Capitol Hill Might Get Much More Fashionable

Filed Under: Legal Matters

This is really cool!

There may soon be a place for the fashion industry on The Hill.

Washington D.C.'s local trade group, The Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, has been working to create an official Fashion Caucus. For reals!

The goal is to let the industry's issues and needs be heard, and so far it has garned the support of a number of House Reps, such as Diane Watson (D., CA), Carolyn Maloney (D., NY), Kendrick Meek (D., FL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D., TX), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D., D.C.), Chaka Fattah (D., PA), Rosa DeLauro (D., CT), as well as John Conyers (D., MI) House Judiciary committee chairman.

The idea is to create a caucus comprised of lawmakers who care about the industry and will therein represent the industry's needs, as well as speak for the industry in national matters that affect the fashion industry.

Christine Brooks-Cropper, president of the GWFCC, says "When there is a time where different legislation is before the representatives, and there are some in the fashion industry who are on the opposing side of it, that's when a caucus can have briefings and forums to give us a better platform to get our issues and concerns across."

The idea is in the model of the House Textile Caucus, which has successfully enabled lawmakers to deal with issues vital to the textile industry in the States.

Brooks-Cropper listed the potential birth of a fashion endowment fund as a safety net for the industry and scholarships for fashion students, putting in motion the Design Piracy Prohibition Act which gives three years of copyright protection to designs, and attempting to revive and save the NYC Garment District as examples of issues the caucus could address.

CFDA executive director Steven Kolb said, "If [it] was the right group that had an affinity to our industry and understands its impact both in terms of employment and jobs, and strengthening the American economy, then it is an interesting idea."

The fashion industry employs hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Americans, so it should definitely have a voice in Washington.

Maybe Anna Wintour really does know someone in the White House!

[Image via Getty Images.]

Posted: September 25, 2009 at 10:00 am