Alexandra Shulman & Dolly Jones

‘If you really want to do something, you almost always get to’. Such was the advice from longstanding Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman during her interview by Vogue.com’s Dolly Jones, when the Fashion Business Club held court at the delectable One Alfred Place last week.

The down-to-earth Vogue editor with a sense for business spoke of her own childhood as the daughter of journalist parents and how journalism was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. Alexandra Shulman went on to tell how fashion has never been her primary focus and that although she was in the running to become the next Vogue editor after her editorship at GQ magazine, it was not until she read her name in the papers that she began to view herself as a serious contender for the position. ‘Now that I have it, though, I can’t think of a better job. It’s a privilege!’.

The Crowd

Shulman took over the post in April 1992 and is a focused editor keen to support British talent, but also tells how despite heading up fashion’s main bible, she is no expert on the subject.  ‘Its fascinating what the fashion editors see on the catwalk, because I see something completely different! I see a trouser and they refer it to something very specific’.  She adds that her appearance has been commented upon often, with people saying this is not quite how they expected the editor of Vogue to look. Her quick witted response? ‘I’ve been the editor of Vogue for the past 17 years, so this is what the editor of Vogue looks like!’.

Alexandra Shulman

During her time at Vogue, Shulman has had a significant impact on not just circulation figures, but also on the role the magazine plays. Shulman says that when she took over the reigns, there was no depth as to how much she did not know, yet it was also a challenge for her to move from the male dominated GQ offices to the Vogue HQ, a challenge which has amongst others seen her awarded with an OBE. She strove hard to make Vogue the important fashion bible it is today, fighting off fears of flying, not having enough dedicated time for her family and more frustratingly, criticism from the outside world of the impact of fashion on contemporary culture. She herself says that fashion has become a sort of whipping post for so much contemporary culture –such as the body image debates, but seeing as she is a woman who enjoys a good debate, she is not afraid to stand her ground.

Cocosa’s editor, Fiona Harkin, Cocosa’s brand director, Frances Card and Liberty’s creative director, Tamara Salman

Of the future of the fashion magazine, the Vogue editor admits that this truly is the big question which is currently being debated everywhere. Shulman believes there is a lot to be learnt from the newspaper world which is currently in quite a catastrophic state. ‘It’s all online and everything is available for free, yet it’s not making any money. I myself am a magazine junkie and I like to have something to hold in my hands, yet I’m aware that we need to focus our thoughts on answering the question, ‘What can we do that you can’t get online?’. She believes there will be some casualties, but that there will still be a place for Vogue.  

Fred&Ginger’s founder and creative director, Victoria Holt

As for the impact of the economic downturn on the industry, Shulman says, ‘LFW was really brilliant last time – one of the best. Is that coincidence or not?’. She adds that London designers and brands have often had limited budgets to work with, but that it is all about talent and making a mark. ‘Difficult times make people think differently. Its exciting!’.

FBC’s co-founder and co-chairman, Alison Whelan with fashion designer, Jens Laugesen

And her advice to budding designers? ‘Don’t forget it is a business, so a partnership between business and creativity is essential.  Find a partner early on who can help you do this – many of today’s big names had help with their business plans’. She adds that it is also important to have a clear vision about what you are trying to design and to remember that things don’t happen overnight.  She advises people not to define themselves by their job, saying that we don’t ever get to have it our whole lives and it would be devastating to loose what defines you.  She herself is all to aware that she will not be Vogue editor forever, but already plans to write a book and spend more time in the garden.  

Anne-Louise Fogtmann Guest Editor

Photos by Dave Wise

The ICA’s Annual Fundraising Gala was awash with famous faces, and a sprinkling of them were our very own FBC members.  I travelled over to EC1 with FBC member and Aquascutum’s head of womenswear design, Michael Herz.  His date was head of menswear at Boden; mine was a hat designer-cum-judge for the next Britain’s Next Top Model.

I wore Jasper Garvida’s Relative Velocity dress, and Michael was of course suited in Aquascutum.

Courtney Blackman & Michael Herz

We ran into FBC member and journalist, Navaz Batliwalla, who was covering the event for Grazia.  You can read her report by clicking here:  Art and fashion collide at the ICA gala

Poppy & Daisy de Villeneuve

We tucked into champagne and canapés, and then were ushered into a massive room where we shared a table with the artistic sisters de Villeneuve.  FBC board member Daisy (who’s on the ICA Committee, and was donning a stunning dress by Felder Felder), and her sister Poppy, donated their combined arts for the live auction.  £2,000 later and some lucky person will get a diptych of their own portrait, photographed by Poppy, then illustrated by Daisy.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

There’s no stopping us at Fashion Business Club, and we’re pleased to announce that Drapers, the premier trade magazine in the UK for the fashion business, is now our official media partner.  This means  FBC members will receive the latest copy of Drapers magazine at each of the six annual meetings, and there will be some serious content sharing going on, so members, prepare yourselves for editorial exposure.

The partnership comes just in time to celebrate FBC’s most talked about event to date:  Vogue on Vogue, where Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue will be interviewed by Dolly Jones, editor of Vogue.com, on the 26th of March at One Alfred Place.

“This is a great example of a win-win situation.  And just another reason why Drapers are the No. 1 industry magazine - they’re great at spotting new talent and supporting fashion business initiatives - namely FBC.” – Alison Whelan, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

For more details about Fashion Business Club visit:  www.fashionbusinessclub.net
For more information on Drapers visit:  www.drapersonline.com

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

“I think FBC may have struck gold.  Alexandra Shulman and Dolly Jones, two Vogue editors in the same room, talking exclusively about the challenges and opportunities of print and digital publishing immediately after the A/W09 collections and during a world recession?  Whatever else is happening in the fashion industry on 26th March at 3pm, this meeting should not be missed,” says FBC’s Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Alison Whelan

That’s right, next Thursday FBC has secured a talk that will go down in networking club history.  Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue, will be interviewed by Dolly Jones, FBC board member and editor of Vogue.com at One Alfred Place.  “Having two of the industry’s most powerful players in the media sector, is going to be explosive,” says Courtney Blackman, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

Alexandra Shulman

Alexandra has been the editor of British Vogue since April of 1992 and under her guardianship, Vogue’s readership has risen to over a million.  Her many other achievements include being named Editors’ Editor of the Year in 2004 by the British Society of Magazine Editors, awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to the magazine industry, and being named Womans Magazine Editor of the Year 2008.

The more Vogue bit?  Vogue.com’s fashion features editor, Jessica Bumpus will be photographing members for the website’s Street Chic section, so all members should ‘Strike a pose, Vogue! Vogue!’

See you next week!

Sarah Hardy Editor

I’ve been a very faithful attendee of London Fashion Week over the last several years.  It’s an optimal time to network, to see what FBC members are up to, and it’s always good to catch up with friends and acquaintances that I haven’t seen since the previous September or February.

Well, this past season I took on a new challenge and reported on the London shows for a magazine in Panama as the contributing fashion editor for their fashion issue… en español.  The magazine, BLANK, is a great editorial outlet for FBCers looking to expand to Central America, and a couple members were directly involved in shows - Michael Herz, as head of womenswear design at Aquascutum and Rebekah Roy, as stylist at William Tempest – so I was able to legitimately include them.

If you’re interested in reading it (brushing up on your Spanish), subscribing to it or just being in it.., let me know and I’ll send you the PDFs and details:  courtney@fashionbusinessclub.net

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

A trade mark is what distinguishes you in the marketplace.  It’s your logo, words, or both, and it’s what sets you apart from other brands.

FBC’s Louisa Hetherington is an intellectual property expert and a senior legal advisor (specialising in fashion) at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain and has prepared an article on a recent trade mark case that FBCers just might be interested in.

The case and her article concern fashion branding and the possibility that if you register a trade mark, but only use it for promotional giveaway items (i.e. a little something in those notorious Fashion Week goodie bags), rather than applying it to the product being sold, you risk losing it as a registration and thereby losing your rights in the brand!

If you would like a copy of Louisa’s single page article, you can request one from her by emailing:  Louisa.Hetherington@rpc.co.uk

…you can also get in touch for any IP concerns.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

The finale filming of Season 5 of Britain’s Next Top Model (airing in a couple months-ish) took place on Tuesday evening, and FBC’s Lee Lapthorne was there helping with the production of the fashion side of it.

FBCers Lee Lapthorne and Rebekah Roy, wearing the Azzure headpiece from Louis Mariette

A little shindig with lots of cocktails, canapés and cupcakes was held, and the show’s three judges:  Lisa Snowdon; photographer and creative director, Huggy Ragnarsson; and milliner, Louis Mariette, were dressed to impress (jewelled Sultan’s jacket, leather trousers, pink leopard print shoes) and mingling around.

Lisa Snowdon’s Jimmy Choos

Fashion stylist and FBC member, Rebekah Roy helped style Louis for the show, and was there along with Jodie Kidd, loads of journos and TV people.

Jodie Kidd and Louis Mariette

New FBC members, Jamie de Cesare and Elle Nadal from Chrisanne also worked with Louis to ensure that he would be sartorially bejewelled for multiple episodes.  The series will be on LIVING TV…soon.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

Photos taken with my BlackBerry