Caroline Rush

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caroline Rush

Rush in 2022
BornJuly 1971
Glasgow, Scotland
Years active1992–present
Spouse
(m. 1999)
Children1

Caroline Rush CBE (née Larner; born July 1971) is a marketing professional who is Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council.[1][2] Her role is to promote the British fashion industry, particularly through organising London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards.[3]

Early life and education[edit]

Caroline Larner was born in Glasgow, the middle of three daughters, and spent her early childhood in Bishopbriggs. Her father is an accountant and her mother is a teacher.[4] Her father's job took the family to England, first to Derbyshire and then to Chorley, Lancashire.[5][6]

Career[edit]

Rush began working in public relations and marketing in about 1992.[7] Her association with the British Fashion Council started in 1998, when she was employed by Annette Worsley-Taylor Associates, who were the creative and marketing consultants for the London Fashion Week.[7] She started Manchester-based PR agency Crush Communications in 2002,[7][8] and became managing director.[9] The British Fashion Council appointed this company as the press office for all British Fashion Council initiatives, including the London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards, with Rush as a public relations strategy adviser to the British Fashion Council.[7]

Rush was appointed British Fashion Council joint chief executive in March 2009.[7][10][11] As joint Chief Executive, she oversaw the Council’s move into Somerset House in 2009.[12][13] In a restructuring, Rush became sole chief executive in June 2012.[2] Rush "played a key role in attracting brands such as Burberry and Pringle and British designers such as Antonio Berardi and Jonathan Saunders back to London."[10][14] Hilary Alexander credited Rush with changing London Fashion Week from being a 'poor cousin' compared with Paris, Milan and New York, "and showing that Britain is really where it all begins".[15]

Caroline is currently represented by talent & rights management agency Kruger Cowne.[16]

Personal life[edit]

Rush lives in Wimbledon.[12] Her husband Matthew is a physical education teacher[11] and former professional footballer for West Ham, Norwich and Oldham.[17] Their daughter Lana competed in junior Wimbledon 2012 and 2013.[18][19]

Rush was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to the British fashion industry.[20][21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Daily Telegraph, Samantha Cameron toasts the cream of British fashion at 10 Downing Street, by Lisa Armstrong, 22 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b British Fashion Council official website[permanent dead link], Caroline Rush and Simon Ward, June 2010.
  3. ^ "British Fashion Awards website". Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  4. ^ Barnes, Julie-Anne (18 October 2015). "Scots designer takes fashion from catwalks of London around the world". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  5. ^ Swarbrick, Susan (16 September 2017). "Caroline Rush: meet the Scot at the heart of British fashion". The Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  6. ^ Alford, Dawn (12 March 2018). "Caroline Rush: Style, Strategy & Success". Luxury London. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e British Fashion Council official website[permanent dead link], BFC Restructure Announcement, 12 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Home for Christmas". Manchester Evening News. 14 December 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  9. ^ entertainthekids.com, Holidays, My Castle or Yours, 2006.
  10. ^ a b Scottish Fashion Awards Archived 2013-02-01 at archive.today, Caroline Rush.
  11. ^ a b The Independent, Winning formula: How can Britain produce Wimbledon champions?, by Liz Lightfoot, 18 June 2009.
  12. ^ a b The Edit Archived 2012-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, issue 02, Over coffee with British Fashion Council's chief executive, Caroline Rush, 2012.
  13. ^ BetterBlazers Archived 2016-06-11 at the Wayback Machine, How London Fashion Week Became Relevant: Caroline Rush.
  14. ^ Drapers Fashion Awards 2012, Caroline Rush.
  15. ^ Yahoo LifestyleHilary Alexander On Her FROW Style & The Designers Getting Her Heart Racing, 12 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Caroline Rush | Public Speaker, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council". Kruger Cowne Ltd. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  17. ^ Unwin, Will (4 May 2018), "Careers cut short: Talking to ex-Hammer Matthew Rush", Football365
  18. ^ International Tennis Federation website, Lana Rush.
  19. ^ "Where are they now? Matthew Rush". Swansea City. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  20. ^ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N10.
  21. ^ 2015 New Year Honours List