The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced that its new Chair will be Stephanie Phair. Stephanie, who succeeds Dame Natalie Massenet in the role, is the Chief Strategy Officer at Farfetch, a position she will remain in, and will head the BFC for an initial three year term.
Stephanie’s career began in New York City, with roles in communications, marketing and business development at Siren PR and Issey Miyake, as well as at American Vogue where she worked on initiatives such as the launch of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion fund and the annual Metropolitan Costume Institute Gala. She is a digital fashion veteran, starting in e-commerce thirteen years ago with Portero, the first pre-owned luxury marketplace, and then, following a move to London, she joined the Net-A-Porter Group as President of The Outnet. She also sat on the Executive Board of the Net-A-Porter Group from 2009 to 2015.
In her role as Chair of the BFC, Stephanie will focus on Governance, and also support the CEO, Caroline Rush, in the delivery of the organization’s five strategic pillars: Reputation, Investment, Business, Digital & Innovation and Education. She will also be responsible for developing relationships with sponsors and industry patrons, and building the profile of British fashion globally. “I am honored and delighted to take on the role of Chairman,” said Stephanie. “The British Fashion Council is in a strong position following the incredible work of Dame Natalie Massenet, Caroline Rush and the team, and my role will be to build on this and help drive continued innovation and new thinking in this fast paced, changing industry. I look forward to working with the team at the BFC to engage with and support all the talented designers and teams working for British fashion today.”
The BFC is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the designer fashion sector to a global industry, supporting creative talent and businesses from education and start-up through their different phases of growth. Its core events include London Fashion Week, London Fashion Week Men’s and The Fashion Awards. Its Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Rush, commenting on Stephanie’s appointment, said, “On behalf of the Board of the British Fashion Council, I welcome the appointment of Stephanie Phair as our incoming Chair and we all look forward to working with her on strengthening the opportunities for British fashion talent and businesses over the next few years. Her appointment was driven by her reputation as a strategic thinker, a broad view of the sector, and her propensity to challenge the norms to create new opportunities for growth.”
Stephanie’s role will be formalized at a Board meeting on 5th July 2018, and we wish her every success.
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Molly Goddard Awarded 2018 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
Stephanie Phair Joins Farfetch