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Caroline Rush will step down as CEO of the British Fashion Council (BFC) in June 2025 after 16 years in the role, the organisation announced on Thursday. The search for her replacement begins now.
Rush joined the BFC — which is behind London Fashion Week (LFW), the annual Fashion Awards and the highly respected Newgen talent programme, among many other initiatives — in 2009 and has led it through significant change. Its revenue has more than doubled in that time, the BFC said.
Her relationship with the BFC goes back even further: in 1998, then a marketing and PR executive, Rush began consulting for LFW. In 2002, she launched PR firm Crush Communications and continued to work on BFC initiatives, including the British Fashion Awards (‘British’ has since been dropped from the name).
During her tenure as CEO, Rush has been tasked with strengthening LFW’s position as one of the ‘big four’. It has proved a challenging task in recent years, as the dual headwinds of Brexit and the pandemic pulled the rug out from underneath UK-based designers. However, while the event now only has one large tentpole brand (Burberry), it remains a hotbed for mid-sized labels and emerging talent. This season, LFW witnessed renewed buzz as it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a retrospective and several parties.
Among other achievements in the role, Rush launched two charities that in 2019 were merged to form the BFC Foundation — created to support and secure the pipeline of talent to the global industry. The charity has awarded £4.3 million to support designers and their businesses since 2020. (The Fashion Awards, which this year will take place on 2 December, are the main fundraiser for the charity.)
In 2019, Rush spearheaded the launch of the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF), which leads a number of programmes to focus on industry innovation, specifically around the environment, people and circularity.
Most recently, ahead of the UK general election, the BFC developed a five-point plan for the new government that outlined key industry priorities, which Rush reiterated during a reception at 10 Downing Street on Monday. She was awarded a CBE in 2015 for her services to fashion.