The Tamesis
It’s rare to interview your former boss, but that’s what I did at the British Fashion Council (BFC) offices in the days before London Fashion Week in February. Prior to taking over as CEO of BFC in April 2025, Laura Weir was executive creative director at Selfridges, a company where I also worked. Before that, Will was a reporter and editor—most notably leading the london evening standardof weekly supplements, ES Magazinebetween 2015 and 2020.
Will brings this editorial perspective to everything she does. At Selfridges, she encourages the creative team to think reactively, responding to cultural news coverage on traditional editorial channels such as social media, but also to all visual merchandising touchpoints within the store, including its famous windows.
She is doing the same thing with BFC. Her 2030 strategy will be unveiled today, although I had a chance to study 64 slides before this interview. What stands out throughout is the intention to clearly label and explain things, while also refreshing some of the narrative. One example of this is London’s role as a talent incubator, which has historically been seen as less than positive, with designers often escaping the cage for the bright lights of Milan or Paris (see: Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Kim Jones, Louise Trotter, John Galliano, to name a few).
The following is part of a conversation I had with Weir about her BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth Strategies, edited for clarity.
Fashion: Your experience in the UK fashion industry has been varied, with media roles in consumer and B2B magazines and two years working for retailers. When you started at BFC, what pain points had you identified?
When I joined the British Fashion Council, I joined as a stakeholder. I was a member of the press working with the British Fashion Council and I also worked at Selfridges as a patron of the British Fashion Council. I have seen firsthand the greatness of this organization, and I have heard and experienced its frustrations.
Caroline Rush has been a leader for 16 years, building an incredible foundation and a truly resilient workforce. As an organisation, the BFC is in a strong position. But I think its purpose needs to be clearer. What is it doing here? Does the activity meet market demand? Because it has changed so much in the last five years: wholesale has been completely transformed since Covid, Brexit, tariffs… I think now is a good time to future-proof the BFC.
