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Group to push for fashion gathering in D.C.

The fashion industry might be coming to Washington D.C., and this time, not only to Michelle Obama’s wardrobe.

The Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce (GWFCC) is working to create an official fashion caucus which could mean great things for the industry.

According to a report from New York Magazine, the basic goal for such a caucus would be to give the fashion district a voice so the issues effecting the industry can be heard by those who can make a difference.

Working behind the GWFCC would be various lawmakers who have an interest in the industry and who can represent it’s needs. These lawmakers stand as the voice for the industry in regards to the national matters that affect it.

Christine Brooks-Cropper, president of the GWFCC, spoke about the possible issues the caucus could tackle, according to Women’s World Daily Magazine.

These issues include creating a fashion endowment fund to provide scholarships for fashion students, getting more momentum behind the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, which gives three years of copyright protection to designs and attempting to revive and save New York City’s Garment District.

As of now, the idea for such a caucus has garnered much support from multiple House representatives, including Diane Watson (D-Calif.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and House Judiciary committee chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.).

During a time when our economy is weak and spending is down, one of the largest industries affected is the fashion industry. It employs thousands of Americans who may have already lost their jobs or had their salaries reduced. According the Wall Street Journal, ad pages at 14 of Conde Nast’s 23 print publications, many of which are fashion magazines, fell by more than the industry average of 29.5 percent in the second quarter.

In the wake of such an extreme drop in advertising, Conde Nast was forced to eliminate four of its magazines and within just the past two weeks has fired 300 employees. There is no better time than now for the fashion industry to gain a stronger voice in the nation’s legislature.

Come on, Capitol Hill, join the trend and be fashion forward too.

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