Experts speaking on a podcast at the Leeds University said, it would take experts years to understand the full long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the fashion and textiles industry.

Entitled 'How COVID-19 has increased the complexity of the fashion industry and its supply chains', the podcast was hosted by Dr Matthew Davis, an associate professor at the business school, with speakers Dr Mark Sumner, a lecturer in sustainability and fashion at the university's School of Design, and Fergus Dowling, a research assistant working on a project looking at the impact of COVID-19 on modern slavery.

Davis opened the discussion by asking about the impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns on the global fashion industry and, in particular, the effect on how brands manage worker rights and relationships in their supply chains.

Describing the situation as "complex", Sumner said, there may be some major changes in the industry which he hoped would be positive like improving transparency and improving the relationship and the connection between brands and suppliers.

Dowling noted that some brands had cancelled orders without compensation but others had agreed to pay for all orders - leaving them with huge amounts of stock as lockdowns continue.