-hour workdays during London Fashion Week for as little as £100. “I’ve had shoes thrown at me and promised expenses that were never paid,” they commented.
Philippa Childs, head of Bectu, warned that the findings should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. “Many fashion creatives have told us they don’t see themselves continuing in the industry in five years,” she said.
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