Dr Bethan Alexander

Biography

Bethan is a teacher, researcher, and business leader with over 30 years’ experience in brand management, retailing, and marketing across higher education and the global fashion industry. She is a Reader in Fashion Retailing and Marketing, Interim Director of the Centre for Fashion Business and Research Lead at the Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, leading the strategic development of research culture, interdisciplinary collaboration, and five Special Interest Groups within the Centre.

Bethan’s research explores multi-sensory fashion retailing, customer experiences across digital and physical channels, innovative and responsible retail formats, and emerging retail technologies. Her work is widely published across fashion, marketing, and business disciplines. She is editor of Customer Experience in Fashion Retailing: Merging Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2024), and co-editor of the forthcoming book Shaping the Future of Fashion (Routledge, 2026). She also edits the Routledge book series Fashioning Futures, with the first volumes scheduled for publication in 2027.

Known for her academic leadership and commitment to pedagogic excellence, Bethan has led transformational curriculum development, fostered vibrant research communities, and built lasting collaborations with industry and academic partners around the world. She integrates her extensive industry background in brand strategy, business leadership, and people performance into her teaching and scholarship. A published author, mentor, and recognised thought leader, Bethan is dedicated to shaping the future of fashion retail education and practice through critical insight, creative leadership, and collaboration. She regularly presents at international academic and industry conferences and has held Visiting Professorships at Politecnico di Milano, Milan and IESM Fashion Business School, Madrid.

Bethan holds a PhD in Fashion Omnichannel Retailing and Customer Experience, M.Sc (Distinction) in International Fashion Marketing and Distribution, B.Sc (First class) in Fashion Management and PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning for Higher Education. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Regional Editor for Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases, and an inaugural member of the Designing Retail and Services Futures Special Interest Group (Design Research Society).