Who Runs London Fashion Week: A Guide
By Something CuratedLondon Fashion Week, considered to be one of the ‘Big Four’ along with New York, Milan and Paris, takes place twice a year in February and September, platforming the work of over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers. Organised by the British Fashion Council (BFC) for the London Development Agency with help from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, London Fashion Week first took place in October 1983, and has since continued to evolve and expand. Today, it is estimated that orders of over £100m are placed during each edition of the event. Coinciding with London’s SS18 presentations, running until 19th September, Something Curated highlights the key figures behind the biannual programme.
Caroline Rush CBE || Chief Executive, BFC
Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, Caroline Rush has 20 years of experience in Marketing and PR in fashion, music and lifestyle, and has managed her own business for five years, during which time she delivered communications strategies for the BFC. Since her appointment as Chief Executive in April 2009, Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Matthew Williamson, Mulberry, Preen and Pringle of Scotland have returned to show their collections at LFW. Rush has expanded the LONDON show ROOMS and Style Suites taking British designers to new markets including Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Sao Paolo.
Dame Natalie Massenet MBE || Chairman, BFC
Natalie Massenet has been Chairman of the British Fashion Council since 2013, a role in which she tirelessly champions the country’s fashion industry and its contribution to the economy. As the founder of NET-A-PORTER, the online luxury fashion retailer, Massenet is a hugely influential figure in the global fashion industry. She began her career as a journalist and fashion editor, working at Women’s Wear Daily, W and, later, at Tatler. In 2000, she left journalism to found NET-A-PORTER, the massively successful online retailer which grew exponentially over the years. In September 2015, she announced her decision to step down from her role at the NET-A-PORTER GROUP to explore new ideas and opportunities.
Lulu Kennedy MBE || Director, Fashion East
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Since 2000, Lulu Kennedy has helmed Fashion East, a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding and nurturing new design talent. Each season the initiative offers three womenswear and three menswear designers the opportunity to stage a runway show for international press and buyers attending London Fashion Week. Designers receive a bursary, venue and complete runway show production; they are mentored and guided by Kennedy and her in-house PR throughout the season. Since Fashion East’s inception, Kennedy has guided and assisted in the evolution of Simone Rocha, Craig Green, Roksanda Ilincic, Marques Almeida and Jonathan Saunders, among others.
Isabella Davey || Showcasing Executive, BFC
Since 2015, Isabella Davey has been responsible for building the official show and event schedule for both London Fashion Week & London Fashion Week Men’s. Working across production, PR, events and logistics, Davey creates and implements innovative campaigning strategies, upholding standards for the British Fashion Council. Project Manager of the initiatives NEWGEN and Fashion Film, Davey supports the conceptualisation of each seasonal event, scouting new talent, as well as executing the initiatives.
Christopher Bailey MBE || Chief Creative Officer & President, Burberry
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Chief Creative Officer and President of Burberry, Christopher Bailey, along with former chief executive Angela Ahrendts, restored the British trenchcoat-maker into one of the most widely known luxury fashion houses in the world. Under Bailey’s direction, the heritage brand was also a pioneer of “see now, buy now,” unveiling its first collection using the new fashion-immediacy model in September 2016 at London Fashion Week. The consumer-facing concept also saw the launch of Maker’s House, the label’s Soho-based show space, that also acts as a brand-focused exhibition pop up open to the public for a limited time after each show.
José Neves || Non-Executive Director, BFC
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In July of last year, José Neves joined the British Fashion Council’s board as a Non-Executive Director, working closely with Natalie Massenet. Neves launched Farfetch back in 2008, bringing together his interests in fashion and technology, as well as his experience in design, wholesale and retail, to create a business that would celebrate and support the diversity of the global fashion industry. Farfetch now comprises around 500 partner boutiques and almost 200 partner brands, offering pieces from more than 1,500 labels.
Dylan Jones OBE || Advisor, BFC
Author Dylan Jones has written twenty books on subjects as diverse as music and politics, fashion and photography. He has been an editor at The Observer, The Sunday Times, i-D, The Face and Arena, a columnist for The Guardian and The Independent, and is currently the Editor-In-Chief of GQ. He has won Magazine Editor of the Year eleven times, and been awarded the prestigious Mark Boxer Award, while his book on the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, was shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year. As well as acting as an advisor to the BFC, he is a trustee of the Hay Festival and a board member of the Norman Mailer Writers Colony.
Anya Hindmarch CBE || UK Trade Ambassador & Non-Executive Director, BFC
Anya Hindmarch founded her business in 1987 with a store on London’s Walton Street. The designer’s luxury accessories brand is known for its creativity, craftsmanship, personalisation and humour. In 2009, Hindmarch was awarded an MBE in recognition for her contribution to the British fashion industry as well as further responsibilities including, UK Trade Ambassador, Non-Executive Director of the British Fashion Council and Trustee of both The Royal Academy and The Design Museum.
Feature image: Mary Katrantzou AW16 (Photo: Shaun James Cox via British Fashion Council)