The Business of Fashion Podcast

Performance basketball shoes have long been embedded in fashion culture, from the iconic Air Jordans of the 1990s to the stylised sneakers worn in NBA tunnel walks. But over the last decade, interest in basketball shoes waned as sneakerheads turned to minimalist silhouettes, running shoes and fashion collabs. 

Now, a new wave of signature athletes, innovative design from emerging and legacy brands and growing energy around ...

In the five years since the pandemic, fashion and beauty workplaces have undergone seismic change. Amid mounting economic uncertainty, geopolitical instability and the ongoing climate crisis, a workplace reckoning is underway. Employees are re-evaluating what truly matters at work and for many, that means reassessing everything from their employers’ values to compensation and flexibility.

According to BoF Careers’ 2025 global su...

From a very young  age, Dutch designer Duran Lantink has been fascinated by the transformative power of fashion. 

His journey began in his early teens, culminating in his first runway show at just 14 years old. That collection, made from repurposed Diesel jeans and his grandmother’s tablecloth, was picked up by a local multi-brand store. And the rest is history.

Today, Duran is known in the industry for his  playful ex...

The luxury industry trades on a carefully constructed marketing image, deeply linked to artful claims of exclusivity, craftsmanship, and impeccable standards. But a slew of Milanese court cases linking some of luxury’s biggest names to sweatshops on the outskirts of the fashion capital have sent uncomfortable shockwaves through the sector. Last week, LVMH-owned cashmere brand Loro Piana became the latest company caught up in the sc...

Jérôme Mage is the founder and creative force behind Jacques Marie Mage, the luxury eyewear brand known for its distinctive silhouettes, limited production runs and deep-rooted storytelling. Originally from the Auvergne region in France, Mage relocated to Los Angeles in pursuit of creative freedom and with a deep passion for California's outdoor culture. 

His brand comes from a personal mission to reimagine luxury through t...

After turning to other matters for a few weeks, President Donald Trump has reignited his aggressive tariff strategy, threatening sweeping new duties on key fashion-producing nations starting Aug. 1, as well as a fresh set of new levies on the EU, Brazil, South Korea and other trade partners.  

On this episode of The Debrief, correspondents Joan Kennedy and Marc Bain join hosts executive editor Brian Baskin and senior c...

The latest fashion season marked a period of significant transition with new creative leadership taking centre stage at some of luxury’s biggest houses. Highly anticipated debuts at Dior, Celine and Maison Margiela set the tone for a new direction, while designers like Rick Owens continued to redefine the emotional and aesthetic parameters of fashion. At Balenciaga, Demna bid farewell to his iconic aesthetic, setting the stage for ...

In nearly two decades since the first “Real Housewives” franchise debuted, reality TV has moved from the fringes of entertainment to become a major cultural force. Today, “Housewives” stars are influencing fashion trends, driving sales, and making inroads into luxury circles that once ignored them. Brands previously wary of the stigma around reality TV are now leveraging the passionate and loyal fanbase of the franchise, positionin...

Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, has built a reputation for bringing a nuanced portrayal of Caribbean culture to the global fashion stage. Drawing on her Jamaican heritage and global experience, Scott seeks to foreground overlooked craft traditions and champion a narrative that moves beyond exoticised tropes. 

“Craft doesn't have an aesthetic. Craft is technique and execution,” Scott says. “There are endless possibilities,...

After years of disillusionment with fashion tech, investors are once again excited about its potential, but with a very different mindset to the hype-fuelled boom of the last decade.

From AI-powered personal styling apps to virtual try-on tools and personalised search engines, a wave of start-ups is gaining traction – and big backing – by offering real technological solutions to long-standing fashion industry problems.

In thi...

As a fashion buyer and creative force at retail institutions like Browns and Liberty, Yasmin Sewell has long been tuned into aesthetics and the power of intuition. But it was during a moment of  personal reset, that her intuition propelled her from fashion into an entirely new world: the business of beauty. 

Founded in 2021, her fragrance brand Vyrao blends traditional perfumery with spiritual practices like Reiki, kin...

As major luxury brands struggle to maintain momentum amid an industry-wide slowdown, one category is bucking the trend: jewellery. While demand for handbags and apparel softens, fine jewellery sales continue to rise, driven by consumer desire for lasting value, emotional resonance and self-expression.

Simone Stern Carbone and Joan Kennedy join The Debrief to discuss how independent jewellers are thriving with creativity and pers...

When Tracee Ellis Ross launched Pattern Beauty in 2019, she set out to challenge the beauty industry's lack of products for curly, coily and tight-textured hair. Despite numerous obstacles, including scepticism about market viability and systemic biases in the product testing process, Ross has built Pattern into a leading haircare brand addressing an underserved market.

“Black beauty and textured hair was not being mirrored back...

Earlier this month, cities across the US saw the most significant wave of demonstrations since the 2020 protests following George Floyd's murder. These latest protests have been sparked by immigration raids conducted by the Trump administration, and while some of those enforcement actions have targeted garment workers, the fashion industry has mostly stayed silent. 

Executive editor Brian Baskin, senior correspondent Sheena But...

When Hailey Bieber launched her beauty and skincare brand Rhode in 2022, it quickly built a loyal customer base and achieved rapid commercial success. By early 2025, Rhode had generated $212 million in net sales and, in May, was acquired by E.l.f. Beauty in a landmark $1 billion deal.

“Rhode is not just about the product; it's the whole entire world of Rhode. I want people to feel something when they get the products. When they ...

Nike has been synonymous with sports for decades, but that cultural and commercial cachet has mostly been driven by male athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods (Serena Williams being a prominent exception). As a result, despite substantial sales, Nike historically struggled to resonate authentically with women, and has at times faced pointed criticism from female athletes, employees and consumers. 

That appears to be ...

Emily grew up far away from the fashion world in Calgary, Canada. After moving to New York for a role at the media company Complex, Oberg quickly built her profile as a tastemaker in the streetwear scene. 

But eventually, she got the entrepreneurial itch and leveraged her experience to turn Sporty & Rich, which started as a mood board on Instagram, into a multi-million-dollar brand with a dedicated community following.

Bieber, a celebrity and influential beauty figure with a strong Gen-Z following, launched Rhode just three years ago, quickly distinguishing the brand with minimalist product offerings closely tied to Bieber's personal aesthetic. She just sold to E.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion, even as rival celebrity beauty brands struggle to grow sales or attract buyers. 

Priya Rao, executive editor at The Business of Beauty at BoF, joins t...

Giancarlo Giammetti met Valentino Garavani by chance on July 31, 1960, setting in motion one of fashion’s most enduring — and most successful — creative partnerships. Together, they transformed Valentino into a global fashion powerhouse, celebrated for its elegance, craftsmanship, and cultural influence. 

In 2016, Giammetti co-founded the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti to preserve their remarkable legac...