New elections at the Fashion Council Germany: Roel de Cooman and Simone Hartmann will join the FCG board for the next two years. Christiane Arp remains chairwoman, and Dirk Schönberger, Marie-Louise Berg, and Theo Grassl continue to serve on the board.

At the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) held at the Zoo Palast in Berlin, a new board was elected after two years. Newly elected were Roel de Cooman, VP Global Sales at haebmau.ATELIER, and Simone Hartmann, Managing Partner at Hartmann Consultants. Christiane Arp remains Chairwoman of the Board, and incumbent board members Dirk Schönberger, Marie-Louise Berg, and Theo Grassl were re-elected. Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, is stepping down from the FCG board after five years of voluntary service. The newly elected and outgoing board members thank him for his exceptional commitment over the years and are pleased that he will continue to represent the FCG's interests on the executive committee.

Following his election to the board, Roel de Cooman emphasized: “ I thank the members of the FCG for the trust they have placed in me by electing me to the board. I am very much looking forward to working with my fellow board members and supporting and advising the members, whom I will assist with my international expertise in sales .”

Simone Hartmann commented: “ With all its national and international activities, the Fashion Council Germany aims to actively promote the exchange of experience and knowledge in the new world of work and to equip and strengthen its members for the future. I find this very commendable and am therefore delighted to be able to contribute my many years of industry expertise as a future board member .”

The annual general meeting was dominated by the themes of change and transformation. Chairwoman Christiane Arp and Managing Director Scott Lipinski presented an overall positive assessment of the Fashion Council Germany's achievements since its founding in 2015. Managing Director Scott Lipinski commented: " The Fashion Council Germany has grown exponentially since its inception, and together with our members, we have implemented numerous projects and events in recent years. We look forward to the new year with renewed strength and are excited about many exciting projects with our members and partners ."

The atmosphere of optimism in the hall was underscored by Berlin's State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, Michael Biel, who in his speech focused primarily on the transformation of Berlin Fashion Week through its collaboration with the Fashion Council Germany. The meeting was rounded off by a keynote address from Dr. Christian Ehler, Member of the European People's Party and member of the FCG Executive Committee, as well as an interview with EFA board members Carlo Capasa, Chairman of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and Pascal Morand, Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.