Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based Managing Director operating in the Fashion space. If you think a Managing Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Carla Buzasi
Managing Director of WGSN.com
Carla Buzasi was the founding editor of The Huffington Post UK. During her time at the publication, she saw it grow to 24.4 million global unique users per month, and attract more than 10,000 bloggers, including the likes of David Beckham, Cherie Blair and HRH the Prince of Wales. She also held the role of Vice President and Global Editorial Director of Huffington Post Lifestyle. Carla was awarded the Media Innovator of the Year award in 2012 and has won Editor of the Year at the Online Media Awards for the past two years. She was also named as one of the top 50 female Innovators in Digital Journalism in 2013. In the summer of 2014 she left Huffington Post to take on the new role of Global Chief Content Officer at trends and intelligence company WGSN, leading an international team of journalists, trend forecasters and designers. In addition to her day job, she is a regular commentator on the media, appearing on Newsnight, The Andrew Marr Show, Daily Politics, Sky News and Lorraine.
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About WGSN.com: WGSN a B2B, world-wide information source for the design, textile and style industries.
Michael Ward
Managing Director of Harrods
Michael began his career in chartered accountancy, training originally with Ernst and Young in 1980, before taking his first Group Finance Director position at Bassett Foods PLC in 1986 gaining an MBA during this time. In 1989 he transferred his skills to the drinks industry when he was appointed Group Finance Director of H.P. Bulmer Holdings PLC. Retail beckoned, and in 1994 Michael took up the post of Managing Director of Lloyds Chemists PLC, later cementing a talent for the sector with retail roles at Celsio AG and Apax Partnership. It was in 2005 that the opportunity came to take up his current role of Managing Director at Harrods Ltd. Michael has embarked on a programme of significant business development, growing Harrods into the unrivalled successful retail model it is today, while overseeing a smooth transition to new owners in Qatar Holding. Michael was born in 1956 in Kingston upon Hull. He is married with three children, and away from the shop floor is an expert cook, while indulging a passion for collecting art and art deco glass.
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About Harrods: Harrods is an upmarket department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.
Christian Woolfenden
Managing Director of Photobox
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About Photobox: PhotoBox is Europe’s leading community for sharing, printing and personal publishing with over 30 million members.
Kim Ludlow
Managing Director of mySupermarket
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About mySupermarket: mySupermarket designs a supermarket shopping and comparison website that helps users to compare prices across different stores.
Filipa Neto
Co-Founder and Managing Director of Chic by Choice
Filipa Neto is co-founder and CEO of Chic by Choice, Europe’s leading luxury rental marketplace allowing women to rent the world’s best items sourced from brands and e-commerce platforms at a fraction of the retail price. Chic by Choice provides retailers a yield management solution that can help manage excessive stock in a clever way, providing an alternative that can generate up to 5 times more revenue than discounting or outlets. Filipa was able to raise €520k investment for the venture at the age of 23. The success of Chic by Choice later led to another €1.5m of investment to continue to grow the company in the UK and Germany. In July 2015, the company acquired Laremia, a German dress rental competitor, which already represents 20% of the company’s revenue. In little more than a year, Chic by Choice is established as the leading dress rental platform shipping to more than 15 countries in Europe and with outstanding month on month growth. Filipa currently manages a team of 16 with offices in London and Lisbon and she is also part of the Global Shapers community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum a network developed and led by young people who are exceptional in their potential, their achievements and their drive to make a contribution to their communities.
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About Chic by Choice, Farfetch, The World Economic Forum: Hire designer dresses curated by boutiques and department stores.
Sean Dixon
Managing Director/Founder of Richard James Savile Row
Sean Dixon is MD of the high-end menswear retailer Richard James which he co-founded with his business partner Richard James in 1992. The business started with the aim to bring more modern styles to Savile Row and attract younger customers. The firm does make traditional sharply tailored suits, but is also known for its ready to wear collection, bolder prints and modern colours. www.richard-james.com
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About Richard James Savile Row: Richard James Savile Row is a contemporary Savile Row house that pushes the boundaries of menswear through colour, cut and design.
Emma Brannan
Managing Director of Jojo Maman Bebe
Emma Brannan is a marketing director at JoJo Maman Bebe. She is a former marketing manager at Grolier UK.
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About Jojo Maman Bebe: Jojo Maman Bebe is an independent multi-channel retailer of maternity wear, babywear, and nursery products.
Oliver Proudlock
Creative/Managing Director of Serge DeNimes
Oliver Proudlock has had a strong creative instinct from a very young age. Focusing on Art and Fashion, creativity is something that is incorporated into his everyday life, and has become part of the fabric that intertwines his projects together. Oliver founded the unisex fashion label Serge DeNimes in 2011. It is a design-led brand providing exclusive seasonal collections of urban apparel and accessories, which embody urban culture and artistic flair. Their innovative designs appeal to the young creative culture, the street savvy and the fashion inspired around the world. Alongside growing his own label, Oliver launched his own style blog called Proudlock Style. His blog gives readers an insight into his own personal style and his favourite brands, whilst working alongside other stylists and influential men with a strong sense of fashion. Whilst developing his relationship with fashion brands across the world, Oliver also has a keen interest in fitness and travel, which play a key role in his day to day life.
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About Serge DeNimes: Serge DeNimes is a contemporary, relevant and multi-faceted Brand, comprising a high-quality, urban, on-trend fashion label.
