At this year's annual general meeting, a new board was elected for the next two years. Christiane Arp is moving from the position of President to Chair of the Board. Nadja Swarovski succeeds her as the new President. Dirk Schönberger and Theo Grassl were also newly elected to the board.

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In the second year of the pandemic, the members, board, and executive committee of the Fashion Council Germany met in a hybrid format. After seven years of voluntary service on the board, Mandie Bienek (Chairwoman), Claudia Hofmann (Deputy Chairwoman), and Marcus Kurz (Deputy Chairman) stepped down from their positions at their own request.

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“As a founding board member, I am proud to have played a key role, together with my colleagues and the team, in building and developing the Fashion Council Germany. We started in a living room with like-minded individuals. We all wanted to positively change the industry through targeted activities and lobbying, and to foster greater unity. Seven years and many fantastic projects and initiatives later, the Fashion Council Germany, with more than ten employees, over 200 members, and numerous successes for its members, is poised for a secure future. But now it's time for new board members with fresh ideas and impetus to help shape the Council's future,” said outgoing Chairwoman Mandie Bienek. In their expressions of gratitude to the departing board members, the new and returning board members emphasized their extraordinary voluntary commitment since the founding of the FCG and invited them to remain closely connected to the Council as members of the executive committee.

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In addition to the new Chairwoman of the Board , Christiane Arp, the Board will continue to be represented by Marie-Louise Berg (Berg Communications) and Olaf Schmidt (Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt). Newly elected to the Board are Dirk Schönberger (Global Creative Officer at MCM) and Theo Grassl (Professor of Fashion Management at Polimoda in Florence, Italy, and lecturer at Macromedia University in Berlin and Munich, as well as at NYU, New York City, USA).

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“I see the Fashion Council Germany as the creative workshop of the future when it comes to fashion in and from Germany. I am very much looking forward to my new role and to playing an even more active part in shaping the fashion ecosystem,” emphasizes Christiane Arp , the new Chairwoman of the Board at the FCG.

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The executive committee is also undergoing a restructuring. At the invitation of the board , Nadja Swarovski (Chairwoman of the Swarovski Foundation) will assume the position of President and will be available to the FCG in an advisory capacity, drawing on her international network and experience.

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Nadja Swarovski , the new president of the FCG, commented: " I am honored to join such a forward-thinking organization that has quickly established itself as a global leader in promoting sustainable practices in the industry and championing the young designers who are at the heart of our industry."

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"Education is key, and I look forward to supporting the mission of the Fashion Council Germany to promote innovation and sustainable practices in the next generation and to empower them to use the power of fashion design to bring about positive social and environmental change."

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The executive committee is strengthened not only by the departing board members, but also by founding and former board member Anita Tillmann (Founding Partner Premium Exhibition Group).

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The projects and partners for the coming year will be announced shortly.