Afleveringen
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On January 4th of this year, when Calvin Klein dropped its new spring 2024 campaign with a shirtless Jeremy Allen White wearing the brandâs signature underwear, it set the internet ablaze. Social media feeds flooded with reaction videos and media outlets covered the campaign widely. The following week, Calvin Klein saw a 30 percent year-over-year increase in underwear sales.
While the brand could never have predicted the gigantic response the campaign would generate, Calvin Kleinâs chief marketing officer Jonathan Bottomley says the brand did everything it could to put the strategy in place for it to do so.
âIn a culture that's very flat, how do you create those spikes ⊠we adopt what we call an entertainment mentality,â said Bottomley on stage at the BoF Professional Summit in New York.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Bottomley to unpack Calvin Kleinâs marketing strategy and how they cut through the noise to create cultural moments.
Key Insights:
Calvin Kleinâs entertainment mentality can be broken down into three main parts. âFirstly, we put a lot of focus on creating stories and creating content that people are going to want to spend time with. The second thing is we think really hard about the talent, not just in terms of reach of engagement, but the opportunity to create a cultural character, show them in a way that maybe you haven't seen before,â Bottomley explains. âAnd then the third thing is media. We work with real intention to blend the media mix, to try and game the algorithm and and really to cut through.â Bottomley stresses that the brand does not aim to court controversy. âThere's an authenticity to what we do, which is partly the DNA as a brand. This idea of sensuality and empowerment, they go together,â he says. âIt's much more to do with partnership, creative expression, and this idea of a character that we feel is going to work, but that our partner really believes in.âOn balancing brand marketing and performance marketing, Bottomley believes the two are intertwined. âThe way we think about it is that everything is brand and everything is performance. ⊠The imperative of a brand is to lead and to say from within the confines of where culture is going, âhow can we step outside that and excite people with something?ââAdditional resources:
Calvin Klein, Leviâs and the Real Value of MarketingWhy Calvin Klein Ads Still Get People TalkingCalvin Kleinâs New Strategy: Donât Market the Dream, Market What SellsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For more than 30 years, photographer Willy Vanderperre has been fascinated with youth. Vanderperre has carved a niche for himself in the fashion industry, capturing the youthful essence of models like Julia Nobis and Clément Chabernaud for fashion houses including Dior, Prada and Givenchy.
âIt would be bordering on pretentious to say that I understand youth. I am 53 years old and I am fully aware of that. It's impossible to understand youth nowadays. I can just have an interpretation of what I think youth is through my eyes and through the experiences I have with those kids,â says Vanderperre.
Ahead of the opening of his exhibition âWilly Vanderperre Prints, Films, a Rave and MoreâŠâ at MoMu â Fashion Museum Antwerp, Vanderperre sits down with BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks to discuss this approach to image-making his creative collaborations with Raf Simons and Olivier Rizzo, and more.
Key Insights
Whilst studying photography at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Vanderperre first encountered the friends who would become his closest collaborators: Raf Simons, Olivier Rizzo and Peter Philips. âWe all grew up in different parts of Belgium, we all have very different backgrounds, we also come from different subcultures, so I think it's also that that linked us together at one point.âA rave and hedonistic subculture is an essential component of his body of work. âOf course we had to include the rave. My main focus has always been youth, and it will always be. I am from that generation of Belgian kids that when the rave scene was big, I was young and I indulged in that lifestyle,â he shared.Vanderperre views challenge, both for himself and his audience, as a defining characteristic of his work. âWhat is a beautiful picture? Does it always have to be beautifully lit or perfectly lit? ⊠Technique is important, but it's a means and I think we should play with that,â he explains. As for his work philosophy, Vanderperre keeps it simple: âI like the idea of observing, creating and bringing that character to life and being genuinely interested in that person in front of the cameraâ he says. âI think the last three decades weâve just been trying to translate youth through our eyes.âAdditional Resources:
Willy Vanderperre: âYouth Is an Emotion. Youth Is the Breaking Pointâ Willy Vanderperre Has a New Instagram ProjectHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Prosper and Martine Assoulineâs business began with a passion project: A book dedicated to their love for La Colombe dâOr, a boutique hotel in the South of France; Martine produced the images and Prosper was responsible for the text. But since publishing that first title 30 years ago, Assouline Publishing has gone on to capture the history and visual memory of places like Ibiza and Jaipur, industry icons such as EstĂ©e Lauder and Valentino Garavani, as well as fashion houses like Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton.
âThe idea was to make a book about the spirit of a place, ⊠to mix the past, the present, the people, and all the DNA,â says Martine.
âI always say to my team in the art department that when a book is finished, we need to start it. ⊠You think it's finished but itâs just beginning,â says Prosper.
This week on The BoF Podcast, founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with the Assoulines to learn how this fixture of fashion publishing was born and how they intend to maintain that original creative spark while growing it into a global lifestyle business.
Key Insights:
While Assouline may be a leading luxury publishing house today, Martine and Prosper were outsiders without prior experience or contacts in this world. They had to learn along the way. âWe learned that it was a real job. A real industry, a club where everyone knew each other,â said Prosper Assouline. âWe learned while doing - everything,â added Martine. Prosper Assouline says the process of creating a new book is architectural and the magic lies in the details. âWe didnât just want to do books because Amazon is full of proposals and other publishers are full of proposals.â For Martine, the continual consumption of culture and arts is a key ingredient in Assoulineâs formula. âYou have to eat culture. You have to go to a museum. You have to see films of today, of yesterday. You have to look at magazines, hear music, all kinds of different books. It's very important.âIn the Assoulinesâ view, what theyâre doing is much bigger than simply publishing books. âThe idea was not just to make books, it was to create a luxury brand on culture,â said Prosper Assouline.Looking towards the future, the luxury publishing house is narrowing its focus on lifestyle. âLifestyle is the project. Itâs our way to live and work, it has always been our direction,â said Martine Assouline.Additional Resources
In Age of Online Inspiration, Fashion Creatives Still Love Beautiful BooksThe Business of Fashion BooksHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Starting in 1999, Larry Miller worked alongside Michael Jordan to build Nikeâs Jordan brand, which today generates more than $5 billion in revenue for Nike. But his journey to the C-suite was a unique one.
Growing up in West Philadelphia, Miller joined a gang, which led him to serve multiple prison sentences for a series of crimes, including second-degree murder.
Through a rehabilitation programme, he was able to begin his college education while in prison, and upon release, he was able to start his career with an accounting job at the Campbell Soup Company. In 1997, Miller started working for Nike under founder Phil Knight, and became the first Black vice president of apparel at the company before going on to become president of the Jordan brand in 1999.
But it wasnât until years later that he went public about his backstory with the publication of his book, âJump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom.â
At BoF VOICES 2022, Miller sat down with UTA executive Darnell Strom to share his story, talk about the power of second chances and explain how he found redemption.
âIâve come to the realisation that a lot of times we are afraid to talk about the obstacles that we overcome. But in reality thereâs no shame in overcoming obstacles,â said Miller.
Key Insights:
âWhen I was 16, I shot a kid and he died and I was charged as an adult at 16 years old⊠pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, was sentenced to four and a half to 20 years,â Miller revealed at BoF VOICES 2022.Once he had revealed his story, Miller says Michael Jordan and Phil Knight were supportive and encouraged him to share his story. âItâs been amazing to me the response that Iâve gotten from people who Iâve known and worked with and who have just encouraged me and embraced the fact that Iâve got this past.âFollowing the release of his book, Miller apologised to the family of Edward David White, the man he killed. In Whiteâs honour Miller created a foundation for his descendents to attend university or trade school.âI think Iâm a perfect example of the fact that a person can change if given the right opportunities⊠the right chance. But it starts inside of you. You have to believe that you can change,â said Miller.Additional Resources:
A Nike Executive Seeks a Familyâs Forgiveness for a 1965 Murder: The New York Times the story of the impact of Larry Miller, chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board, and his actions as a 16-year-old.Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom: âJumpâ written by Larry Miller and his daughter, Laila Lacy, shares the story of Millerâs life from the streets of West Philadelphia to the Nike boardroom.How Larry Miller Went from Prison Valedictorian to Nike Executive: Freakonomics interviews Larry Miller on his journey from his childhood in West Philadelphia, to serving time in prison and finally to running the Jordan brand.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As a performance coach to Englandâs national football team, the Royal Ballet and more, Eastwood taps into his MÄori heritage to help groups foster a sense of togetherness and drive performance.
For Allbirds co-founder and chief innovation officer Tim Brown, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Allbirds, a company that has gone on a rollercoaster of ups and downs since it IPO in 2021, his former life as a professional football player for New Zealand has taught him lessons heâs brought from the pitch to the boardroom.
âWhen we want to create a high performing environment, we make an undertaking to each other that we will do nothing to diminish the dignity of every person, and when we all leave this experience or whatever it is together, our dignity will be enhanced,â Eastwood told Brown stage at BoF VOICES 2023. âFor me, therefore, you need to understand the story of the people you work with.â
This week on The BoF Podcast, Brown and Eastwood unpack how companies can drive high performance while maintaining a supportive culture.
Key Insights:
While working with the British Olympic team, Eastwood encouraged the athletes to find a level of investment in their own story by creating a film which showcased various Olympians all the way back from 1896. âThe Olympians themselves just took selfies the whole time with these images of those ancestors who they in particular could relate to, maybe something that shared their own identity story. I think it opened their eyes.âAllbirds was founded in 2024 with a mission to make sustainable footwear, but 10 years on, Brown said that heâs learned how important it is to stay true to that internal story, both in communicating with employees and consumers. âAs a creative person, as a storyteller, are we doing enough within our organisations to tell stories internally in the same way that we're telling them outside of the organisation?â he asked. Eastwood said those sorts of strong, dynamic, internal stories are key for everyone on a team. âYou've got to create rituals and traditions where it's reiterated because actually it's not just for the benefit of new joiners, it's for the benefit of us who have been here a long time.âAdditional resources
The BoF Podcast | Allbirdsâ Tim Brown on Learning to Lead With ResilienceAllbirds Co-CEO On Why DTC Brands Are Going MultichannelAre DTC Brands Pulling Off Brick-and-Mortar?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Amir Fayo, the founder of 69 Group, marries brand architecture and art direction to create retail and hospitality concepts rooted in culture and connection. Best known for operating Egyptian stores Maison69 and Villa Baboushka, Fayo breaks with conventions to create immersive store experiences that resonate with consumers on an emotional level. Everything starts by not thinking of himself as a retailer.
âI don't know how to do retail. Retail is structured. Retail is data. Retail is numbers. ⊠I connect to people, to how they feel, what makes them tick, what makes them be interested,â he says.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Fayo to discuss his innovative attitude toward retail.
Key Insights:
Fayo, who was born in Wales and raised in Egypt, says his architectural style is heavily influenced by his multicultural upbringing. âEgypt gave me a heart, the UK gave me my creativity and the US gave me my thinking process.âThere are three pillars to how Fayo approaches a project. The first is building an environment in which people can form an emotional memory. The second is creating a sense of social intimacy. Finally, he remains focussed on the idea of elevating the everyday. âI want to elevate [mundane moments] to be something that people remember, that people want to come back to,â Fayo explains.When designing retail spaces, the idea of home is kept at the forefront. âWhen we started to define that code, I said, where is that space where there is no right and there is no wrong? It should be home,â says Fayo. âWe're going to design homes because homes should be welcoming. Homes should create belonging. Homes should create easy connections.âAdditional resources
Vogue Arabia's Editor-in-Chief on the Diversity of Urban Markets in the Middle EastAll Eyes on EgyptBoF Insights | Fashion in the Middle East: Optimism and TransformationHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This fashion month was all about looking ahead. At several major brands, newly-appointed creative directors ushered in a new era, including SeĂĄn McGirr at Alexander McQueen, Adrian Appiolaza at Moschino and Chemena Kamali at ChloĂ©. But beyond the creative director premieres, recurring motifs of technology and the pared down everyday reflected the current state of the world â and whatâs to come.
âEarly on, I detected this rather peculiar strain of sci-fi,â says Tim Blanks, BoFâs editor-at-large. âThere is that incipient sense of apocalypse lurking and I think if you step back and take a really long view of what was happening, you could feel that kind of anxiety,â says Tim Blanks, BoFâs editor-at-large.
Following the conclusion of the Autumn/Winter 2024 shows, Blanks sits down with BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss the highlights of fashion month.
Key Insights
At Louis Vuitton, Phillippe Parrenoâs immersive set design and Nicolas GhesquiĂšreâs futuristic garments left lasting impressions. âThere was a lot of white and a lot of reflection, a lot of shiny stuff. They could have been heading off to a space station. And the sound was insane. The sound makes you want to go home and open a nightclub in your living room,â says Blanks. Undercoverâs Jun Takahashi featured a poem about a single mother raising her eight year old child, written by German filmmaker and playwright Wim Wenders. âEvery detail is just so beautiful and evocative and then Jun Takahashi showed the collection to go with that; everyday clothes, but completely transmogrified by his insane ingenuity,â recalls Blanks. At Alexander McQueen, SeĂĄn McGirrâs first show displayed his energetic direction for the house following Sarah Burtonâs departure. âI think that as a creative director debuting at a house, it's much harder to create new energy than it is to create merchandisable clothes. And I think that's what he succeeded in doing; he created a new energy around that brand,â says Amed.Following the sudden passing of David Renne, Moschino welcomed new creative director Adrian Appiolaza, who looked to the roots of the brand for his first show. âIf you detail Franco Moschino's iconography, Adrian Appiolaza went down the list and ticked every box. I think that that was probably the most joyful show of the whole season. ⊠I think he celebrated the work of [Franco Moschino], in such a way that I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does next,â says Blanks. At ChloĂ©, Chemena Kamaliâs charisma shone through on the runway. âYou could see her really embodying the new ChloĂ© and being that kind of ambassador for ChloĂ© in a way that maybe some of the more recent creative directors never were really able to do,â says Amed.Additional resources:
Paris Fashion Week Says âSo Long, Farewellâ With Chanel, Miu Miu and Louis VuittonImran Amed and Tim Blanks Go Backstage at Milan Fashion WeekBackstage Pass | Rick Owensâ Life Mission: InclusionHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On her award-winning podcast âArticles of Interest,â host and producer Avery Trufelman dives deep into the stories behind the clothes we wear. From the evolution of prep to the origins of wedding dresses, Avery guides her listeners through the multi-faceted layers behind the aesthetics of fashion.
âIt's crops, it's the earth, it's handwork, it's culture, it's society. You tug on a thread and you get everything,â she said. âThat's what I'm slowly realising [about fashion].â
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Trufelman to discuss her path into podcasting, taking her lifelong passion for clothes and what they mean into an audio format, and what sheâs learned about fashion along the way.
Key Insights:
A self-proclaimed âpublic radio nepo baby,â Trufelman has audio in her blood â her parents met working at New York Public Radio. But while she grew up with audio, she didnât start experimenting with fashion until she was a teenager, expressing herself through quirky thrifted fashion ensembles, much to the confusion of her peers. âI knew in the back of my mind that it was too much, that I was sort of alienating people,â she says. âIt just made me realise how powerful clothing was. That dressing in this wild way sort of set me apart.âTrufelman initially came up with the idea for âArticles of Interestâ while interning at the design and architecture podcast â99% Invisible.â Presenting a fashion podcast to an audience more focussed on architecture, Trufelman began to see the ways in which fashion touched every facet of life. âIn the beginning, fashion was sort of a dirty word for me,â she says. âNow it's all about fashion because everything has fashion. Buildings have fashion, cars have fashion, colours have fashion. Fashion is just taste over time and the most easy way to measure that when you look at a picture of any era, it's the cars maybe, but mostly the clothes.âFour seasons into âArticles of Interest,â Trufelman now finds herself with a rich archive to draw upon. âI don't ever kill stories. I love to reuse interviews that I collected years ago. I'm always cutting them up and revisiting them because I believe that knowledge isn't like one and done. It isn't a single use thing. I believe in making this a long sustainable living archive.â Trufelman also sees the parallels between podcasts and fashion in the ways in which both allow us to engage with the world. âPeople are listening to your voice while they're walking down the street and they're like noticing what people are wearing or they're noticing what people are doing. It's not undivided attention. It is divided attention. It's beautiful.âAdditional Resources:
The BoF 500: Avery TrufelmanRalph Lauren is Traveling Back in Time to Bring Back Preppy ChicHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In 2010, model Arizona Muse was catapulted into the fashion spotlight. After opening and closing Pradaâs Spring/Summer 2011 show, she was signed as a face of the brand. But after years of the modelling, grind and some serious personal reflection, the British-American model has swapped the glamour of the runway for environmental activism.
â[Modelling] nearly destroyed me. You pretend you enjoy it because everyone wants you to enjoy it. But the truth is, you'd prefer to be doing something else.â
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Muse to discuss her journey to the fashion runway, her reflections on fashionâs contribution to the climate crisis and why she sees self-care as a form of environmental activism.
Key Insights:
While Muse is grateful for modelling career, she said it caused immense strain on her mental health. âIt's been a blessing in so many ways, but it also nearly destroyed me. It really nearly destroyed my mental health,â she shares. âWhat's hard about modelling is people are judging you all the time on what you look like ⊠They don't even judge you on what you wear. It's just purely what you look like.âThe model first tapped into her passion for environmental activism after being invited to a charity lunch where she learned that textile materials were grown in soil by farmers. âWorking at the centre of this industry, working with all the most amazing fashion houses that we've all heard of, how is nobody talking about the farmers who grew our clothes for us?â she says. She also sees her own self-care as part of her activism. âHow can I take the best care of my being so that my being can be in the best shape that it can be, to be in service to the other beings around me who are human, to the other beings around me who are non-human, and to the biggest being of us all who is the earth?âMuse recognises the need for governments to support organisations like DIRT, she also insists there is a level of personal responsibility for those privileged enough to make sustainable choices. âIf you're like I am, and you're one of those lucky people who has money in your pocket right now, it is your responsibility to spend it with sustainable businesses who are making things in a more responsible way,â she says.Why Big Brands Are Pushing Back Against Sustainability RegulationsThe Problem with Sustainability DataThe BoF Podcast | Ending Climate Colonialism in FashionHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the world of high fashion, few names have commanded as much attention â and controversy â as John Galliano.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, his sensual designs and runway theatrics earned him worldwide acclaim.But Gallianoâs career imploded in 2011 when a video of him emerged using antisemitic slurs. In a new documentary, âHigh & Low: John Galliano,â BAFTA-winning director Kevin Macdonald examines Galliano's meteoric rise, scandalous downfall, and the role of forgiveness and redemption.
âIf there's one thing that people could take away from the film, it is [that] things are never that simple. The grey predominates in life and in morality,â says Macdonald.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks sits down with McDonald to discuss the phenomenon of cancellation and his own feelings about Galliano after completing the documentary.
Key Insights
Alongside archive footage and interviews with industry insiders, the film features extensive conversations with Galliano himself. Macdonald says Galliano seemed to forget the series of events and antisemitic remarks he said. âI think he genuinely blotted that out. I don't think he's pretending not to remember. I think that it's a sign of him creating a story for himself about things that have happened ⊠to get by,â Macdonald says.According to Macdonald, Galliano does not expect total forgiveness but hopes for understanding. âHe knows some people will never forgive him for the antisemitic comments he made, but he wants people to understand who he is and where that came from and what part it had in the way it played in his life.â Macdonald attributes the attention the film has received prior to its release to nostalgia for a bygone era. âI think there's a romance about this past where people were misbehaving and being creative geniuses and led to crash and burn and didn't have to answer to HR,â he says.High & Low â John Galliano opens in cinemas on 8th March 2024.
Additional resources
John Galliano: âI Feel Much FreerâJohn Galliano: Fashionâs Greatest Showman Turns CinĂ©-AuteurA Penitent John Galliano Talks to Charlie Rose About Childhood, Addiction and McQueen's SuicideHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Pat Boguslawski is setting the fashion world in motion.
The Polish movement director at Maison Margiela is the creative mastermind behind some of fashionâs most memorable runway moments. From German model Leon Dameâs viral runway stomp in 2020 to the seductive strides of corseted characters in John Gallianoâs triumphant 2024 Maison Margiela couture show, Boguslawski is redefining the role of the model and bringing back the spectacle of the show.
âI always tell the models that it's better to give more than to give less,â he told BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks, on this week's podcast.
Key Insights
Growing up in Poland in the nineties, Boguslawski devoured fashion content on TV and in print. But as he watched everything turn into a product, he felt the storytelling essence of fashion diminish. âI started doing my job because I got bored. I just didn't like the direction we were going towards. ⊠I promised myself that I'm gonna start bringing that energy back to fashion and create major runway moments.âBoguslawski is a multi-faceted creative. He started training as a dancer at age 15, transitioned to modelling and also studied drama and acting for four years before shifting to movement direction. âI'm so grateful that I was so curious because now I kind of use everything that I did in the past at my job,â he says. Directing the movement for the 2024 Maison Margiela couture show, Boguslawski encouraged the tightly-corseted models to channel their pain and discomfort into their characters. "I remember saying, 'Use that pain, use that suffering in your character. Just use whatever you're feeling right now. ⊠Don't try to be perfect. Just let me see the suffering,'" he recalls.For Boguslawski, a connection with the audience is a key part of the show. âI like when the audience feels intimidated. It's exciting and I love the adrenaline that comes with it.â He recalls the impact of his direction during a rehearsal before the show. âI remember we were watching the main rehearsal and they were wearing their own clothes and the corsets. The whole rehearsal got a standing ovation by everyone who was in the room.âAdditional resources
Different Takes on Future Perfect at Fendi and Maison MargielaA Dream of Defiance at MargielaHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As founder of Harlemâs Fashion Row, Brandice Daniel is a change agent. For more than 15 years, she has been working to bridge the gap between the fashion industry and Black and Latinx designers who often donât come from famous fashion schools like Parsons or FIT.
Following the surge in interest in diversity, equity and inclusion following the murder of George Floyd, there are growing headwinds which are stalling progress.
âWe've regressed so far, so fast. It is really disappointing, especially in an industry that is supposed to be cutting edge ⊠How can you be innovative without addressing DEI?â she says.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Daniel to discuss how the industry can foster real change.
Key Insights:
Harlemâs Fashion Row was founded in 2007 â long before DEI became a corporate buzzword â after Daniel noticed how little diversity there was at US department stores. â[I] realised that less than 1 percent of the designers that were on those websites at the time were designers of colour, however ⊠African-Americans were spending $22 billion a year on apparel. And that was when I really got my aha moment.â2020 was a pivotal year for Harlemâs Fashion Row. After George Floydâs murder sparked global conversations around racism and representation, more fashion and retail brands opened the door to diversity. âIt was very easy to tell during those days who was wanting to do very performative work versus who actually was interested in doing the work,â Daniel explains. âThe companies who were doing the work before 2020, they are still doing the work.âStill, despite the momentum that 2020 brought, sheâs been disappointed in the lack of long-term action. âWe've regressed so far, so fast. It is really disappointing, especially in an industry that is supposed to be cutting edge ⊠How can you be innovative without addressing DEI?â she says. When it comes to finding your sense of purpose, Daniel believes in focusing on your goal, rather than the nitty-gritty of the process of achieving it. âDon't worry about the how. Just worry about the what and the why. If you focus on the what and the why and just allow the how to unfold as you just take one step forward, you will see that so many incredible things will happen.âAdditional Resources:
UK Fashion Industry Isnât Making Progress on Leadership Diversity, Report FindsA New Lawsuit Puts Fashionâs Corporate Diversity Efforts in the Crosshairs Protecting Fashionâs DEI Efforts During Market DisruptionHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The fashion industry is responsible for up to 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the most profitable fashion companies are often headquartered in the countries that have historically generated more emissions, while the nations with a smaller carbon footprint often find themselves more severely impacted by extreme weather driven by the climate crisis.
âThe industry is structured in a way that's very colonial ⊠it's the rich countries that are reaping all the rewards and benefits, and it's the poor countries that have kept this industry profitable,â says Ayesha Barenblat, the founder and CEO of Remake, a non-profit that advocates for sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent sits down with Barenblat, sustainable fashion designer Sammy Oteng and Vidhura Ralapanawe, executive vice president at manufacturing company Epic Group at BoF VOICES 2023 to discuss how to end climate colonialism in the fashion industry.
Key Insights:
In fashion, the climate crisis appears in colonial structures that perpetuate unequal distributions of power and profit. According to Barenblat, companies act as âglorified marketeers, telling production nations how to deal with the climate crisis. They're setting science-based targets, but they're not paying for it ⊠let's flip the script and actually have a conversation around the people who create value for this industry and how we centre them in the conversation.âCountries in the global South have become dumping grounds for low-quality clothes from the global North. An estimated 40 percent of the textiles that arrive in Ghana are discarded as waste, however the true scale of excess garments is unknown. âWe don't even know how much we are producing in terms of fashion. We say 100 billion to 150 billion [garments produced each year], that's a 50 billion gap,â explains Oteng. âUntil we understand a problem that we have, we can't move on to having ⊠that one solution.âAlongside climate mitigation, it is important to also address climate adaptation. âEvery brand and retailer wants to talk about mitigation because they want to make money off the climate crisis, but our communities need climate adaptation resources,â says Barenblat, adding that philanthropic contributions are not enough. âWhat we want are equitable ways to make these communities whole ⊠we can't just sit around and have conversations anymore.âThe fashion industry needs to halve its emissions by 2030 to meet global climate goals, a timeline that is already unrealistic. As Ralapanawe says, âWe haven't even started. There's no way that any brand or any manufacturer will hit their 2030 targets now.âAdditional Resources:
The Year Ahead: Why Fashion Can No Longer Ignore the Climate CrisisThe Multi-Billion-Dollar Question for Sustainable FashionSustainability Comes At a Cost. Fashion Isnât Paying.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Matthieu Blazy has been a quiet but powerful force in the fashion industry for years, having worked under powerhouse designers like Raf Simons and Phoebe Philo. But in 2021, he earned that status on his own when he was named the creative director of Bottega Veneta. Since then, heâs developed a reputation for pushing creative boundaries; BoF editors named his carnivalesque Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, which featured tank tops and jeans made of leather, as their favourite show of the season.
âI was very interested in this idea of boring clothes. How can we push it so it really becomes something precious and luxurious?â Blazy says.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Blazy sits down with BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks at BoF VOICES 2023, where he opened up about his creative processes and work at Bottega Veneta.
Key insights:
For Blazy, collaboration and a close connection with his teams are paramount for creativity. Before taking the creative helm of Bottega Veneta, Blazy spent four years at Maison Martin Margiela. âThe way I work with the team is quite emotional. ⊠When I arrived at Margiela I took my office out of the studio and I put it inside the atelier. It was nice because it was not just me thinking on my own. We were actually making it together,â he shares.Whilst Blazy recognises the power of technology in fashion, at Bottega Veneta, he still puts the emphasis on craftsmanship first. âWhen you make something by hand, it will always have a little mistake, which is not a mistake, which is part of the process. ⊠so when you go to the store, you won't find twice the same product. You have the idea of a theory, of course, but it's never the same. One artisan cannot finish the work of another artisan.âAs a global brand, Blazy hopes customers around the world will be able to see themselves in Bottega Veneta under his creative direction. âFundamentally I want [global customers] to also find something where they also recognize themselves in the story that is not just Italian.âAdditional resources:
Who Is Matthieu Blazy, Bottega Venetaâs New Creative Director?Bottega Veneta: Everything Old Is New AgainBottega Venetaâs Everything, Everywhere Essence Strikes Fashion GoldHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The delicate dance between artistic integrity and commercial viability is a challenge Dan Levy and Jonathan Anderson know well. Levy's Emmy Award-winning Netflix show Schitt's Creek harmonises creative brilliance with mainstream appeal, while at the luxury label Loewe, Andersonâs refreshingly original designs have earned him both critical acclaim and commercial success. What unites their work is a real commitment to personal vision.
âI can't think of something more heartbreaking than starting with an idea that I loved, allowing people to change it to the point where it loses its DNA, then it goes out into the world and either succeeds or fails, and I have to look at that and say, âWell, that's not me,ââ says Levy. âYou can never get that back. The fight to protect that [idea] is so important.â
This week on The BoF Podcast, Levy and Anderson speak with BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks about how they balance creativity and commerce in a conversation from BoF VOICES 2023.
Key Insights:
"Schitt's Creek" began as a bare-bones-budget Canadian production and became a worldwide sensation during the pandemic. âWe went and made something with absolutely no outside opinions, and because the stakes were so low, we were able to really kind of make the show for ourselves,â he says. âSo what we made was quite pure.âThrough his work at Loewe and his namesake label, Anderson has realised that designers canât be afraid of backlash. âSometimes you have to make the decision that you may have to give the audience what they don't want to annoy them. Because there's nothing better when people are annoyed because then they think.âFor both creatives, the pandemic was a watershed moment. Anderson recalls, âit destroyed every formula that there ever was,â whilst Levy explained, âit also gave the consumer or the audience the freedom to find what they liked.â To find creative success, Anderson puts it simply: âI think for something to be successful, you have to give everything you have.âAdditional resources:
At Loewe, Jonathan Anderson Thinks Outside the Box. Literally.How Loewe Became One of Fashionâs Hottest BrandsThe Jonathan Anderson ExperimentHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Diane von FĂŒrstenberg has been synonymous with womenâs empowerment since she first unveiled her revolutionary wrap dress in 1974. But for her, the garment became much more than a symbol, it became the key to her own independence.
âI did not know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be,â von FĂŒrstenberg told author and spiritual wellness advocate Deepak Chopra, her friend of three decades, on stage at BoF VOICES 2023. âI wanted to be in charge. I wanted to be free. I mean freedom. I wanted to be my own person. And I wanted to have a man's life in a woman's body. And the way I became that woman was a little dress.â
This week on The BoF Podcast, von FĂŒrstenberg and Chopra look back on the designerâs journey from princess to fashion powerhouse, and share their collective wisdom on finding meaning in life.
Key Insights:
Born in Belgium, von FĂŒrstenberg is the daughter of a Romanian father and Greek-born, Jewish mother who survived the Holocaust. âShe taught me that fear was not an option,â von FĂŒrstenberg says of her mother. âThat no matter what, you could never be a victim.â Despite her decades-long career in fashion, it wasnât until von FĂŒrstenberg received the Council of Fashion Designers of Americaâs lifetime achievement award in 2005 that she considered herself a designer. âBecause I didn't go to fashion school, I thought I wasn't a designer,â she recalls. âBut the one thing I know I am, I can design life ⊠You're not in charge of your destiny, but you can navigate your destiny.âVon FĂŒrstenberg's work with various causes and non-profits is as close to her heart as her namesake business. âI never really loved the word philanthropy because it sounds like landscaping. You feel like you need an expert, but it is about being human. And it is about paying attention to others.âAdditional Resources:
Diane von Furstenberg Makes a (Profitable) ComebackDiane Von Furstenbergâs CEO on Building a Career in FashionDiane von Furstenberg Shutters Rental ServiceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Since 1978, Brunello Cucinelliâs namesake brand has been a standard-bearer for both luxury clothing and a more responsible way of doing business. At a time of great change, Cucinelli believes that businesses must strike a balance between embracing technological innovation that could threaten livelihoods, like AI, to push creativity forward while also keeping humanity at the heart of business.
âI believe in a kind of contemporary way of capitalism. We are a listed company. We do want to make a profit, but a fair profit at that. There should be a balance between profit and giving back,â he explains.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Brunello Cucinelli speaks with BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed about ethical business building, artificial intelligence and his philosophy of âhumanistic capitalismâ during conversation at BoF VOICES 2023.
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Cucinelliâs approach to labour is guided by his working-class upbringing and seeing his father was demeaned and belittled at work. âI saw tears in his eyes and that was my source of inspiration to have a completely different vision of the world,â he says. âI wanted my human beings to be surrounded by pleasant places. I wanted them to make handsome money. And I wanted them to be treated like thinking souls.âThis philosophy of âhumanistic capitalismâ also extends to customers. âWe need to redress the balance. Shoppers want to know exactly where a specific item has been made, how it's been made, whether creation has harmed it along the process. We need a new social contract with creation,â he explains.Mr Cucinelli believes artificial intelligence offers both solutions and challenges. âTechnology is a blessing from creation, but sometimes it steals the soul that creation bestowed upon us,â he says. However, he adds, when used correctly, âAI will be just a partner for us, and we will rediscover the value of truth and human beings.âWhen it comes to planning for the future of his company, Cucinelli hopes his successor will share his humanistic ethos. âI would like my company to still be there for the coming 100, 200 years. And I would like whoever runs it to keep believing in a contemporary capitalism, to make a fair profit while respecting human beings and creation.âAdditional Resources:
Brunello Cucinelli Insists on Balance at His BusinessChanel and Brunello Cucinelli to Take Stake in Italian Yarn ManufacturerBrunello Cucinelli Acquires 43% Stake in Italian Cashmere SupplierHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This year, Barbie-mania swept the globe. A key architect of that phenomenon was Richard Dickson, who served as president and chief operating officer of Barbieâs parent company, Mattel, for almost a decade. There, he revived Barbie, a name that had lost its cultural relevance, and brought it firmly back into the zeitgeist. Now, Dickson is taking his talent for revitalising fading icons to Gap, where he was appointed CEO in July 2023.
âEvolution keeps the brand relevant, but purpose makes a brand immortal,â says Dickson.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Dickson joins BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss the power of brands and his vision for rebooting Gap in a live conversation from BoF VOICES 2023.
Key Insights:
When Dickson arrived at Mattel, the Barbie brand was at a low point, with lagging sales and diminished relevance. Dickson pushed the brand to embrace dolls with different body types and ethnicities. âThe process itself was really going back to the roots, going back to the purpose ⊠What made it so great to begin with? The origin story of the brand was that it was designed to inspire the limitless potential of girls,â he explains.Determining purpose is what fuelled his work at Mattel; now, heâs applying the same mindset at Gap. âThere can be nothing more inspiring than taking that cue and figuring out how to create that cultural conversation today, using our brands as a platform to actually create a better world.âDickson recognises that Gap needs a stronger point of view. âWe're not going to get to where we want overnight. But we have extraordinary people. We have a culture that is going to be unlocked with extraordinary creativity⊠and I am privileged and honoured to be the leader at this particular time,â he says.Additional Resources:
Richard Dickson at VOICES 2023: Perpetual Relevance in the Age of DistractionâIs Gapâs CEO âKenoughâ for Investors Seeking a Turnaround?Breaking Down the Barbie Phenomenon, From Mattel to ChanelGap Surpasses Expectations in Early Win for New CEO DicksonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 industry by becoming the first plus-size model to appear on the covers of both Sports Illustratedâs swimsuit issue and American Vogue.
âIt started shifting the minds of agents, casting directors, art directors, editors to say, âOh, this is where we're going. The zeitgeist is turning, and it's not just about what has been deemed beautiful for so long. Maybe we should think about what else is out there,ââ she says.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Graham to learn how she became the most recognisable face of a global cultural movement and understand the personal philosophies that have guided her along the way.
Key Insights:
Raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ashley Graham's career began when she was scouted at a local mall at the age of 12. Though she hadnât seen her body type represented in media before, her upbringing equipped her with the self-confidence to pursue the path. âBecause I had come from a very confident home, I was able to look at my body in the mirror and be okay with it,â she says.Grahamâs breakthrough moment came in 2016, when she landed the cover of Sports Illustratedâs swimsuit issue. A year later, Vogue came calling. âVogue saw that there was an opportunity for monetising a size as well as different races and ages⊠the impact was so great for other plus-size models,â she recalls.Despite her success, Graham recognises that fashion still has a long way to go when it comes to representation, particularly when it comes to the clothes themselves. âThere are so many designers that don't know how to cut around a breast, a hip or a butt because they just have not understood what that actually means,â she says. When it comes to discovering your own confidence, Graham believes its internal validation that matters most. âIf more people went inward instead of searching out for everything and really leaned into prayer, meditation, quietness, then they would have more enlightenment and confidence.âAdditional Resources:
Squeezed by Rivals, Spanx Taps Ashley Graham to Embrace Celebrity MarketingOp-Ed | Fashion Needs to Drop Its Elitism and Accept Plus-SizeA New York Fashion Week Mystery: What Happened to All the Plus-Size Models?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Having dominated Hollywood's cinematic landscape for decades, Angelina Jolie is now moving into uncharted territory â the world of fashion. This week, she opened the doors to Atelier Jolie, a multi-purpose brick-and-mortar workshop at 57 Great Jones Street in New York, once a home to art world legends Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat.
The historic location reveals the motivations, philosophies and aspirations of Jolieâs new venture. Atelier Jolie aims to provide a global group of artists and designers â including immigrants and refugees â a collaborative space for creating garments, including custom pieces, entirely out of deadstock materials.
âI don't think of it as fashion. I think about it as self-expression and community,â Jolie says of her new business.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Imran Amed sits down with Angelina Jolie to explore her creative journey and the personal philosophy that has led her to focus on ethical and sustainable fashion.
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Jolieâs vision for Atelier Jolie is to allow small-scale artisans a chance to develop and grow their craft, and be able to support themselves . âGiving opportunities for people to work for themselves is the best thing we can all do for everyone. To me, doing business globally and partnering ⊠matter to me more than just donations and charities,â she says.Jolie wants the creativity of others to be front and centre at Atelier Jolie. âI'm not interested in becoming a known designer,â she says. âI'm interested in being a part of a good family. ⊠I built more of a home and I'm one of the creators that play in the home.âA sense of playfulness is also key to the business, which Jolie imagines as a space for free expression. âYou have to make a mess and you have to figure out what you really love,â she says, adding that âI think for a long time ⊠I haven't found the joy of [dressing up] because there was so much that was bothering me about the business. But now I want to play.âThe New York location features a retail space, a cafĂ© and a design studio. The plan is to adapt the format to new markets. âI would like to partner with people in different countries, and I'd like them to share ownership of the place and of the designs,â she says, noting that for example âthe atelier that will be in Japan should feel very different, should be owned differently, should be run differently, but same principles.âWhen it comes to turning personal passions into projects that make a tangible impact on the world, Jolieâs advice is straightforward: âYou know what it is that really stirs your soul and makes you upset. ⊠Whatever that is, you find other people that share that same feeling and spend time with them and go deeply into the work.âAdditional Resources:
Angelina Jolie Launches Fashion VentureAngelina Jolieâs Atelier Jolie Opens Its First StoreWhy Celebrities Are Buying Their Brands BackHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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