{{Short description|Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council}} {{Infobox person | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} | image = Caroline_Rush_at_Web_Summit_2022.jpg | caption = Caroline Rush at Web Summit 2022 | birth_name = | birth_date = July 1971 | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | alma_mater = | occupation = | years_active = 1992–present | website = | spouse = Matthew Rush 1999-2022 | children = 1 }}
'''Caroline Rush''' CBE (née '''Larner'''; born July 1971) is a marketing professional who is Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council.<ref>[http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9097612/Samantha-Cameron-toasts-the-cream-of-British-fashion-at-10-Downing-Street.html Daily Telegraph], ''Samantha Cameron toasts the cream of British fashion at 10 Downing Street'', by Lisa Armstrong, 22 February 2012.</ref><ref name=BFCJun10>[http://bfc.britishfashioncouncil.com/content.aspx?CategoryID=450 British Fashion Council official website]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Caroline Rush and Simon Ward'', June 2010.</ref> Her role is to promote the British fashion industry, particularly through organising London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.britishfashionawards.com/content.aspx?CategoryID=886 |title=British Fashion Awards website |access-date=2012-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025210516/http://britishfashionawards.com/content.aspx?CategoryID=886 |archive-date=2012-10-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Early life and education== 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.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-designer-takes-fashion-catwalks-6656193|title=Scots designer takes fashion from catwalks of London around the world|journal=Daily Record|first=Julie-Anne|last=Barnes|date=18 October 2015|accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref> Her father's job took the family to England, first to Derbyshire and then to Chorley, Lancashire.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/15539340.caroline-rush-meet-scot-heart-british-fashion/|title=Caroline Rush: meet the Scot at the heart of British fashion|journal=The Herald|first=Susan|last=Swarbrick|date=16 September 2017 |accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://luxurylondon.co.uk/style/hers/caroline-rush-british-fashion-council-interview|title=Caroline Rush: Style, Strategy & Success|website=Luxury London|first=Dawn|last=Alford|date=12 March 2018|accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref>
==Career== Rush began working in public relations and marketing in about 1992.<ref name=BFC12Mar09/> 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.<ref name=BFC12Mar09/> She started Manchester-based PR agency Crush Communications in 2002,<ref name=BFC12Mar09/><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/property/home-for-christmas-1095394|title=Home for Christmas|journal=Manchester Evening News|date=14 December 2005|accessdate=5 September 2022}}</ref> and became managing director.<ref name=EntertainTheKids>[http://www.entertainthekids.com/holiday-view.asp?id=14&CurrentPage=2&keyword=&typeid= entertainthekids.com], ''Holidays, My Castle or Yours'', 2006.</ref> 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.<ref name=BFC12Mar09/>
Rush was appointed British Fashion Council joint chief executive in March 2009.<ref name=BFC12Mar09>[http://bfc.britishfashioncouncil.com/content.aspx?CategoryID=422 British Fashion Council official website]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''BFC Restructure Announcement'', 12 March 2009.</ref><ref name=ScottishJudge>[http://www.scottishfashionawards.com/carolinerush.php Scottish Fashion Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130201214342/http://www.scottishfashionawards.com/carolinerush.php |date=2013-02-01 }}, ''Caroline Rush''.</ref><ref name=Ind18Jun09/> As joint Chief Executive, she oversaw the Council’s move into Somerset House in 2009.<ref name="Weekend12">[http://www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk/images/uploads/TheEdit_Issue2_web.pdf The Edit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901054946/http://londonfashionweekend.co.uk/images/uploads/TheEdit_Issue2_web.pdf|date=2012-09-01}}, issue 02, ''Over coffee with British Fashion Council's chief executive, Caroline Rush'', 2012.</ref><ref>[http://blog.betterblazers.com/how-london-fashion-week-became-relevant-caroline-rush/ BetterBlazers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611091313/http://blog.betterblazers.com/how-london-fashion-week-became-relevant-caroline-rush/ |date=2016-06-11 }}, ''How London Fashion Week Became Relevant: Caroline Rush''.</ref> In a restructuring, Rush became sole chief executive in June 2012.<ref name=BFCJun10/> 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."<ref name=ScottishJudge/><ref>[http://www.drapersawards.co.uk/442630 Drapers Fashion Awards 2012], ''Caroline Rush''.</ref> 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".<ref>[http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/hilary-alexander-frow-style-designers-getting-heart-racing-082112995.html Yahoo Lifestyle]''Hilary Alexander On Her FROW Style & The Designers Getting Her Heart Racing'', 12 September 2012.</ref>
Caroline is currently represented by talent & rights management agency Kruger Cowne.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Caroline Rush {{!}} Public Speaker, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council|url=https://www.krugercowne.com/caroline-rush/|access-date=2021-03-24|website=Kruger Cowne Ltd|language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Personal life== Rush lives in London. Her ex-husband Matthew is a physical education teacher<ref name=Ind18Jun09>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/winning-formula-how-can-britain-produce-wimbledon-champions-1707514.html The Independent], ''Winning formula: How can Britain produce Wimbledon champions?'', by Liz Lightfoot, 18 June 2009.</ref> and former professional footballer for West Ham, Norwich and Oldham.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.football365.com/news/careers-cut-short-talking-to-ex-hammer-matthew-rush|date=4 May 2018|title=Careers cut short: Talking to ex-Hammer Matthew Rush|first1=Will |last1=Unwin|work=Football365}}</ref> Their daughter Lana competed in junior Wimbledon 2012 and 2013 and is now a marketing executive in fashion.<ref name=ITFprofile>[http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=100167228 International Tennis Federation website], ''Lana Rush''.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/where-are-they-now-matthew-rush|title=Where are they now? Matthew Rush|journal=Swansea City|date=2 November 2016|accessdate=5 September 2022}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61092|supp=y|page=N10|date=31 December 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391413/New_Year_Honours_List_2015.pdf 2015 New Year Honours List]</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/caroline-rush-stepping-down-ceo-british-fashion-council-1236623745/ WWD breaks news that Caroline Rush will step down in 2025] *[https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/caroline-rush-stepping-down-ceo-british-fashion-council-1236623745/ ]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Caroline}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:British businesspeople in fashion Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Bishopbriggs Category:People from Chorley Category:Scottish businesspeople in fashion Category:21st-century Scottish businesswomen
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