FBC member and former head of womenswear design for Aquascutum, Michael Herz, has resigned from his post along with menswear designer, Graeme Fidler.

With a decade under his belt at the luxury heritage label (after stints with Marc Jacobs and Alber Elbaz), and resounding positive reviews after his AW2010 collection, it is clear that Mr. Herz will be missed at the brand that was purchased last year by fellow FBC member Harold Tillman and run under the directorship of Belinda Earl.

What’s next for Michael?  There is lots of speculation. Stay tuned to find out. For a creative talent as big as his, it will no doubt be big.

Read what our media partner Vogue.com has to say: Vogue.com

Board member Daisy de Villeneuve’s books and notebooks are now on sale at the Ultralounge in Selfridges! Published by Pocko, Daisy’s hugely popular He Said, She Said features her cool and stylish felt-tip drawings coupled with typewritten, humourous observations about friendship and love.

Daisy studied fashion and fine art in New York and Paris, and received a B.F.A from Parsons School of Design. Referred to as London’s ‘Queen of Cool,’ Daisy’s art has featured in numerous fashion magazines, galleries, unique exhibitions, Topshop shoeboxes, clothing, housewares, Oyster cardholders in conjunction with the British Fashion Council, and most recently she has appeared in advertising campaigns for Gap Europe and for Uniqlo - a project that was secured by fellow FBC members Neely Reyes and Ian Warren of Sapphires Model Management.

Daisy in ads for Gap Europe and Uniqlo

Daisy will be at the next FBC meeting and is happy to sign FBC members’ copies of her books.

25 March, 3:00 - 4:30pm

Swarovski Crystallized Concept Store & Café

Harrods‘ fashion and beauty director Marigay McKee will be interviewed by FBC board member and editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones.

Membership enquiries: membership@fashionbusinessclub.net

FBC member Britt Lintner announces new executive appointments. Despite the UK’s slowest retail sales growth in 15 years, womenswear label Britt Lintner is bucking the trend by reporting record sales in January 2010 and announcing two new appointments to the executive team.

Catharine Patha joins as the Creative and Commercial Director, and Suzanne Lloyd as the Development and Production Manager. They join Britt Lintner, founder and Managing Director, and chairman Johanna Waterous, who spent over 20 years with McKinsey & Company, where she led the firm’s European Retail and Global Marketing Practices.

Catharine Patha has previously acted as Britt Lintner’s Art Director for the 2008 and 2009 campaigns and will be spearheading the launch of the company’s new e-commerce website due in late spring 2010.

Suzanne Lloyd joins Britt Lintner from 4 years managing a London based production agency working on behalf of overseas manufacturers. A graduate from the Parsons School of Design in New York (BFA Fashion Design), Lloyd developed a prodigious career in New York designing for Donna Karan, DKNY and Adrienne Vittadini, as well as for private labels including Barneys private label, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel. Lloyd has also freelanced as the Senior Designer for the launch of Pringle of Scotland’s newly re-branded “1815″ contemporary ready to wear.

Catwalk Show - Felder Felder
FBC Members Daniela and Annette Felder
Date: 19 February 2010
Time: 18:15
Bloomsbury Ballroom
37 -63 Bloomsbury Square
London, WC1B 4DA
ticket requests:
buyers: sales@felderfelder.com
press: sarah.hendrey@goodleypr.co.uk

Imran Amed editor of The Business of Fashion and FBC member was interviewed on CNN this week. To see the interview click CNN. The interview will also be aired on CNN International again this weekend on Saturday and Sunday on a program called Luxury Life.

VOGUE.COM UK and Fashion Business Club (FBC) create Media Partnership

After four incredible years, Fashion Business Club (FBC) has finally met its match. FBC is thrilled to announce its new media partner: VOGUE.COM UK.

“I’m really pleased to formalise our relationship with Fashion Business Club having worked closely with Courtney and Alison over the last 4 years. The FBC has become a respected hub of fashion ideas and inspiration – I hope VOGUE.COM UK can help it to grow even more.” Dolly Jones, VOGUE.COM editor and FBC board member

Re-launched in spring 2008 under the direction of Dolly Jones, VOGUE.COM UK added a number of exciting new features to the site including VOGUE TV, which began streaming the latest and most popular catwalk and fashion-related videos to their readers. Additionally, the site doubled the number of news stories on the site per day, included a calendar feature to download upcoming fashion events, and added high-profile bloggers to their already fashion-clad site. VOGUE.COM’s new frontend design is used globally across different language versions of the site in order to increase accessibility and suit more international readers.

“We’ve been working with Dolly Jones and VOGUE.COM UK for a few years now and the natural synergy is undeniable. We’re really excited to make the relationship official. It means a lot in terms of our continued growth in both the UK and globally.” Courtney Blackman, FBC co-founder and co-chairman

As VOGUE.COM UK is regularly referenced on FBC’s  blog,  FBC sees partnering with the industry’s most well-respected online fashion resource a clear fit in the continued growth of FBC. Looking to VOGUE.COM for all the latest UK and international fashion news, trend reports, and fashion business updates, FBC co-founders and co-chairs Courtney Blackman and Alison Whelan couldn’t think of a better fit in terms of media partners.

“Dolly Jones and VOGUE.COM UK understood immediately the potential of FBC and continue to champion our growth through this fabulous new media partnership - we are delighted!” Alison Whelan, FBC co-founder and co-chairman

The next meeting will be held Thursday, March 28 at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store & Café from 3:00pm-4.30pm. FBC will welcome guest speaker Marigay McKee, fashion and beauty director at Harrods, interviewed by Dolly Jones.

FBC is a business-focused members club, created on the basis of bringing bright-minded fashion professionals together six times a year at an informal venue to listen to inspiring speakers, learn and do business together. The ethos of the club is generosity and the desire to share knowledge, along with at least two-years’ experience in the industry.

Alison Whelan and Courtney Blackman founded the club in 2006, and they, along with VOGUE.COM UK editor, Dolly Jones and renowned designer/illustrator, Daisy de Villeneuve make up the Board.

FBC meets six times a year on the last Thursday of every other month from 3:00pm-4.30pm at the Swarovski CRSYTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café. If you would like more information about FBC or would like to cover the event, please send an email to press director, Myka Volney: press@fashionbusinessclub.net

The Fashion and Textile Museum are thrilled to announce that they are working in partnership with Clothes Show London, with its new residency at Earls Court 25-27 June 2010, to launch a competition to find the Young Accessory Designer of the Year.

Alison Lewy Commercial Director, Fashion and Textile Museum and FBC member welcomes this opportunity to support aspiring design talent in this way: “FTM is thrilled to be working in partnership with Clothes Show London to launch this new competition which reflects the ethos of the museum to support young design talent. The winner will have a unique opportunity to receive a package of high-level, professional industry led support from the FTM to ensure the on-going development of their business, as well as exposure for their brand.”

Competition Brief
The prestigious new award in partnership with the FTM, challenges designers to create an accessory product that encompasses the FTM’s brand values and is suitable for sale in the FTM’s shop (Shop@FTM) and the FTM’s online boutique.

Entrance criteria
The competition is open to aspiring designers who have been trading for fewer than three years.

The Prize
The winner will have the opportunity to receive the following:
• To showcase their product at Clothes Show London
• To launch and sell the winning product in the Shop@FTM
• Six months business support with industry advisors to help grow their business and make it sustainable
• To attend a professional CAD short course at the FTM
• Invitation to the Private View of the forthcoming Horrockses Fashion exhibition

All entries will be judged by FTM’s Commercial Director, Alison Lewy and Managing Director of Clothes Show London, Gavin Brown. The winner will be announced at an impressive awards ceremony in Clothes Show London’s spectacular Fashion Theatre at London’s Earls Court on Saturday 26th June.

Deadline for Entries
15th April 2010
Winner announcement at Clothes Show London on 26th June 2010

To enter visit  www.ftmlondon.org to download an application form.

FBC member and regular contributor to the FBC Blog, Anne Look is stepping up her own blog, Stylist and the City by collaborating with Glam Media.

What is Glam Media? From the horse’s mouth, it is the pioneer and global leader of vertical media-a new model that connects premium brand advertisers with millions of consumers online through large, growing, vertical content networks.

Says Anne, “Stylist and the City hasn’t lost its way! In fact, the writing is just as unchartered, the posts just as random, my life just as unpredictable and the fashions just as fabulous, fast, fruitful and on the pulse.”

Stylist and the City will get a makeover and changes to the look and layout will be effective immediately…as soon as Anne works out how to apply them.

If you’re a blogger and want to know more about vertical media, hunt down Anne at the next FBC meeting on the 28^th of January at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED^TM Concept Store and Café.

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

Thursday night saw FBC members turn out for the launch of Daisy Lowe for Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™jewellery collaboration, held in the newly opened store in central London. The Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ lounge in Great Marlborugh Street is also the new home of the FBC and where the first meeting of the year (and 4th birthday) will kick off on January 28.  FBC’ers at the event included  FBC Co-Founder & Co-Chairman Courtney Blackman,  Marketing Operations Manager of Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Stine Brogaard and Frances Card, Managing Director of Frances Card Consultancy. The collection focuses on Daisy’s love of the earth, fire, water, wind and spirit, featuring a specially created five pointed star to represent these elements. I caught up with Daisy and got her personal thoughts on the collection.

“This is something that’s very special to me, to be here tonight and to have had the chance to create a range. I hope that you, and others like it. It’s nice for people to see me as a creative and not only as a model. I’m really proud of this collaboration”.

*With Daisy’s love of nature and the preservation of the environment, Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ will be donating 20% of the proceeds from the sale of EVERY piece of the collection to Climate Concern, a UK based charity that educates and empowers individuals about climate change.

Fashion Business Club celebrates its fourth birthday in January 2010 and has a brand new sparkling partner for the New Year: the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café on Great Marlborough Street.

In 2009, FBC held two meetings at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café (DailyCandy and Jonathan Saunders/Dolly Jones) and it felt just like home. The space is perfect for holding the live interviews, the production of FBCtv, and networking.

Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED ™ says, “We are very excited to become part of the FBC partnership, we see the match as being perfect and a great opportunity to facilitate great networking in a beautiful and very fashionable space that is the new Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café.’’

FBC’s six meetings for 2010 will take place in the space and will be filled with bright-minded fashion professionals looking to do business together and share in the experiences of the guest speakers, including Tamara Salman, creative director of Liberty of London in January; and Harrods fashion and beauty director, Marigay McKee in March. The Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café is the perfect backdrop for FBC meetings and creates an informal social environment that allows members to casually engage with one another.

“Swarovski has long been associated with recognising new creative talent and we’re very super happy to be inking the deal with Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™, new venue partner for our FBC meetings.” Alison Whelan, FBC co-founder and co-chairman

“The Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Concept Store and Café is the one space that our members have been wildly enthusiastic about. The synergy between what FBC does and the way the lounge is architected couldn’t be more harmonious. It was the natural next step to formalise the relationship and we’re really excited!” Courtney Blackman, FBC co-founder and co-chairman

FBC is a business-focused members club, created on the basis of bringing bright-minded fashion professionals together six times a year at an informal venue to listen to inspiring speakers, learn and do business together. The ethos of the club is generosity and the desire to share knowledge, along with at least two-years’ experience in the industry.

The club was started by Alison Whelan and Courtney Blackman in 2006, and they, along with Vogue.com editor, Dolly Jones and Daisy de Villenuve renowned designer/illustrator, make up the Board.

Members include home-grown and internationals, well-known and aspiring designers, journalists, photographers, stylists, buyers, brand managers, make-up artists, manufacturers, lawyers, graphic designers, copywriters, retailers, IP specialists, creative directors, PRs, brand managers and more.

Photo by Dave Wise for FBC

-Rebekah Roy Fashion Stylist & FBC Editor