UK fashion creatives feel pressured to work for free

New research from trade union Bectu (Broadcasting Entertainment Communications and Theatre Union) has revealed that eight in ten UK fashion creatives have felt pressured to work for free, and only 10 percent of those surveyed say they feel secure in their job.

Bectu’s fashion branch, Fashion UK, surveyed more than 500 fashion creatives working in roles such as assistants (fashion, make-up/hair, photographer), fashion and accessories designers, hair/make-up/nails, photographers, stylists and tailors.

They found that for those working in creative roles in the fashion industry, there was a story of insecurity, low – or no–pay, and toxic working environments.

Half (51 percent) of fashion creatives are earning under 30,000 pounds a year before tax from their work in the industry, while only 14 percent said they are paid on time for the work they do, and more than seven in ten (72 percent) stated that they have struggled financially in the past year.

Bectu survey reveals fashion creatives struggling financially and working in toxic environments

The responses also paint a “bleak picture” of poor work/life balance, with more than 7 in 10 reporting struggling with their mental health in the past year and 59 percent saying their work has negatively impacted their personal relationships. 83 percent also added that toxic and inappropriate behaviour is often tolerated in the fashion industry.

One freelance fashion assistant told the survey: “I’ve had shoes thrown at me, been told certain expenses will be covered, and then had the client refuse to pay them. [I’ve worked] 16-hour days during London Fashion Week for as little as 100 pounds.”

While a photo assistant revealed: “The expectation seems to be that we, as freelancers, can be paid whenever suits the employer. There’s no other industry where you provide a service, and all terms are blatantly ignored with no consequences. It feels to me that it’s getting worse year on year.”

Commenting on the findings, Philippa Childs, head of Bectu, which represents more than 40,000 workers in creative industries, said in a statement: “Fashion creatives face many of the same challenges common in the wider creative industries, including low pay, long hours and, at times, toxic workplace cultures. Exploitative practices are unfortunately all too common and can be hidden behind promises of work in a glamorous industry.

“The issues uncovered in our survey should ring alarm bells for the industry, with many fashion creatives telling us they don’t see themselves in the industry in five years’ time.”