This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Lynne Franks | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 16 April 1948
Known for | Founded Lynne Franks PR, Campaigner on Women's Issues, Founder of SEED |
Relatives | Josh Howie (son) |
Lynne Joanne Franks [1] OBE (born 16 April 1948) is a communications strategist and writer. She founded a public relations consultancy in the early 1970s.
Franks was born and raised in North London in 1948. The daughter of a Jewish butcher, Franks attended Minchenden Grammar School in Southgate, [2] leaving at the age of 16. She completed a shorthand typing course at Pitman's College and was a regular dancer on the popular music TV programme Ready Steady Go! [3] Franks initially worked in various secretarial jobs before taking a journalistic role at Petticoat , working under Eve Pollard and alongside Janet Street-Porter. [4] Whilst assigned to write and edit the Freemans in-house publications, she met Paul Howie, an Australian fashion buyer and designer, whom she later married. [5]
Following a brief period as a PR assistant, at the encouragement of the fashion designer Katharine Hamnett, Franks started her own PR agency at the age of 21. Her first clients included Hamnett's own fashion business, Tuttabankem, [6] and Wendy Dagworthy. [7] Working initially from her home, the new agency then moved into increasing larger premises in the Covent Garden area of London. [8]
In the summer of 1974, Franks supported her husband in setting up Howie, a menswear store on Fulham Road. [9]
In 1979, Franks's PR agency was commissioned by the Murjani Corporation to launch Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, one of the first designer jeans to be launched in the UK. Franks used this relationship in 1984 to help persuade Murjani to sponsor a large fashion tent outside the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington. [10] This helped to grow the then fledgling London Fashion Week. [11] [12]
Over the next few years, Lynne Franks PR worked with many high street brands including Harvey Nichols, Tommy Hilfiger, Brylcreem, Raleigh Bicycles and Swatch. [13] [14] Her agency also represented Katharine Hamnett, Jasper Conran, and Jean-Paul Gaultier; figures from entertainment such as Annie Lennox, Lenny Henry and Ruby Wax, [2] [15] and worked briefly with the Labour Party in 1986, helping to promote Neil Kinnock ahead of the 1987 general election. [16] As the agency grew, LFPR attracted non-fashion brands and a food and drink division was added.[ citation needed ]
In 1985, Franks helped to initiate Fashion Cares, [17] a fundraising series of events which have since gone on to raise more than $10 million for HIV/Aids. [18] In the same year, she helped in the promotion of Live Aid [19] and worked with Bob Geldof and Harvey Goldsmith to create Fashion Aid [20] which raised $300,000 in aid of victims of famine in Africa. [21]
Franks's agency worked with John Elkington to promote Green Consumer Week in 1988. [2] [22] Franks attended the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in 1984. [23]
It has been claimed by Franks that the character Edina Monsoon in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous , created by Jennifer Saunders, a long-time friend of Franks, was intended to be a satirised version of Franks during this period. [7] [24] [25] [26] The claim has been denied by Saunders. [27]
In October 1993, it was announced that she was stepping down as chairman of her company [28] [29] [30] and would concentrate on broadcasting. [31]
In July 1995, Franks chaired a consortium [32] that launched Viva! 963, Britain's first radio station for women, with Franks herself hosting a twice-weekly interview show entitled Frankly Speaking. [33]
In order to boost awareness of the upcoming Fourth UN World Conference on Women, which Franks was to attend, she created What Women Want, a two-day festival of seminars, workshops and music at the Royal Festival Hall in London. [34] Held over the bank holiday weekend in August 1995, the event attracted almost 10,000 visitors, with The Big Issue devoting an entire edition to the event and the surrounding issues. [35] The highlight of the festival was a concert on the final night hosted by the comedian Jo Brand, and featuring performances from Sinéad O'Connor, The Pretenders, Sarah Jane Morris and Zap Mama. [36] [37]
In 1997, Franks published her autobiography, Absolutely Now!: A Futurist's Journey to Her Inner Truth, [38] which made the Los Angeles Times best-seller list. [39] The book chronicles Franks' emotional and spiritual journey since leaving the world of PR, interspersing her spiritual experiences at locations such as the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, the Esalen Institute in California and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University in Rajasthan, India, with her ideas on feminism, environmental issues and ethical business practices.
Following the book's publication, Franks moved to California, and formed GlobalFusion, a cause-related marketing agency, working to promote environmentally-friendly fashion and cosmetic brands [40] and helping to launch The Big Issue in Los Angeles. [41] She also worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation on promoting micro-finance initiatives through their 'Knitting Together Nations' project, helping women refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina [42] and with Bibi Russell on her 'Fashion for Development' program in Bangladesh. [43] [44] . Lynne has more recently set up her SEED Store in Wincanton and become a brand ambassador for MotherSage.
Whilst in California, Franks developed the idea of SEED, an acronym for Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics, as a model for using principles of femininity, sustainability and social responsibility in business.[ citation needed ] In 2000, Franks published The SEED Handbook: The Feminine Way to Create Business, [45] [46] and it has since gone on to sell more than 50,000 copies in the UK and US. [15]
Franks has since published two more books. In 2004, she published Grow: The Modern Woman's Handbook. [47] This was followed in 2007 by Bloom: A Woman's Journal for Inspired Living, [48] an accompaniment to a set of Affirmation Cards released previously. [49]
In collaboration with Tribal Education, Franks developed the SEED Women into Enterprise Programme, a blended learning course for self-employment. Aimed particularly at women from disadvantaged communities around the UK, [50] the programme has been delivered through local government agencies, training companies and charities—including Croydon Enterprise, A4e and The Prince's Trust [51] —as well as to inmates at Eastwood Park [52] and Styal prisons. [53]
Local SEED Circles have started up in many areas to provide members with opportunities to network with like-minded business owners, [54] whilst accredited SEED Coaches provide mentoring to businesswomen starting out. [55] In 2009, she launched the SEED Community Site, a social networking website to connect women entrepreneurs around the world. [56]
She was a member of the advisory board for McDonald's in the UK, helping to initiate their Women's Leadership Development Programme. [57]
She has worked with Regus to create and develop the B.Hive network of women's business clubs, [58] [59] launching the flagship Covent Garden location in September 2010, [60] followed by further B.Hive centres in Bristol and Manchester in spring 2011. [61]
Franks is currently the chair of V-Day UK, a charity created by Eve Ensler, that campaigns to end violence against women and girls. In March 2009, she organised a Women of Influence Lunch at the House of Lords, to draw attention to the campaign. The lunch was hosted by Baroness Valerie Amos and featured Sarah Brown as the guest speaker, with attendees including Glenys Kinnock, Oona King and Sandi Toksvig. [62]
In June 2009, she organised a breakfast at the House of Commons to host the Congolese Senator and activist, Eve Bazaiba. Attended by Eric Joyce MP (chair of the all-party parliamentary group for the Great Lakes Region of Africa), Baroness Trish Morris and Sam Roddick amongst many others, the event promoted action plans such as fundraising and advocacy strategies. [63]
The following November, Franks organised the Great Congo Demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall on the 100th anniversary of the then Archbishop of Canterbury's call for an end to the violence in the Congo. [64] Supported by the Archbishop, [65] and other religious leaders, politicians, activists and celebrities, and accompanied by group letters to the press, [66] the demonstration called for an end to the systemic sexual violence against women in the region. The event helped to boost the profile of the campaign, receiving significant press coverage [67] and was mentioned favourably during a debate in the House of Lords. [68]
Franks has appeared on shows such as This Week, [69] Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Loose Women. [70] She was also a guest on Newsnight in June 2010, discussing the expected cuts to public expenditure in the forthcoming UK budget with reference to Thatcher's economic policies in the 1980s. [71]
In November 2007, Franks was a contestant on the seventh series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! , and contributed to the third series of Grumpy Old Women in the same year. [72] She was a member of the Bizchicks team of entrepreneurs who competed on the Eggheads quiz show in November 2008, to raise money for The Nema Foundation, [73] a charity running projects to relieve child poverty in Mozambique. [74]
In February 2009, she guested on the sixth series of the Channel 4 Programme, Come Dine with Me , [75] and on the BBC Two show, The Supersizers Eat... , the following June. [76]
Franks has made public speaking engagements, including at Oxford University in 2007 for International Women's Day, [77] and at Glastonbury Festival in the same year. [78] She delivered the 23rd HSBC Bank keynote lecture at Brunel University in November 2008, [79] was on the judging panel for several enterprise award bodies including the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards [80] and performed a stand-up comedy routine at ITV's London Studios for International Women's Day 2009. [81] She also continues to write a monthly column for Natural Health Magazine. [82]
In July 2011, Franks was awarded an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University in recognition of her career achievements in business and the media. [83]
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty |title=
(help)[ title missing ]Dannii Minogue is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She first gained recognition for her appearances on the television show Young Talent Time (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on the soap opera Home and Away (1989–1990). Minogue began her music career in the early 1990s, achieving early success with her debut studio album, Love and Kisses (1991), which was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, and included the hit singles "Love and Kisses", "Baby Love", "Jump to the Beat" and "Success". Following the release of her second album, Get into You (1993), Minogue's popularity as a singer had declined, leading her to make a name for herself with award-winning performances in theatre productions.
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the group became the best-selling female group of all time. After the Spice Girls split in 2001, Beckham was signed to Virgin Records, in which she released her self-titled debut solo album, which produced two UK Top 10 singles.
Absolutely Fabulous is a British television sitcom based on the French and Saunders sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saunders, who also stars as one of the main characters. Its cast includes Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha.
Sophie Dahl is an English author and former fashion model. Her first novel, The Man with the Dancing Eyes, was published in 2003 followed by Playing With the Grown-ups in 2007. In 2009, she wrote Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, a cookery book which formed the basis for a six-part BBC Two series named The Delicious Miss Dahl. In 2011, she published her second cookery book From Season to Season. Her first children's book, Madame Badobedah, was released in 2019. She is the daughter of Tessa Dahl and Julian Holloway and the granddaughter of author Roald Dahl, actress Patricia Neal, and actor Stanley Holloway.
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley is a British actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), and was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the Broadway revival of La Bête. In 2013, she received the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards, and in 2017 she was honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship award.
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English actress, comedian, singer, and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French. With French, she co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, French and Saunders, for which they jointly received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009. Saunders later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character Edina Monsoon in her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest sibling of King Charles III.
Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and prior to his death was also known as Lady Antonia Pinter.
Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English food writer and television cook.
Dame Barbara Mary Quant was a British fashion designer and icon. She became an instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod and youth fashion movements, and played a prominent role in London's Swinging Sixties culture. She was one of the designers who took credit for the miniskirt and hotpants. Ernestine Carter wrote: "It is given to a fortunate few to be born at the right time, in the right place, with the right talents. In recent fashion there are three: Chanel, Dior, and Mary Quant."
Dame Lesley Lawson, widely known by the mononym nickname Twiggy, is an English model, actress, and singer. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London.
Constance Mary Whitehouse was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permissive society. She was the founder and first president of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, through which she led a longstanding campaign against the BBC. A hard-line social conservative, she was termed a reactionary by her socially liberal opponents. Her motivation derived from her Christian beliefs, her aversion to the rapid social and political changes in British society of the 1960s, and her work as a teacher of sex education.
Susannah Caroline Constantine is an English former TV fashion journalist, writer, style advisor, television presenter, author and clothes designer. Her second book, What Not to Wear, co-written with her fashion partner Trinny Woodall, won her a British Book Award and sold 670,000 copies.
Lady Victoria Frederica Isabella Hervey is an English model, socialite, aristocrat, and former "It girl". She is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, half-sister of the 7th Marquess, and sister of the 8th Marquess and Lady Isabella Hervey.
Sophie Louise Balinska-Jundzillova is an English model and reality television personality.
The Krankies are a Scottish comedy duo who enjoyed success as a cabaret act in the 1970s and on television in the 1980s, featuring in their own television shows and making pop records. Since this period, they have also regularly appeared in pantomime. The duo comprises wife Janette Tough and her husband Ian. As the Krankies they portray schoolboy Wee Jimmy Krankie (Janette), and paternal figure Ian Krankie (Ian), though in their comedy act they also portray other characters. Beginning in the 1990s, they regularly appeared as The Krankies in episodes of the BBC comedy series French and Saunders. Wee Jimmy Krankie often used the catchphrase exclamation "Fandabidozi!"
Alexa Chung is a British television presenter, model, internet personality, writer, and fashion designer. She wrote the book It (2013). Her fashion label Alexa Chung, stylized ALEXACHUNG, launched in May 2017 and closed in 2022.
Christine Louise Lampard is a Northern Irish broadcaster. She has presented various television programmes with Adrian Chiles, such as The One Show (2007–2010) and Daybreak (2010–2011), while with Phillip Schofield she has presented Dancing on Ice (2012–2014) and This Morning. Lampard has also presented factual series for ITV including Off The Beaten Track (2013) and Wild Ireland (2015). Since 2016 she has been a presenter of the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women.
Tula Paulinea "Tulisa" Contostavlos is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, television personality, and actress. As a part of the R&B/hip hop group N-Dubz with her cousin Dappy and friend Fazer, they gained two platinum-certified albums, two gold-certified albums, five MOBO awards, a Brit Award nomination, thirteen top 40 singles, six silver-certified singles, and three Urban Music Awards.
Debra Lysette Bourne is a communications expert, brand consultant and advocate for diversity in fashion. She co-founded All Walks Beyond The Catwalk, is a brand consultant, a former board director at Lynne Franks PR and Executive Fashion Editor at Arena Magazine and Arena Homme Plus.