The Business of Fashion Podcast
Episodes
Can You Sell Sexual Wellness Without Sex?
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speak with editorial associate Yola Mzizi about how regulatory restrictions...
Francesco Risso Says Fashion Should Slow Down to Find Its Magic Again
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Born in Sardinia on a sailing boat to self-described “adventurous” parents, Francesco Risso grew up in an environment that fostered independence, ...
Can Farfetch Be Fixed?
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once hailed as a pioneering platform for online luxury, Farfetch is now undergoing a dramatic operational overhaul. The South Korean e-commerce giant ...
James Whitner on Culture, Community and Building Brands with Purpose
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Whitner — founder of The Whitaker Group and the visionary behind retailers such as A Ma Maniére and Social Status — reveals how culture, pu...
Why Can’t Fashion Fix Its Labour Exploitation Problem?
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The revelation this year of child labour in India’s cotton fields and modern-day slavery in Taiwanese garment factories is the latest scandal concer...
Giles Duley Shares a New Lens on Purpose
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Giles Duley began his photography career at an enviable pinnacle, shooting for GQ and Vogue and even touring with Oasis. Despite this early success, h...
Can Kering Fix Gucci?
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gucci has long been the shining star of Kering’s luxury portfolio, but the brand's recent struggles have exposed weaknesses in the conglomerate’s ...
Es Devlin and Ekow Eshun on Belonging, Otherness and Identity
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an intimate conversation at BoF VOICES 2024, artist and stage designer Es Devlin and writer and cultural curator Ekow Eshun discuss the transformat...
Can Estée Lauder Win Over the Modern Beauty Consumer?
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Estée Lauder was long celebrated as a pioneer in prestige beauty, building a global empire on the strength of family legacy, innovative product lines...
Why India Will Not Be The Next China for Luxury
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Will India be the next China?” is a question that’s circulated throughout the fashion industry for years. Even as its population and economy bo...
Fashion’s M&A Market is Heating Up
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a prolonged slowdown, fashion’s M&A market is springing back to life. A combination of falling interest rates, shifting investor sentiment...
The Luxury Crisis, Explained
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed joins Bob Safian on The Rapid Response podcast.“This is probably the most severe cr...
How to Future-Proof Your Fashion Career in 2025
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The fashion workplace is evolving, shaped by a wave of technological advancements, leadership changes, and cultural dynamics. For many employees, adap...
Tim Gunn on the Power of Staying True to Your Vision
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Gunn is best known as the wise, empathetic mentor on television’s Project Runway, but before he found himself guiding the next generation of des...
The Evolving Art of Brand Collaborations
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brand collaborations were once rare, highly anticipated events that generated significant buzz. But as they have become more frequent, the challenge l...
Nara Smith and Lucky Blue Smith on Living Authentically in Viral Moments
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s fashion landscape, many of us find ourselves caught in an infinite scroll of influencers. But in 2024, one couple captured the internet’...
How to Choose a PR Agency
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Public relations in fashion has transformed drastically from securing magazine features to managing 360-degree brand storytelling. PR agencies now nav...
Bethann Hardison: Model, Mother, Agent and Advocate
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bethann is a former model, agent, and advocate who has been agitating for a more inclusive fashion industry for more than half a century.Bethann launc...
Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops Problem
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past year, the pristine image luxury brands have built on their links to artisanal craft, ethical manufacturing and quality has begun to crum...
What Happens When It’s Too Hot to Make Fashion?
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, extreme weather events have become commonplace catastrophes. And in an increasingly globalised fashion system, developing nations oft...
Alessandro Michele and Jacopo Venturini on the New Valentino
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the summer, BoF editor-in-chief Imran Amed and editor-at-large Tim Blanks both spent time with Valentino’s new creative director Alessandro Mic...
BoF’s Top Stories of 2024
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the year comes to a close, BoF’s executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young look back on some of their favourite ...
How Independent Brands Can Thrive in a Fashion World Ruled by Giants
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Background:In a slowing luxury and fashion market, it’s not just the big brands and e-commerce companies that are being impacted. Independent fashio...
The Future of DEI and ESG in a Hostile Political Environment
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 2010s, and particularly after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the fashion industry appeared to embrace a progressive awakening on issues ...
How Skims and On Create Cultural Relevance
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many fashion brands are realising that operating across multiple cultural sectors is a business necessity. In our social feeds, fashion competes with ...
The Future of Resale
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Resale is no longer confined to thrift stores or niche platforms; it has grown into a roughly $50 billion industry in the U.S. alone, by some measures...
The Great Luxury E-Commerce Reckoning
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2024, luxury e-commerce faced a harsh reckoning. A pandemic-era boom gave way to a bruising downturn that exposed deep-seated weaknesses, as rising...
Jacquemus: A Coming of Age Story
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Simon Porte Jacquemus came on to the scene in 2009, he did so with a bang. The French designer’s playful take on Parisian fashion draws inspira...
What Happened to Beauty’s Billion-Dollar Brands?
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The beauty industry has witnessed a wave of disruptors rise and fall. Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Glossier and Morphe leveraged social media ...
Tina Brown on the Role of Journalism in the Age of Donald Trump
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tina Brown is a force of nature in the world of journalism, offering unflinching and sometimes provocative glimpses into the lives of the world's most...
Inside Luxury's Slowdown
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly a decade, the luxury sector has experienced what seemed like limitless growth, with brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel pushing pr...
Sammy Basso on the Power of Positive Thinking
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sammy Basso left an indelible mark on our community last year at BoF VOICES 2023. Sammy had a rare genetic condition called Progeria that accelerates ...
Why Some Sports Win Big in Fashion — and Others Don't
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, sports has provided a rich ground for fashion partnerships. Where even three years ago Dior’s tie-up with Paris Saint-Germain was r...
Khalid Al Tayer on Driving Transformation in the GCC's Luxury Market
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Khalid Al Tayer, Managing Director of Al Tayer Insignia and CEO of the luxury e-commerce platform Ounass, leads one of the Middle East’s most powerf...
Can AI Make Shopping Online Less Annoying?
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Online shopping promises convenience, but finding the right product among thousands – or hundreds of thousands – of options can often feel li...
Robert Geller on the Power of Saying Yes
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up in Hamburg with a photographer father and a stepmother who ran a vintage boutique, Robert Geller was immersed in the world of fashion, art ...
How Dupe Culture is Challenging Traditional Luxury
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number of direct-to-consumer brands are disrupting the luxury market by offering high-quality alternatives at more affordable prices. As tra...
How Michelle Yeoh Conquered Hollywood — and Fashion
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Yeoh has captivated audiences for decades, from her iconic role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to her Oscar-winning performance in Everyth...
How Beauty Blunders Go Viral and What Brands Do Next
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The beauty industry thrives on virality, but in the age of social media, that can be a double-edged sword. One viral TikTok video can catapult a brand...
How Zac Posen is Reenergising Gap Inc.
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zac Posen burst onto the fashion scene in the early 2000s, gaining acclaim for his glamorous designs and dressing Hollywood's elite. After nearly two ...
How Influencers Make Money
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The influencer landscape has shifted dramatically over the last decade. While the image of influencers posting flawless selfies on exotic, brand-spons...
Tim Blanks and Imran Amed Reflect on the Spring/Summer 2025 Shows
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amid economic uncertainty, a global luxury industry slowdown, and conflicts erupting around the world, designers at the Spring/Summer 2025 shows balan...
Can Department Stores Save Themselves?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, department stores were symbols of American retail success, but their shine has long since faded. Overexpansion that began in the 1990s, t...
Alessandro Michele: “There is always Mr. Valentino somewhere with me”
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alessandro Michele’s whimsical, bold vision as creative director of Gucci revitalised the brand, turning it into a cultural juggernaut. Now, he’s ...
Why Does Menswear All Look the Same?
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A style renaissance that changed how many men dress – mostly for the better – has congealed into a sea of sameness, at least in the eyes of a...
Skepta on Failing, Learning and Freedom in Fashion
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The renowned grime MC and rapper Skepta knows that there’s no such thing as an overnight success. After the rapper launched his fashion brand, Mains...
Luxury Fashion’s Designer Diversity Problem
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Luxury fashion remains an exclusive club, where leadership positions are often filled from within tight, familiar circles. Despite industry-wide commi...
Clare Waight Keller on Finding Opportunity in Discomfort
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Clare Waight Keller’s career in fashion has been defined by her versatility as a designer and desire to step outside her comfort zone. She started o...
Fast Fashion Disruption With Shein and H&M
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shein has fundamentally changed the fashion market, challenging fast fashion giants that were not so long ago in the disruptor position themselves. On...
Lyas on the Enduring Power of Fashion Storytelling
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fashion narrator Lyas is one of the most compelling and authentic fashion communicators to have arrived on the scene, and whose takes on fashion shows...
How Nike Ran Off Course
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nike’s streak as the undisputed leader in the activewear category spans generations, but the brand is facing its most significant hurdles in decades...
Kamala Harris and the Politics of Style
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the first female, Black, and South Asian Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris’s every move is closely watched — from her policy d...
How Tweens Took Over the Beauty Aisle
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 has brought forth the arrival of the “Sephora tweens,” which refers to members of Gen Alpha (roughly defined as those born between 2010 and 2...
What Happens When It’s Too Hot to Make Fashion?
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many of fashion’s largest manufacturing hubs, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, are increasingly at risk of dangerous, record-breaking heatw...
Convoy on How to Create Fashion Moments
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Creative directors and brand strategists Juan Costa Paz and Nordine Benotmane, who founded Paris-based creative agency Convoy in 2012, are paid to thi...
Willy Chavarria on Promoting Social Justice Through Fashion
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Willy Chavarria has become a force in American fashion, known for his Chicano-inspired take on menswear. Last year, Willy broke through, winning the C...
Stéphane Ashpool on Fashion, Sports and the Paris Olympics
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sport and fashion have always been a part of Stéphane Ashpool’s life: He was raised watching his artistic parents socialise with designers like Cla...
Vennette Ho on the Future of Beauty M&A
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 has the potential to be a dynamic year for dealmaking in beauty, as brands including Makeup by Mario, Kosas, Merit and even Selena Gomez’s Rare...
Why the Fashion Industry Needs a Makeover
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed joins Bob Safian on the Rapid Response podcast, part of the respected Masters of Scal...
Tim Blanks and Imran Amed on Haute Couture Week A/W 2024
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paris Couture Week has come to a close, and Tim Blanks and Imran Amed sat down for their seasonal review of all the most important collections —...
Diane von Furstenberg on the Making of Her New Documentary
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From her miraculous birth as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor to becoming a fashion powerhouse with her signature wrap dress, Diane von Furstenber...
Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz on Redefining Arab Fashion Media
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz was drawn to fashion from a young age, devouring issues of Vogue and Tatler. This led her to set up D’NA, a members-only bo...
Law Roach on Keeping Busy After ‘Retirement’
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As a self-styled “image architect”, Law Roach has earned global recognition for the red carpet looks he has created for some of the most famous —...
Gucci Westman and David Neville on Creating a Luxury Beauty Brand That Lasts
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Husband and wife duo Gucci Westman and David Neville’s luxury beauty label Westman Atelier has become an industry favourite, winning fans for its cu...
Héctor Bellerín on Football, Fashion and His New Brand, Gospel Estudios
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Footballer Héctor Bellerín first made a name for himself with his defensive skills on the pitch but it’s his outspoken views and distinctive perso...
Charles Jeffrey on 10 Years of Loverboy
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2014, in a nondescript basement club in East London, Charles Jeffrey’s Loverboy was born. At the age of 18, the Scottish-born designer moved from...
How Esteban Cortázar Got His Groove Back
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Esteban Cortázar first fell in love with fashion as a teenager growing up in Miami. Over the years, his career in fashion has come with lots of ups a...
Vanessa Friedman on the Past, Present and Future of the Met Gala
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first Monday in May has become synonymous with the Met Gala. Every year, celebrities and brands come together on the steps of the Metropolitan Mus...
Stan Herman on a Lifetime in Fashion
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stan Herman may be 95 years old, but the designer, activist and former president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America remains an unstoppable...
How Calvin Klein Taps Into Culture
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On January 4th of this year, when Calvin Klein dropped its new spring 2024 campaign with a shirtless Jeremy Allen White wearing the brand’s signatur...
Willy Vanderperre on Youth Culture and His New Exhibition in Antwerp
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For more than 30 years, photographer Willy Vanderperre has been fascinated with youth. Vanderperre has carved a niche for himself in the fashion...
The Assoulines on Thirty Years of Fashion Publishing
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Prosper and Martine Assouline’s business began with a passion project: A book dedicated to their love for La Colombe d’Or, a boutique hotel in the...
Jordan Brand’s Larry Miller on the Power of Second Chances
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Starting in 1999, Larry Miller worked alongside Michael Jordan to build Nike’s Jordan brand, which today generates more than $5 billion in revenue f...
Owen Eastwood and Tim Brown on Building High Performing Teams
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As a performance coach to England’s national football team, the Royal Ballet and more, Eastwood taps into his Māori heritage to help groups foster ...
The Retail Philosopher Creating Waves in Egypt and Beyond
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amir Fayo, the founder of 69 Group, marries brand architecture and art direction to create retail and hospitality concepts rooted in culture and conne...
Tim Blanks and Imran Amed Reflect on Autumn/Winter 2024
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This fashion month was all about looking ahead. At several major brands, newly-appointed creative directors ushered in a new era, including Seán McGi...
Avery Trufelman on the Meaning Behind the Clothes We Wear
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On her award-winning podcast “Articles of Interest,” host and producer Avery Trufelman dives deep into the stories behind the clothes we wear. Fr...
Arizona Muse on Modelling and Fashion’s Dirty Roots
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2010, model Arizona Muse was catapulted into the fashion spotlight. After opening and closing Prada’s Spring/Summer 2011 show, she was sign...
Kevin Macdonald Probes John Galliano’s Soul
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the world of high fashion, few names have commanded as much attention — and controversy — as John Galliano. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s...
Pat Boguslawski Is the Secret Weapon Behind John Galliano’s Fashion Drama
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Boguslawski is setting the fashion world in motion. The Polish movement director at Maison Margiela is the creative mastermind behind some of...
Brandice Daniel on Making Room for Diversity in Fashion
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row, Brandice Daniel is a change agent. For more than 15 years, she has been working to bridge the gap between the fa...
Ending Climate Colonialism in Fashion
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The fashion industry is responsible for up to 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the most profitable fashion companies are often headqu...
Matthieu Blazy’s Creative Alchemy at Bottega Veneta
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matthieu Blazy has been a quiet but powerful force in the fashion industry for years, having worked under powerhouse designers like Raf Simons and Pho...
Dan Levy and Jonathan Anderson on Balancing Creativity and Commerce
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The delicate dance between artistic integrity and commercial viability is a challenge Dan Levy and Jonathan Anderson know well. Levy's Emmy Award-winn...
Diane von Fürstenberg on the Power of a Little Dress
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Diane von Fürstenberg has been synonymous with women’s empowerment since she first unveiled her revolutionary wrap dress in 1974. But for her, the ...
Brunello Cucinelli on Humanistic Capitalism in an Age of AI
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since 1978, Brunello Cucinelli’s namesake brand has been a standard-bearer for both luxury clothing and a more responsible way of doing business. At...
Richard Dickson on How to Recapture the Magic of Gap
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Barbie-mania swept the globe. A key architect of that phenomenon was Richard Dickson, who served as president and chief operating officer o...
Ashley Graham on Breaking Fashion Industry Barriers
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After she was scouted in a modelling competition in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 12, Ashley Graham went on to break barriers in the fashion industr...
Angelina Jolie’s Unexpected Journey to Fashion
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having dominated Hollywood's cinematic landscape for decades, Angelina Jolie is now moving into uncharted territory — the world of fashion. This wee...
Leena Nair on Leading Chanel Into the Future
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At every juncture of her extraordinary professional journey, Leena Nair has authored a series of 'firsts’. Growing up in her home country of India, ...
Gabriella Karefa-Johnson on Building a Better Fashion Industry
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The stylist and fashion editor reveals to BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed why she resigned from Vogue and how she is channelling her influe...
Es Devlin on Collaboration, Creativity and Stagecraft
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The pioneering set designer speaks to BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed about how she’s set the stage for some of fashion’s most talked-a...
Re-imagining Indian Beauty
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Anaita Shroff-Adajania, Bandana Tewari, Lakshmi Menon and Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif t...
Conformity Is the ‘Enemy of Progress, Creativity and Business’
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The BoF Podcast, Condé Nast Britain’s chief business officer speaks with purpose and intuition coach Mory Fontanez about leading as an...
Adut Akech’s Journey From Refugee Camp to Runway
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The South Sudanese model reflects on her path from a Kenyan refugee camp to travelling the globe as an international top model.Background: South ...
Christian Louboutin on Balancing Personal Identity and Public Brand
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christian Louboutin opens up to Rozan Ahmed at BoF VOICES 2021 about identity, passion and building a brand worth $2.7 billion from the ground up.Back...
Pharrell Williams On His Vision for Louis Vuitton
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with the men's creative director of Louis Vuitton to discuss his journey into the luxury indu...
Tim Blanks and Imran Amed on the Fashion Month Gone By
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BoF’s editor-at-large and founder and editor-in-chief look back at the key moments of fashion month, from Sabato de Sarno’s debut at Gucci to Sara...
Peter Hawkings on His Tom Ford Debut
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Ford’s new creative director opens up to Imran Amed about his progression in the fashion industry and his first womenswear collection for the br...
How to Break Into the Modelling Industry – and Last
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks to veteran modelling agent Chris Gay to understand the shifting power dynamics in the modelling indu...