The Business of Fashion Podcast

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-about immersive experiences. Background: In the world of set design, Es Devlin is a trailblazing, unstoppable force. Her remarkable career has seen her craft stages for global superstars like Beyoncé, U2 and Adele as well as immersive experiences for Loui...

BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Anaita Shroff-Adajania, Bandana Tewari, Lakshmi Menon and Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif to explore the country’s evolving beauty landscape. Background: It’s been 16 years since Vogue India’s inaugural issue put a global spotlight on India’s fashion and beauty industries. Today, the beauty sphere in particular is in the midst of a transfo...

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 outsider in the modern workplace. Background: In 2017, Vanessa Kingori became British Vogue ’s first female publishing director. Since then, she has become a mother, received an MBE and stepped into the additional role of chief business officer of Cond...

The South Sudanese model reflects on her path from a Kenyan refugee camp to travelling the globe as an international top model. Background:  South Sudanese model Adut Akech has made her mark on fashion, having appeared on countless international magazine covers and on the runway for brands including Chanel and Prada. But Akech’s story begins worlds away from fashion shows and Vogue cover shoo...

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. Background: Christian Louboutin’s iconic red-soled stilettos have made him one of fashion’s most recognisable names. But few know the story of the multi-faceted man behind the Christian Louboutin brand. Louboutin spoke with writer and cultural activist...

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 industry and his plans for the world’s largest luxury brand. Background: Pharrell Williams has been part of the global cultural consciousness for the better part of two decades as a rapper, songwriter and music producer. But earlier this year, when he...

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 Sarah Burton’s farewell show for Alexander McQueen. Background:   This season, fashion month saw several highly-anticipated debuts (Sabato de Sarno at Gucci, and Peter Hawkings at Tom Ford) as well as goodbyes (Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, Fa...

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 brand. Background: When Tom Ford started his namesake brand in 2004, his longtime deputy at Gucci Peter Hawkings was his first call — and his first employee. Fast-forward to April 2023, Hawkings’ phone rang again. Only this time, Ford said he was st...

BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks to veteran modelling agent Chris Gay to understand the shifting power dynamics in the modelling industry and how models can build a career that stands the test of time. Background:   In the sometimes fickle and murky world of fashion modelling, the most successful models are taking control of their careers by bypassing the gatekeepers and crea...

As London Fashion Week kicks off, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with four London-based creative talents to explore how the city’s rich creative scene stems from its unique cultural diversity and the sense of community and collaboration this provides. Background:   With over 300 languages spoken within its city limits — more than any other metropolis — London has ce...

The founder of the streetwear sensation broke into fashion thanks not only to his steely determination and breakthrough creative ideas, but also the unwavering support of the community he built from the ground up. Background:   Within a decade, Colm Dillane, the New York-based founder and designer of streetwear label KidSuper, went from selling T-shirts to fellow students out of his New York...

Ahead of New York Fashion Week, The Washington Post’s Rachel Tashjian speaks with BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed about how the industry is changing post-pandemic.  Background: There's a good reason why New York Fashion Week isn’t the all important agenda-setter it once was, according to Rachel Tashjian, a fashion writer for The Washington Post. US consumers, she says,...

Darnell Strom’s professional path has wound its way from politics to Hollywood, a trajectory that started with several globe-trotting years working for former US President Bill Clinton. As partner and head of culture and leadership at entertainment agency UTA today Strom represents totemic cultural figures including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and Edward Enninful, the outgoing...

Mo Gawdat, an artificial intelligence expert and former chief business officer of Google X, explains how humans have the power to turn AI into a positive force that benefits society.  Background: Public perception of artificial intelligence ranges widely. Depending on who you’re listening to, it could be a source of unlimited technological potential or a dire threat right out of a science fic...

When Ben Gorham of Byredo and Monique Rodriguez of Mielle Organics sold the businesses they spent years building, the financial milestone was just the culmination of more meaningful professional journeys that began with a clear sense of purpose.  Background:   Beauty founders Ben Gorham of fragrance label Byredo, and Monique Rodriguez of hair care brand Mielle Organics, both took their b...

The co-founder and chief innovation officer of the Nasdaq-listed sneaker brand reflects on how his previous career in sports prepared him professionally and personally for leading a company through both the highs and the lows.    Background: When Tim Brown stepped away from his role as co-chief executive at Allbirds in May, the footwear retailer that he co-founded seven years ago was los...

Kering’s new deputy CEO of brand development shares her luxury brand management playbook in this archive interview with Imran Amed from BoF VOICES 2018. Background:   Last week, Francesca Belletini was appointed deputy CEO of brand development at Kering, making her arguably the most powerful female fashion executive in the luxury sector. As part of her new role, not only will she retain her p...

What do Poolside FM and Isamaya Beauty have in common? Their founders have created brands with unique yet relatable identities. Background:  Isamaya Ffrench, makeup artist and founder of Isamaya Beauty, and Marty Bell, co-founder of sunscreen brand Vacation (and Poolside FM), both took unconventional routes to turning their products into veritable brands. Vacation began as a spinoff of the in...

The celebrated menswear designer joins BoF’s Imran Amed to discuss the evolution of his career in fashion from selling secondhand clothes to building his own brands. Background :  At first glance, Oliver Spencer’s story might seem like a fashion fairytale. In just a matter of a few years, he went from selling secondhand garments in a stall on London’s Portobello Road to seeing actors wearing...

British fashion designer Samuel Ross opens up to BoF editor-in-chief Imran Amed about his work to foster more diversity in fashion. Background : Creative industries still have a long way to go before they become truly inclusive, according to Samuel Ross, designer and founder of London-based fashion label A-Cold-Wall and industrial and product design studio SR_A.  “There's not enough diversity...

At The Business of Beauty Global Forum, activist and author Schuyler Bailar shared his journey to understanding beauty and self-acceptance as a biracial, transgender man. Background :  For Schuyler Bailar, an activist, author and the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer in the US, finding a sense of belonging hasn’t always been easy. Bailar realised being accepted by society wasn’...

On both a local and international scale, the Middle East’s fashion industry has seen significant growth thanks to changing regulations and an influx of creatives. Background : Substantial economic activity as well as cultural and regulatory shifts in the Middle East have accelerated the growth of the region’s $89 billion fashion industry. Middle Eastern governments are fostering this expansion as...

The pioneering 89-year-old entrepreneur shares her life story as a child refugee who fled Nazi Germany and created a $3 billion technology company.  Background :  At BoF VOICES 2022, the pioneering 89-year-old entrepreneur Dame Stephanie Shirley discussed her life working with early computers at the London’s Post Office Research Station and how, against all odds, she created a softw...

At The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2023, Pamela Anderson shared her perspectives on how the definition of beauty — and the beauty business — is changing with Moj Mahdara. Background :  “We're all trying to make ourselves beautiful so we are respected, admired, loved. So these products have to come from a loving place. That’s the secret ingredient: having heart,” said Pamela Anderson...

At Egypt Fashion Week, BoF founder Imran Amed shared the origin story of BoF and reflects on the forces that will shape fashion in the coming decade. Background : In the 16 years since he published his first post on The Business of Fashion , Imran Amed has seen the fashion industry try to adapt to adjust to seismic changes in technology, culture and business — and BoF has been a leading voice in g...