Sustaining International Creatives in the UK: Insights from International Fashion Designers

Since Brexit, the UK has experienced a decline in international talent from the EU (Easton, 2024). In response, the government has prioritized attracting highly skilled international talent, including creatives in fashion, film, and the arts, via the Global Talent Visa (GTV), introduced in 2020 (BBC, 2025; Ipsos UK, 2024; Gov.uk, n.d.). This aligns with the goal of the UK creative economy in becoming the ‘best place in the world’ for creative production and investment by 2035 (UK Government, 2025, p. 5).

Compared with other visa pathways on the GTV Route, such as Digital Technology and Research/Academia which tend to feature more formal organizational structures with clear hierarchies, defined roles and institutional support, international creatives in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors often work in more flexible and self-directed environments. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics (2021) show that in England and Wales, 59% of the workforce in these sectors are self-employed, and it is 60.48% for those in the clothing, fashion, and accessory segment, highlighting the prevalence of independent work within this creative sector.

Navigating a pre-dominantly self-directed sector in a new country can be challenging, yet little is known about the strategies and resources accessed by international fashion designers for succeeding in the UK. This study focuses on international fashion designers who migrated to the UK via the Global Talent Visa (GTV). This study asks – How do international fashion designers navigate a new creative landscape (UK), and what resources/ opportunities are available to support them? This study asks – How do international fashion designers navigate a new creative landscape (UK), and what resources/ opportunities are available to support them?

Adopting a multi-level qualitative approach, the study begins with content analysis to map institutional support and sector-specific opportunities across the UK (meso level). Followed by interviews with international fashion designers to explore their integration within the UK creative landscape (micro level). Workshops will validate findings and gather additional insights in collaboration with project partners.

This pilot study will generate a resource list of support structures and a thematic analysis of international fashion designer experiences. Findings will also lay the groundwork for a larger study aimed at informing policy and practice to support the integration of international creatives in the UK creative sector.

Funder: British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN)

Project value: £3,290

Project team (Group members in bold):

  • Dr Morolake Dairo, Manchester Met (Lead)
  • Dr Sharon Nunoo University of Manchester (Co-Investigator)

Project partners:

  • Cultureville
  • Bellafricana
  • Fashion Minority Report

Project duration: 9 months: March 2026 – November 2026