Fashion Business Club

Champagne was flowing as the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award celebrated its 36^th year, held at The Saatchi Gallery. The Award is geared toward entrepreneurs and corporates working in the UK and globally, and was created on behalf of, and honours Madame Clicquot, a lucrative 19^th century businesswoman.

Quite a few women in the fashion industry made up the audience including jewellers, lingerie designers, handbag designers, fashion editors, PRs, and illustrators.

Cath Kidston was amongst the finalists representing the industry. Modernised, old-fashioned prints adorn her range of fashion, accessories and homewares, stocked in 34 stores, 4 concessions, and a range of licenses. Cath was delighted to be nominated for the award, but is was Gail Rebuck CBE, Chief Executive Officer of The Random House Group publishing company that took the silver bottle trophy, presented by Sir Trevor McDonald OBE.

A handful of previous winners have hailed from the fashion industry including Jean Tyrell OBE, Chairman of Sirdar Ltd., Britain’s leading domestic yarn producers; Jenifer Rosenberg OBE, Founder and Managing Director of J & J Fashions Ltd., Britain’s largest privately owned clothing manufacturer; Nikki Beckett, Founder and Chief Executive, NSB Retail Systems plc. (niche software for the retail industry) and Linda Bennett, Founder & Managing Director of LK Bennett.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

FBC really has got talent with its new launch of FBCtv (BIG thanks to the team behind the lens the Director Terry McGough, Christian Cuninghame and Peter Englebrecht). Just click on the link below the image, press play and watch a historic event with Alexander Shulman (Editor Vogue UK) and Dolly Jones (Editor Vogue.com) filmed at the private members club and home to FBC, One Alfred Place.

 

FBCtv Alexandra Shulman on YouTube

FBC members listened intently to Shulman’s view on fashion and how it has changed during her 17 year tenure at the helm of Vogue UK, her role at London Fashion Week and her views on the future of print. The iconic editor addressed members questions with great humour, unprecedented knowledge and humilty – the result among members was not unlike the judges faces upon hearing Susan Boyle on ‘Britains Got Talent’!

Fashion Business Club is a private members networking club for fashion professinals – our ethos is built on sharing information, experience and the promotion of other members talents. If you have a minimum of 2 years in the fashion industry you can join us now by downloading the application from here.

Next member meeting sees edgy German twin sister designers, Felder Felder, interviewed by FBC board member Daisy de Villeneuve on Thursday 28th May 2009.

Alison Whelan Co-founder & Co-chairman

Michelle Obama’s fashion choices during the G20 summit in London had the media at full attention, which naturally drew focus to her British counterpart, Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister’s wife, and her attire.  FBC member, Britt Lintner’s designs are a favourite of Sarah Brown’s and it was her knee-length, navy blue dress that Sarah wore the first day. The ‘Renu,’ as it is called, retails for £490 and was written about everywhere from Vogue.com to USA Today.

Sarah Brown in Britt Lintner with Michelle Obama

Swedish American, Britt started with a degree in economics and racked up an impressive career in the financial services industry (from securities lending to institutional equity sales) before studying at London’s Instituto Marangoni and launching Britt Lintner Limited in 2006. Her label is designed for professional women and aims to be ‘chic, corporate and comfortable.’ Britt still holds a leading role in the financial world, which gives her an intimate understanding of what her target customer needs.

Sarah Brown (centre) wearing a one-off Britt Lintner velvet dress with Sir Stuart Rose and Hilary Riva at the 2007 British Fashion Awards

Britt’s collections are designed and produced in the UK and range in influence from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, along with inspiration from Britt’s own eclectic and international life.

Visit Britt Lintner online: www.brittlintner.com

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

Five Fashion Business Club members have made it onto the Online Fashion 100 list compiled randomly by online fashion consultant, digital marketing strategist and blogger, Leon Bailey-Green. The list is made up of “one hundred individuals and duos making things happen in the online fashion industry.” 

FBC member and CEO of koodos, Miriam Lahage.  Miriam has over 20 years’ experience working within the US fashion and retail industry and relocated to London to launch koodos.

Miriam Lahage

FBC member and editor of fashion business weekly, Drapers, Lauretta Roberts is in there along with commercial brand manager, Antony Hawman.  After 10 years at Haymarket Business Publications, Lauretta joined Drapers, redesigned it and relaunched it to incorporate more industry news, views and indepth interviews.

Lauretta Roberts

Dolly Jones, editor of Vogue.com and FBC Board member has been at the helm of Vogue.com for over nine years and relaunched the site last year, increasing the number of daily news stories, and adding a host of new sections for their 1,200,000 strong readership.

Dolly Jones

Fashion stylist, trend forecaster and blogger (and FBC member), Rebekah Roy’s blog, Stylist Stuff has a massive following of devotees, and she writes her more business-focused regular blog for Drapers.

Rebekah Roy

Frances Card, FBC member and brand director of Cocosa is the former international brand director at Liberty. Frances is responsible for choosing the designer labels sold on the recently launched, invitation-only private sales website.

Frances Card

Well done, ladies!

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

The Fashion Business Club (FBC) has a new home at One Alfred Place, deep in the heart of achingly cool Bloomsbury. We’re delighted to have FBC members visit us for their own networking events and would be happy to talk to you about membership – Alison and Courtney have already signed up and are regularly enjoying the benefits.

One Alfred Place has been designed specifically for people to do business in – and that includes – fashion business. We know how important it is to present the right impression to a potential client and who really wants to do important sales meetings in hotel lobbies, cafes and cramped hotel rooms?

Move your business up a level at One Alfred Place – make it your office in town, use the complimentary laptops, take up a thinking pod, hire a small business room, the Other Space (easily large enough for two designers to show their collections or one very confident one!) or for launches and press events, try the Store Street room. Talk and walk – we encourage business, so mobile phones are welcome here. There is over 10,000 square foot of bright and airy space (perfect for a catwalk!), showers, lockers, fantastic food and drink, including decaf and soya aplenty. We also have a Club Cabin – somewhere to catch up on sleep after that New York to London red-eye flight.

If we have piqued your interest contact Katie on 020 7000 1999 or info@onealfredplace.com who’d be happy to set up a complimentary one day membership pass. To find out more about the venue visit www.onealfredplace.com

FBC Members Neely and Ian from Sapphires Model Management were recently invited to The House of Commons to meet with David Lammy – the Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills – after a government report was published featuring graduate success stories from across the country.

Sapphires were used as a case study in the report, which highlighted the successes of people from underprivileged backgrounds who have used their university education to improve their lives.  The government report was particularly interested in how they grew from a small regional agency to opening a second London office within three years.  The government are keen to promote cooperation between London and the regions, particularly in the creative industries, and Neely and Ian’s journey was cited as a great graduate success story.

They definitely gave the ministers something to think about for the future, and it was a great excuse to don their Sunday best and have a little snoop around the Houses of Parliament.

Congratulations Sapphire!

The two months that pass between each FBC meeting are just the right amount of time to catch up with members and see what everyone has been working on, but sometimes it’s good to have little meetings in between, talk shop and share ideas; and if food is involved, it’s even better.

Here’s fashion stylist and trend forecaster, Rebekah Roy and Gabriella Piccinni, international business director at Diane von Furstenberg making starters.  Founder and managing director of Muks, Jaime Cooke brought the main dish and came wearing a pair of tartan trimmed boots from her next autumn winter collection.

Rebekah Roy & Gabriella Piccinni

 

Jaime Cooke

Talking business, Rebekah is a wealth of information on historical and future trends, Gabriella has been in the fashion industry for more than fifteen years and is a veritable fountain of knowledge on all things fashion and business, and the legal problems that Jaime encounters by having one of the most renowned footwear companies in the world are staggering and good to learn from.  Is anyone else in FBC holding micro meetings?  Let us know!

There’s that saying, ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,’ and I’ve found in our industry that’s more often than not the case.  It’s very much about relationships.  Going to industry events and parties is good way to meet new people, foster existing relationships, and of course have a bit of fun.

Courtney Blackman, Michael Herz, Marcus Davies & Graeme Fidler 

.Cent magazine held their Triptych Party at the Wapping Project to celebrate their new spring summer issue.  FBC member and Aquascutum’s head of womenswear, Michael Herz will be guest editing the autumn winter issue.  We went along with Boden’s head of menswear, Marcus Davies and Aquascutum’s head of menswear, Graeme Fidler, and met all sorts of people from photographers to editors to buyers and PRs…and tried on lots of hats.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman