Afleveringen
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It's a pivotal moment for modest fashion. Spending by Muslim consumers on fashion is projected to hit $428 billion by 2027, marking significant annual growth. Yet despite booming demand, modest fashion remains commercially fragmented and struggles for global recognition.
Emirati fashion designer Rabia Zargarpur founded her namesake brand after confronting the severe lack of modest clothing options in post-9/11 America.
"In 2000, you couldn't even find modest basics," Zargarpur says. "That was a huge aha moment for me. We are so neglected. Why isn't there a single label catering to the needs of our women? And so I took charge and created my brand."
Kerim Türe, founder of the Istanbul-based modest fashion e-tailer Modanisa, initially tried to convince existing brands to move online. When they declined, he took matters into his own hands, building a global e-commerce powerhouse from scratch.
"The clothes we put on ourselves, a piece of fabric, it's part of our identity, part of our self-confidence," Türe says. "We believe all women deserve to look their best without compromising their beliefs."
For Linda Anggrea, CEO of the Modinity Group, the absence of modest fashion brands in major Indonesian shopping malls was glaring. She seized the opportunity, growing her brand from a single scarf line to a multi-brand group with over 100 retail locations.
"We want to feel good about ourselves, we want to feel comfortable," Anggrea says. "If we put that concept into whatever we are doing, it will easily translate into a good collection but still fit modest values."
This week on The BoF Podcast, in a compelling conversation with Forbes Middle East presenter Sally Mousa, at BoF CROSSROADS 2025, Rabia Zargarpur, Kerim Ture, and Linda Anggrea explore the growing influence of modest fashion, discuss its evolving presence in mainstream markets, and outline the steps necessary for sustainable growth, authentic collaborations, and global recognition.
Key Insights:
Authenticity is vital as modest fashion gains mainstream popularity. “There needs to be authenticity and they need to understand our values and work with us. If they work with, they would have better solutions,” says Zargarpur. Highlighting the transparency of superficial engagement by mainstream brands she adds, “We're not just about caftans. ... We're about sustainability, ethical practices, creativity and innovation. Why can't you make that kind of stuff for me the way you do for your other consumers?”The industry stands at a pivotal crossroads between short-term individual success and long-term collective growth. Anggrea underscores the importance of unity, even within her own brands: "We're at a crossroads whether we want to go fast alone or go far together. Each brand has its own voice, but we have one shared mission. That modest fashion is not only accepted, but actually expected."Supporting emerging designers is essential for the future of modest fashion. "We need more brands coming from inside," says Türe. "Designers and business people need to come together." He adds, "We are the colonised South. We need to bring our own branch to the world right now."Additional Resources:
BoF CROSSROADS 2025: How to Tap into Fashion’s Future Growth Markets Modest Fashion’s Big Asia OpportunityHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Costume Institute's 2025 exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," celebrated its opening at the annual Met Gala, marking the first menswear-focused exhibit in two decades and the first ever centred exclusively on Black fashion. Inspired by Monica L. Miller's seminal work on Black dandyism, the exhibition took a scholarly approach to exploring the historical and cultural significance of Black tailoring. The gala’s official dress code, "Tailored for You," provided a broader and more personal prompt, encouraging guests to interpret tailoring through their own unique perspectives.
DTC correspondent Malique Morris and joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin to reflect on the night’s boldest looks, the broader discussion on representation and inclusion at the event, and how the prestigious gala could evolve to better support diverse talent.
Key Insights:
The Costume Institute's 2025 exhibition emphasised fashion as a powerful tool used by Black communities to assert dignity and counteract societal prejudice. Organised into 12 sections, each exploring a different aspect of Black dandyism, it thoughtfully included historically significant garments, like abolitionist Frederick Douglass's tailcoat, underscoring the profound role that meticulously tailored attire has played in activism and representation. "It showed how our activism, while not reduced to an aesthetic, is indeed linked to how we wear beautifully cut clothing,” explains Morris.Natural hair was heavily featured in this year’s gala looks. "Black people's natural hair has always been up for debate, especially when it's of tightly coiled texture. Doechii said so much by wearing that beautiful crown on fashion's biggest night,” says Morris. “Redefining, but also defining what is so natural to us is absolutely stunning and worthy of praise at the utmost event like the Met Gala.”The presence of influencers at culturally prestigious events like the Met Gala remains contentious. Morris questioned the necessity of influencer inclusion, advocating instead for prominence to be given to figures whose cultural impact is undeniable and long-lasting. "The people who were actually shifting culture in a really meaningful way, who have stood the test of time and are icons, it makes a lot of sense for them to take up so much oxygen,” he says. “With this Met specifically, when we're talking about the designers and them having more of a buy-in and them having more of a presence, we're moving in the right direction.”Meaningful progression for the Met Gala, and similar institutions, involves sustained and systemic representation rather than temporary or symbolic inclusion. Morris advocates for lasting change, suggesting a shift towards consistent visibility for independent designers from diverse backgrounds. "I want indie brands having an outsized presence at the Met Gala to be endemic," says Morris. “I think that will be the progress.”Additional Resources:
Black Beauty Excellence Was the Star of the Met Gala At the Met Gala, Dandies Owned the Night Rethinking Luxury’s Relationship With Black ConsumersHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s been a complicated year for luxury. The sector was already grappling with slowing growth but now American tariffs have disrupted global supply chains, driven prices upwards and dented consumer confidence.
But there's another, deeper long-term challenge that the industry needs to contend with: the perceived trivialisation of high-end fashion. But brands that place craftsmanship at their core are able to overcome this and connect with customers in a deeper way.
Mexican designer Carla Fernández has long been at the forefront of ethical, craft-based fashion. Her brand collaborates closely with Indigenous artisans across Mexico, promoting traditional craftsmanship and advocating for policies like collective intellectual property rights.
“The future is handmade because the objects that are handmade get inspiration from your community, from your environment,” says Fernández. “It goes through your eyes, then it goes to your heart and comes out from your hands. And those are objects that have a soul."
After experiencing first-hand how the fashion industry overlooks contributions from the Global South, Tunisian entrepreneur Kenza Fourati co-founded OSAY The Label, a brand focused on elevating artisan footwear crafted in Tunisia and using sustainable materials and traditional techniques.
“I'm very angry with this kind of perspective that it's designed somewhere in the Global North, like Paris or Milan, and then it's handmade in the Global South, like Morocco, Tunisia. It feels very fragmented,” she says.
This week on The BoF Podcast, a riveting conversation from BoF CROSSROADS 2025, Carla Fernández and Kenza Fourati discuss the power of craft-based fashion, how to collaborate ethically with artisans and indigenous communities while redefining what true luxury means.
Key Insights:
Fashion is an essential vehicle for storytelling. “Textile and text are very connected. If you walk in someone else's shoes, you connect with that person, and you see the unseen and the irrelevant," explains Fourati. Through this perspective, fashion becomes a powerful medium to foster understanding and build connections between diverse cultures and experiences.Fernández shares that growing up in Mexico, she realised early on that the fashion industry often ignored the contributions indigenous people make to craftsmanship. "At the age of 12, I realised that the haute couture of my country, claimed not to be fashion, was made by artisans in the mountains, deserts and jungles."The disconnect between where fashion is designed and where it is made reflects broader inequities in the system. Fernández says, "In the global north, they keep focusing on the individual as the big name. In Indigenous communities, creation comes from all of us. Collaboration is the most important part.”True luxury is ethical, inclusive and deeply connected to origins and values. Fernández concludes that authenticity is inseparable from ethics. "In true luxury, there is no oppression. To be original, you have to go back to the origins." Fourati adds, "True luxury is being able to wear your values and wear your story."Additional Resources:
BoF CROSSROADS 2025: How to Tap into Fashion’s Future Growth Markets Carla Fernández Tena | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion IndustryHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Viral microtrends, the fleeting aesthetics popularised on platforms like TikTok, have defined recent fashion moments for young consumers. From the playful "Cottagecore" to the fleeting "Mob Wife", these trends have rapidly cycled through social media feeds and retail shelves. Post-pandemic experimentation drove this cycle, however, the once-accelerating churn of microtrends is beginning to slow, as Gen-Z shoppers seek authenticity, durability and individuality in their fashion choices.
On this episode of The Debrief, senior editorial associate Joan Kennedy joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to talk about what's behind the slowdown in microtrends and what this shift means for retailers and brands.
Key Insights:
Microtrends gained momentum post-pandemic when young consumers had extra savings, more leisure time, and a desire to explore various identities through fashion. However, the novelty and playful experimentation eventually led to consumer fatigue. Kennedy explains, "Young shoppers are really looking to grasp onto something solid right now," noting an increased awareness that many trends felt "goofy" or even "fake." She adds, “people are talking more than ever about just this viral churn and how wasteful it is."Young consumers increasingly align their fashion choices with specific cultural events, creating marketing opportunities for retailers. "This whole sense of 'what I am doing is how I'm dressing' has become very popular among young shoppers," Kennedy explains, highlighting opportunities around events like the Barbie movie and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour. Retailers can better predict long-lasting trends by monitoring multi-season appeal and connections beyond social media. Kennedy cites Revolve's chief merchandising officer, Divya Mathur, who recommends looking for trends that "span multiple seasons" and have relevance across social media, runway, and pop culture. Kennedy advises retailers to "lean into more evergreen, identity-based marketing," and rethink "what virality looks like" as consumer engagement evolves. “With a lot of these trends, something goes viral and a brand gets a tonne of sales. But let's take a step back as that might shift and brands have to be ready for that.”Additional Resources:
The Decline and Fall of the Viral Microtrend | BoF The Life Cycle of a Viral Fashion Trend | BoFHow the Internet Disrupted Fashion’s Trend Cycle | BoF How to Keep Up With TikTok’s Lightning-Fast Trend Cycle | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Over the last few decades, Dubai has rapidly transformed from a humble trading port into a global hub for business, tourism, and innovation. With favourable economic policies, strategic location, and an ambitious young workforce, Dubai has become a vibrant destination at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Entrepreneur Anas Bukhash has experienced and capitalised on this transformation firsthand. As the host of one of the Middle East’s most-watched talk shows and founder of influencer marketing agency Bukhash Brothers, Anas embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Dubai.
"It's a 50-something-year-old country. It's younger than our fathers and our mothers,” says Bukhash. “So imagine if you come up with an idea and you just moved to Dubai – you could be the first one and then you have that edge of being the pioneer in that field.”
This week on The BoF Podcast, Bukhash joins BoF Founder and CEO Imran Amed at BoF CROSSROADS in Dubai to discuss how the city’s openness and youthfulness have shaped a thriving, innovation-driven culture.
Key Insights:
Dubai’s youthfulness provides a significant advantage for entrepreneurs. "It's a 50-something-year-old country," says Bukhash. "It's younger than our fathers and our mothers. So imagine if you come up with an idea and you just moved to Dubai – you could be the first one."Dubai offers entrepreneurs the unique possibility of becoming a pioneer. "If you're fast and you actually have a dream, I think Dubai is one of the few places in the world where you could be the first," says Bukhash. “You have that edge of being the pioneer in that field. If you do that in London or you do it in New York, you're probably number 500.”The rise of Dubai as a content capital is both a blessing and a curse. “Everybody has a smartphone, everybody can claim they are a life coach, or a media personality,” says Bukhash. “But the beauty is the direct journalism and reviews from creators with integrity. You see the situation in a certain country, in a certain place and it's quite a positive aspect.”Still, Bukhash stresses that social media and content creation should be approached with balance. “Let's not also get too hooked on it because then we don't live and experience things properly. In order to get better content as well, you need to travel and see and interview people and have dinners and just feel creative,” he says.Additional Resources:
BoF CROSSROADS 2025: Unpacking Fashion’s Future MarketsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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From the legendary Hermès Birkin to recent sensations like Alaïa’s Teckel, luxury handbags have long held a distinctive power within the fashion world. Blending brand heritage, practicality, and emotional resonance, handbags often become a signature item for brands to capture consumer attention and drive commercial success. But the ongoing challenge for luxury brands is maintaining innovation, managing consumer desire, and navigating a landscape rife with copycats and shifting trends.
On this episode of The Debrief, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speaks with luxury correspondent Simone Stern Carbone about the power of an iconic handbag and the delicate balance brands must achieve to keep them relevant.
Key Insights:
Bags often become the most recognisable symbols of luxury brands, significantly contributing to their financial performance. For instance, Alaïa’s Teckel bag – a playful, wiener dog-shaped design – helped offset the weaker performance of parent company Richemont’s other fashion labels. “That one bag was able to do so much, not just for the brand but for the larger company that the brand sits under,” says Stern Carbone. “That just says so much about the impact that a single wiener dog-shaped bag can potentially have.”Handbags are particularly attractive as entry-level luxury items because they are recognisable status symbols. “Consumers might not recognise jeans from Bottega, but they will recognise whether a bag is Louis Vuitton,” explains Stern Carbone. “Bags are something that people will purchase time and time again; they will use them daily. And if done right, it really becomes the totemic product for a brand.”Successful handbag designs can become immediate targets for imitation due to limited legal protections and the ease of replicating shapes and materials. “Once the bag gets copied, it's already over,” notes Stern Carbone, underscoring the need for continuous innovation or artificial scarcity, as mastered by Hermès with its Birkin and Kelly bags.Brands must innovate thoughtfully, staying true to their heritage and core identity rather than pursuing novelty for novelty’s sake. “Empower your creative design teams and give new voices a chance,” advises Stern Carbone. “The beautiful thing is there's variety for everybody. Brands just need to authentically strike the cord with their loyal consumer base… and handbags are a way to do it.”Additional Resources:
In a Market of Copycats, Handbag Innovators Stand Out | BoF Can Slouchy Work Bags and a Selfie Mirror Grow Delvaux? | BoF How Polène Is Growing French DTC Handbags Into an International Success | BoF On the Wings of Céline | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Right from the outset, Tory Burch had a vision: to create a business where profit and purpose could go hand in hand. She was quick to take her brand global, first to Tokyo in 2009, and then on to Rome, Paris, Shanghai and beyond.
Today, Tory Burch operates more than 350 stores around the world and across the Global South, including the Middle East, Latin America and South East Asia.
Her partner in life and business, Pierre-Yves Roussel, joined the company as CEO in 2019 after working with some of the industry’s top creatives as Chairman and CEO of the fashion group at LVMH. Together, they’ve taken a measured, intentional approach to growth, balancing global ambition with a focus on finding local relevance.
“It seems so superficial to hear, ‘let's just transplant a Westerner into a [different] market. That's just the opposite of how we look at things,” says Burch. "Authenticity is what people are going to be looking for more and more," adds Roussel. "You don't try to please every customer in the world. You attract the people that relate to who you are and what you stand for and what you propose."
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed in conversation with Tory and Pierre-Yves from BoF CROSSROADS in Dubai, exploring what it means to build an authentic, global brand in today’s competitive fashion marketplace.
Key Insights:
Burch believes purpose should drive business strategy. “From day one, my business plan was how do we have a successful business with incredible products that actually have deeper meaning and support a foundation for women entrepreneurs,” she says.Roussel emphasises authenticity as the key differentiator in today’s saturated fashion landscape. "People probably feel that there's too much formula around. Everyone is doing pretty much the same thing. People are really looking for authenticity."Operating globally requires deep local insights. For Burch and Roussel, global expansion isn’t about transplanting a fixed brand formula. Instead, it’s about deeply understanding and respecting local traditions. "It seems superficial to transplant a Westerner into a market – that's the opposite of how we look at things," says Burch. Roussel adds, "You don't change the essence of who you are, but you translate it into the local culture."Navigating uncertainty, like shifting global tariffs, requires resilience. "Grace under pressure is very important," says Burch. "You have to be calm, not overreact or overcorrect, because it’s an iterative process."Thoughtful growth is central to Burch and Roussel’s strategy. "I've always wanted to be the most exceptional company, not necessarily the biggest," Burch explains. Roussel adds that "it's more about being focused and really going after things we really want."Additional Resources:
BoF CROSSROADS 2025: How to Tap into Fashion’s Future Growth MarketsAfter the ‘Toryssance’: Tory Burch’s Balancing Act | BoFThe BoF Podcast: Tory Burch on Finding Purpose in Female EmpowermentHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In early April, President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs, imposing duties as high as 145 percent on imports from China. Among the rationales offered were the prospect of a US manufacturing renaissance.
The American fashion sector – heavily reliant on overseas production, particularly in China – now faces significant disruption. Some brands are adapting quickly, leveraging their domestic operations and leaning into a ‘Made in USA’ identity. Others are reevaluating their reliance on China as their primary sourcing destination. But the prospect of a mass return of garment manufacturing jobs remains a remote possibility, most economists and fashion industry experts say.
In this episode of The Debrief, BoF correspondents Malique Morris and Marc Bain join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to assess whether the dream of American-made fashion is any closer to reality.
Key Insights:
The ‘Made in USA’ dream remains out of reach due to the lack of US manufacturing infrastructure. "The infrastructure just literally isn't here," says Bain. "Even if you use US grown cotton, most of the time that cotton is shipped out of the US to be spun into yarn and woven into fabric somewhere else. These are all sorts of things that we just don't have here. It's been lost over decades and it would take decades to get it back.”Brands that already manufacture domestically are seeing success from marketing craftsmanship, experience and emotional value. The outdoor clothing company Filson, for example, offers walking tours around their manufacturing facility that shares a space with their Seattle headquarters. “Fashion is already an emotional purchase, and consumers do care about the story behind a brand. That's why brand marketing is so important for building the label,” says Morris. “This is another way to tap into that. It's storytelling, not nationalism.” Whereas the US has a lack of infrastructure for manufacturing, China is in the exact opposite position. Small brands might have their supply chain concentrated in one geographical area and are especially vulnerable to tariff changes. “If that area happens to be China and suddenly there's this giant more than doubling of tariffs, you are in serious trouble,” says Bain. Although cheap overseas clothing companies like Shein and Quince will now be subject to increased duties, consumers won’t abandon cheap fashion overnight. “Even if [middle-class shoppers] are not going to buy American-made brands that are significantly more expensive, maybe they'll go second-hand, maybe they'll vintage,” says Morris. “I think the hope here is that people will just get conditioned out of the idea that they can get $2 jeans and a $10 dress.”Additional Resources:
How Made-in-America Brands Turn Tariff Turmoil Into Opportunity | BoFWhy ‘Made in America’ Is Still a Fashion Fantasy | BoFUnravelling the Myth of ‘Made in America’ | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Born in the suburbs of Kolkata, India Sabyasachi Mukherjee grew up immersed in the rich cultural environment in the state of West Bengal. After attending fashion school, he focused on creating his own brand with a small team and a big vision: to create Indian fashion that honours tradition while setting a new global standard.
His first foray into the global market at New York Fashion Week in 2006 was dismissed by some critics as being “too ethnic”, but he remained undeterred, returning to India to build a business with power, presence, and purpose. Now he’s back in New York, creating a sensation with his first store outside India. The reception has been much warmer even if the core philosophy remains the same.
“The clothing hasn’t changed at all. What’s changed is people’s perception – and I think nothing succeeds like success,” he says. “The only way you can succeed is to just stay strong. Because if you do not have a unique identity, you'll never be globally recognised.”
This week on The BoF Podcast, a conversation with Sabyasachi from BoF CROSSROADS which took place in Dubai, bringing together top business and creative leaders to examine opportunities for fashion, beauty and luxury brands in the Global South.
Key Insights:
Mukherjee’s early setbacks in New York taught him that success doesn’t come from fitting in, but rather from standing firm. "Keep holding onto your belief system because if you do not have a unique identity, you'll never be globally recognised.” His designs haven't changed over the years but perceptions have. “Once you start having authority to tell people that this is the way you want things to happen, people stand up and listen to you."Global brands often fail in India because they misunderstand its luxury consumer. "What they need to do is they need to have a stronger cultural connection with the country for people to understand why they should pay these kinds of prices," he says. "There's a misnomer about India that Indians buy cheap, but that's not true at all. I think Indians buy value. So if you can come and show the value of your brand to India, Indians will open up their wallets."Amid shifting geopolitics and US trade tariffs, Mukherjee sees an opportunity. "This becomes a wonderful opportunity for us to say that we can together create our own dominance. Many times we think the solution only lies in the West, not knowing how much stronger the solution is within our own ecosystem," he says. "I think a lot of people, a lot of countries, designers, markets, finance people, influencers, everybody will come together to push up the might of the Global South. It's going to happen for sure."Mukherjee believes cultural craftsmanship should be protected on a global scale. "While there are certain things that can be put under tariff, I think businesses which are made with craft and which are with local cultures should be exempted so that we can let them thrive and we can make the world a more richer, diverse, and a meaningful place to live in."Additional Resources:
BoF CROSSROADS 2025: Unpacking Fashion’s Future MarketsWhy Billionaire Industrialists Are Snapping Up India’s Fashion Brands | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs on April 2, imposing duties as high as 54 percent on fashion imports from key manufacturing countries, including China and Vietnam, and 20 percent on goods from the EU. These measures immediately sparked panic across global markets, ratcheting up the odds of a US recession and causing sharp stock price declines for major fashion brands such as Nike, Victoria's Secret and VF Corp.
Sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent and luxury correspondent Simone Stern Carbone join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to break down the tariffs’ effects on manufacturing, luxury brands, consumer behaviour and potential future shifts within the industry.
Key Insights:
The belief that these tariffs could quickly restore US-based fashion manufacturing is unrealistic. "It would take years of investment to build up the infrastructure and skill base within the US to replace manufacturing capacity that has been moving abroad for decades. For the apparel industry, it just does not exist on the scale that would be needed," explains Kent.Luxury brands, traditionally insulated by European-based production, will also face pressure. "Even for luxury brands that pride themselves for their production in countries like mostly France and Italy, they are going to be hit with some tariffs too," Stern Carbone points out.The tariffs introduce a complex challenge for luxury brands, requiring careful balancing of price adjustments, consumer sentiment and creativity amid ongoing economic uncertainty. "It's this mix between pricing, demand, maybe a lack of creativity, and also incentivising customers to actually purchase luxury goods," says Stern Carbone. "You don't know what [Trump] is going to do next, you don't know if this is going to stick, so are you going to spend $10,000 on a handbag - even if you can technically afford it - when you don't know what tomorrow brings?" emphasises Kent.The industry isn’t entirely powerless. "Brands have a voice. Brands are part of the global economy. Brands can lobby," says Kent. "They can make it known that they don't like this. If you're not raising your voice and saying, 'hey, this is really hurting big business and it's not making America great again,' then you're not even trying."Additional Resources:
Trump’s Tariffs Rock Fashion’s Supply Chain | BoFExplainer: How Trump’s Tariffs Threaten Luxury Fashion | BoFOp-Ed | Fashion’s Reset: What Tariffs Are Forcing Us to Finally Fix | BoF Executive Memo | An Action Plan for Navigating Trump’s TariffsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After years of honing his craft at Savile Row, studying at Central Saint Martins, and working for Givenchy, Edun and Golden Goose, Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata created the brand Setchu, a deeply personal response to his passion for blending Japanese and Western ideas.
Grounded in precision tailoring and shaped by the poetic restraint of the kimono, Kuwata’s work reflects a lifelong pursuit of balance – between cultures, between past and future, and between creativity and business.
“Once you meet the Western garment, it's free. You can do whatever you want. Some people go too crazy, but designers like Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto are geniuses, for understanding the flow of the fabric, understanding the shape of it but still keeping their Japaneseness,” shares Kuwata.
Kuwata joins BoF Founder and CEO Imran Amed to explore how his Japanese upbringing shaped his creative vision, how Savile Row and Saint Martins gave him the tools to execute it, and why he’s just as focused on designing a company as he is designing clothes.
Key Insights:
Kuwata's design identity is rooted in a lifelong tension between his Japanese heritage and Western training. Having studied Savile Row tailoring and graduated from Central Saint Martins, he continues to explore how 2D kimono principles and 3D Western garment construction can coexist in one garment and one brand. “Setchu is the journey of finding the right balance,” he says.Kuwata’s years at Savile Row shaped his technical fluency and deep respect for tradition. “I really loved British designers because of tailoring … because that’s the most complicated garment,” he says. Working at prestigious houses like Huntsman, he absorbed a culture of precision, etiquette and generational craftsmanship. “I was probably the last generation to feel or to experience that kind of old culture,” he reflects. That foundation now anchors his design approach, even as he pushes toward innovation.Kuwata wants Setchu to be a new kind of fashion company that is collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded in mutual respect. He believes in designing a workplace culture as intentionally as he designs garments. “As a leader, … I'd like to design a company as well. I'd like to design a beautiful relationship as well, he says. “If I have a good team, I don’t need to tell them to finish on time – they’ll do it even earlier.”Building an independent brand comes with real challenges, from financial anxiety to industry expectations, but Kuwata reframes pressure as opportunity. “Fashion is fashion. It’s not 100% that people love your collection. I don't take it as pressure. I always take it as an opportunity, and I always dream big.”Additional Resources:
Satoshi Kuwata | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry Satoshi Kuwata’s Setchu Wins the 2023 LVMH Prize | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fast-fashion giant H&M recently announced its plans to deploy AI-generated "digital twins" of real-life models in marketing campaigns. While H&M argues it's proactively managing inevitable industry changes, including by working with models to compensate them for use of their AI versions, the decision has sparked significant backlash. Comments on social media and statements by industry figures highlight deep-seated anxieties around job security, creative integrity and the value of the human element in fashion.
BoF correspondents Marc Bain and Haley Crawford discuss the potential outcomes and tensions arising from AI’s expanding role in fashion marketing.
Key Insights:
H&M is just the tip of the iceberg: Fashion brands are increasingly embracing AI, from fast fashion to luxury. While AI-generated imagery has quietly infiltrated lower-end markets for some time, H&M's public embrace signifies its move out into the open, and into the world of high-profile campaigns. High-end brands like Coach and Estée Lauder have started using AI for product-focused imagery, indicating a cautious yet clear shift. "Coach uses Adobe Firefly to create digital twins of its products… to scale marketing content and test designs," says Crawford, highlighting how AI is already reshaping marketing across the fashion spectrum.Transparency around AI use in marketing is still inconsistent, and regulations are lagging behind. "The technology is moving so rapidly, it's making its way out into the world already, and the law is trying to catch up," Bain explains. While the EU is moving toward legislating transparency in AI-generated imagery, the lack of clear rules globally adds complexity for brands and consumers alike, creating uncertainty around ethical marketing standards.The rise of AI-generated imagery raises concerns over the loss of the creative collaboration intrinsic to traditional fashion shoots. "What's really at risk of being lost here is that communal process of creating fashion imagery," says Bain. "Some level of creativity and humanity, in addition to all the jobs themselves, which are also hugely important, will also be lost."As AI image generation continues to be adopted by brands, it is creating increased competition, forcing both digital and traditional creatives to innovate further. "You can't only live in an endlessly self-referential cycle of AI image generation, even if AI is piecing different concepts together to generate newness," Crawford says. "People working on photography, art, whatever the artistic format is, will only get more creative and people are going to experiment more to stand out."Additional Resources:
H&M Knows Its AI Models Will Be Controversial | BoFThe Fake Fashion Campaigns That Show AI’s Future in Marketing | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Guy Berryman grew up with an engineer's mind and a passion for making things. After studying mechanical engineering and architecture, he found global fame as the bassist of Coldplay. But his love for making things never went away. In 2020, he launched Applied Art Forms, a clothing label that draws inspiration from utilitarian design, military garments and mid-century modern aesthetics.
Now stocked in over 50 stores worldwide, including Dover Street Market, the brand is growing slowly but deliberately, with a creative process that he likens to making music.
“The way I make things is very much like [how] we make songs, which is you throw ideas down and then you listen to it, judge it and see what it is. It’s a very sculptural process, says Berryman. “I'm not just backing someone else's brand. This is absolutely hands on, this is my baby.”
This week on the BoF Podcast, Berryman joins BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed to discuss the steep learning curve of building a fashion business, why quality and longevity matter more than hype, and how his creativity flows across creative disciplines.
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Berryman describes himself as having "an engineer's brain," shaped by his background studying mechanical engineering and architecture. This maker's mentality underpins his meticulous, hands-on approach at Applied Art Forms – from crafting prototypes to obsessing over garment details. "I'm on the studio floor, my hands and knees cutting, sewing, gluing, stitching," he says. "This is absolutely hands on."Berryman designs garments with longevity in mind. "I always feel like clothes actually get better the more you wear them," he says. "I feel that way towards everything that we're doing and I like the idea that everything that people buy from us is going to be with them for a long period of time."Despite his passion for clothing, Berryman admits he entered the fashion industry naively. He quickly learned that building a brand from scratch requires humility and perseverance. "Nothing can prepare you for the reality of making and selling clothes. It's an incredibly brutal industry to be in," he says. "What I've come to realise is you can only survive in it if you're completely passionate about the process.”Working in fashion hasn’t taken away from his role in Coldplay, but rather enhanced it. "Having a creative outlet elsewhere has allowed me not to feel like I have to impose myself creatively into the band," Berryman says. He approaches clothing the same way he makes music: "You listen to it, judge it and see what it is. It’s a very sculptural process."Additional Resources:
Will Dover Street Market’s Big Bet on Independent Fashion Pay Off? | BoFThis episode includes a short clip from "Yellow," written by Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, performed by Coldplay (© 2000, Parlophone Records).
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Pat McGrath is widely regarded as one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. Known simply as “Mother” to some in the industry, she’s been behind some of the most memorable runway beauty moments for decades. In 2015, she launched her namesake brand, Pat McGrath Labs, which quickly became a beauty phenomenon – going viral with its glittering gold pigment and reaching a $1 billion valuation just two years later.
But almost a decade on, the business tells a different story. With its valuation now a fraction of what it once was, high executive turnover, limited product accessibility, and internal challenges, the brand’s future hangs in the balance – even as McGrath's own star continues to rise with a new role as beauty director for Louis Vuitton.
The Business of Beauty editor Brennan Kilbane and executive editor Priya Rao, explore what went wrong and how the business can get back on track.
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In its early years, Pat McGrath Labs thrived as a high-concept beauty brand that translated runway artistry into consumer excitement. The first product, Gold 001, was a multipurpose pressed gold pigment that sold out within minutes and crashed the website. As Kilbane describes, the brand began as “a direct pipeline from her creative brain to the cosmetics market.” The initial success solidified McGrath’s cult status – and set high expectations for what came next.When Pat McGrath's 'glass skin' look went viral after the Maison Margiela couture show, it could have been a pivotal brand moment. But the product inspired by the look – and released more than a year later – failed to maintain momentum. “They tried to capitalise on it by scheduling a masterclass a week later,” says Kilbane, “but it wasn’t fast enough.” Additionally, according to Rao, the bigger issue with late deployment was product wearability: “It’s not something that’s everyday or wearable in any capacity.”Pat McGrath’s artistry is legendary, however operationally, Pat McGrath Labs fell flat. “Pat McGrath Labs was Pat McGrath. She is the CEO, she is the founder, she's the creative director – the buck stops with her,” says Kilbane. With final say on everything from product formulation to packaging, this all-encompassing control created a bottleneck that affected every part of the business. The result was a company where decision-making was slow and fragmented.With valuation plummeting and Sephora shelf space dwindling, both Kilbane and Rao agree that McGrath’s company needs a reset. “Does it need new investors? Probably,” says Rao. “But it also needs leadership and operational know-how for it to actually scale. Otherwise, it’s going to be a pet project in comparison with what she does with Louis Vuitton.” Kilbane adds, “Fixing the company culture is going to be integral – if not even more impactful than integral – to the brand’s longevity.”Additional Resources:
What Happened to Pat McGrath Labs? | BoF Louis Vuitton to Launch Makeup Line | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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i-D magazine was founded in 1980 by Terry and Tricia Jones, pioneering a new kind of fashion storytelling that mixed street style with high fashion, always with an eye — and a wink — to the future. The magazine has had its ups and downs, and in 2023 fell victim to the bankruptcy of Vice, which had acquired i-D from its founders in 2012.
Enter Karlie Kloss and her burgeoning media company, Bedford Media, which has plans to revitalise i-D under a new editor-in-chief, Thom Bettridge with experience at 032c, Interview, Highsnobiety, and Ssense. Now, Bettridge is on a mission to re-establish i-D as a cultural institution for a new generation — one that values community over clicks and retention over viral attention.
“I've worked on viral covers and while they can do so much for your exposure as a small brand, at the end of the day, it's really like a sugar high. That famous person's fans are there to see the person they like. Not that many of them actually stick around,” says Bettridge. “We're moving from this attention era to a retention era, where the smarter brands are figuring out how to build a narrative people are invested in.”
Bettridge joins BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed to talk about his journey to i-D and what it takes to relaunch an iconic title for a new era.
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Moving from biannual publications like 032C to the fast-paced, blog-style environment of Highsnobiety, Bettridge learned to step back from editing every piece, focusing instead on nurturing a team that could maintain quality content at a rapid digital pace. "I had to cultivate a team that is going to do great work even when I'm not directly touching it," he says. "It was a big growth thing, learning how to be more of a coach than an editor of editors."At e-commerce platform Ssense, Bettridge discovered content was most successful when it offered intrinsic value, fostering long-term brand loyalty. He likens Ssense's editorial content to a great coffee shop attached to a hotel: Even if people aren’t shopping for luxury fashion every day, they could drop by for a daily dose of engaging content, building a habitual connection to the brand. "What really worked was if you just made great content, you then became part of someone's digital diet in a way that built loyalty with the brand," he explains.For the relaunch cover of i-D, Bettridge chose Enza Khoury, a trans woman living in the Republican state of Ohio in the US, after a casting call brought in over 800 video submissions. “We really wanted to find someone who encapsulates the present moment, and feels like a representative of our time,” Bettridge explains. In addition to her charisma, Enza’s personal story captured something bigger. “It almost felt like her life was telling a story of what it means to live today.”Bettridge emphasises shifting from viral celebrity-driven covers to nurturing a dedicated audience. He describes viral covers as a "sugar high," suggesting the real value lies in sustained engagement. "You can create this huge wave of eyeballs, but are these people actually going to buy what you're selling?" he asks. The goal, he says, is to transition "from an attention era to a retention era."Additional Resources:
i-D Magazine Appoints Thom Bettridge Editor in Chief Op-Ed | Go Big or Go Hyper-NicheHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Once a dominant player in fast fashion, Forever 21 recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time in six years, marking the likely end of its run as a physical retailer. The chain, known for introducing ultra-affordable, trend-driven clothing to American malls, struggled to remain relevant as competitors like Zara, H&M, and later Shein and Temu offered faster, cheaper, and more digitally-savvy alternatives. After its initial bankruptcy in 2019, Forever 21 was acquired by Authentic Brands Group and mall operator Simon Property Group, but despite various turnaround attempts – including unusual collaborations and international relaunches – it failed to recapture its former success.
Retail editor Cathaleen Chen joins The Debrief to unpack what Forever 21’s fall says about the future of fast fashion.
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Chen argues that Forever 21’s downfall is largely due to its loss of cultural cachet. “You don't see influencers peddling Forever 21 in the way that you see influencers still promoting Shein, and I think that's a huge factor. You have to spend that money to be relevant,” says Chen.Chen contends that fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 have always struggled with establishing a unique identity, which ultimately made it difficult for them to maintain customer loyalty. “The problem with Wet Seal, Rue 21, and now Forever 21 is that these retailers never really had any kind of identity,” she explains.The retailer’s failure to evolve beyond chasing transient trends has left it vulnerable to more agile competitors. “It's not about just chasing fashion, fashion, fashion the way that I think Forever 21 never got out of, the way that Shein dominates. It's about going the other direction and creating products that your customers want at a level of quality,” says Chen.Looking forward, success in fast fashion will require more than affordability. Chen believes future winners must combine low prices with a compelling retail experience: “There is an element of surprise and delight in that shopping experience. It can't just be cheap, affordable – it needs to offer something more.”Additional Resources:
The Year Ahead: Deconstructing Fast Fashion’s Future | BoF Why Shein Keeps Buying Its Rivals | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Demna's move to Gucci, announced after weeks of feverish speculation, stunned industry observers and sent shockwaves through financial markets, with Kering shares dropping sharply by more than 12%. While some hail this as an opportunity for Demna to reinvent Gucci through his distinctive cultural lens, others question his ability to break free from his Balenciaga legacy.. BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed posits, “The really big question here is, can Demna do something different?”
Meanwhile, Donatella Versace’s transition from Chief Creative Officer to Chief Brand Ambassador marks the end of a storied era and the beginning of a new chapter under Dario Vitale. Highlighting Donatella’s cultural impact, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks notes, “Versace was one of the few names that registered with people who didn't know anything about fashion.”
Fresh off a stellar tenure at Miu Miu, where he helped to ignite record growth, Vitale faces the ambitious task of balancing Versace's iconic legacy with a renewed contemporary relevance. With whispers of potential acquisition by Prada Group swirling, Versace stands at the precipice of transformation.
Additional Resources:
Why Gucci Picked Demna | BoF Dario Vitale to Succeed Donatella Versace as Chief Creative Officer of Versace | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This season, all eyes were on the debuts of Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford and Sarah Burton at Givenchy. Meanwhile, designs at Alaïa and Valentino continued to push boundaries with daring silhouettes that either stood away from the body or felt purposely incomplete.
Behind the new faces and unconventional shapes was a deeper exploration of eroticism. From Ackermann’s sensual glamour at Tom Ford to what Tim Blanks calls the “quiet eroticism” of Burton’s Givenchy, designers seemed united by a playful fascination with the body — and a desire to subtly challenge its boundaries.
“Fashion is a very fetishistic art form,” says Tim Blanks, BoF’s editor-at-large. “It has its fixations on the body and the way it fetishizes objects, but fashion is about fetishizing beauty and ugliness. A lot of these different things have been coming up over the last few years.”
Following the conclusion of the Autumn/Winter 2025 shows, Blanks sits down with BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss the highlights of fashion month.
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Across the season, there was plenty of body on display. At Alaïa, Pieter Mulier presented striking new silhouettes that played with unusual proportions, creating shapes that stood away from the body. These exaggerated forms, described vividly by Amed as "body condoms," challenged the relationship between clothes and the body. At Duran Lantink, prosthetic pieces humorously toyed with ideas of eroticism. “What are they trying to say with these clothes?” asks Blanks. “There is a new body consciousness and people want to show off their svelte new forms.”Ackermann’s debut successfully merged Tom Ford’s famed sexual glamour with a reflective, intimate approach. “Tom is a sexualist and Haider is a sensualist, but there was a compatibility there in the erotic rigour in both of their work,” says Blanks. “I thought Haider did a wonderful job of doing a Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford collection; honouring the essence of one, but really bringing the dynamism of the new.”Also facing a house with a storied heritage, Burton’s debut collection for Givenchy returned to its earliest codes and patterns. “We haven't seen something that's projecting Givenchy into the future but also really grounded in the past. And I think that's what clicked, because the other attempts were either too much in the future and disconnected from the past, or too much in the past and not taking it anywhere new,” says Amed. “She proved what a great designer she is,” adds Blanks.Watching from home, Blanks was struck by the step-and-repeat that preceded the Off-White show, where attendees arrived in bold, expressive looks from the brand’s current collection. This real-life display of style, Blanks notes, “softened him up” for the actual runway. “You see the clothes on real people, so it's not like, ‘Who would wear this?’” he says. Amed highlights this as an added opportunity to capture customers watching online: “There's a step-and-repeat for what's available to buy now, and then there's the show for what's available for the future.”Additional Resources:
Sarah Burton’s Givenchy Debut: First Principles Take FlightAckermann and Ford: A Deliciously Dangerous LiaisonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speak with editorial associate Yola Mzizi about how regulatory restrictions and cultural conservatism are forcing sexual wellness brands to pivot their messaging in 2025.
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Born in Sardinia on a sailing boat to self-described “adventurous” parents, Francesco Risso grew up in an environment that fostered independence, spontaneity and a deep need to create. After formative years at Polimoda, FIT and Central Saint Martins — where he studied under the late Louise Wilson — he joined Prada, learning firsthand how to fuse conceptual exploration with a product that resonates in everyday life.
Now at Marni, Risso continues to embrace a method he likens to an artist’s studio, championing bold experimentation and surrounding himself with collaborators who push each other to new heights of creativity.
“Creativity is … in the way we give love to the things that we make and then we give to people. I feel I don’t see so much of that love around,” says Risso. “We have to inject into products a strong and beautiful sense of making. That requires craft, it requires skills, it requires a lot of fatigue, it requires discipline.”
Risso joins BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed to explore how his unconventional childhood shaped his creative approach, why discipline and craft remain vital to fashion, and how meaningful collaboration can expand the boundaries of what’s possible.
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Growing up in a busy, non-traditional household, Risso learned to express himself by altering and reconstructing clothing he found in family closets. “I started to develop this need to make with my hands as a means to communicate,” he says. “I would find something in my grandmother’s closet, start to disrupt it and collage it to something from my sister’s wardrobe and we have a new piece.” This early experimentation laid the groundwork for his vision of and approach to design.From Louise Wilson at Central Saint Martins to Miuccia Prada, Risso has absorbed the value of rigorous research, conceptual thinking and extended ideation. “You have to rely on your own strengths and your own capability to go and study, to go and research, to go and find your things,” he says. “That is key to me, to become a designer with a voice.”Whether partnering with artists through an informal “residency” or collaborating with brands like Hoka, Risso insists that a great tie-up is never about simply sticking art on a T-shirt or rushing a gimmick. “Processes are about learning from each other … and that generates a body of work that then becomes either art or clothes.” His focus on genuine exchange expands the creative horizon for both Marni and its collaborators.Risso’s advice to emerging designers is to appreciate the fundamentals of making in favour of more superficial aspirations. “I dare young people to be more focused on engaging with the making, rather than just projecting in the future,” he says. “A strong sense of making requires craft, it requires skills, it requires a lot of fatigue, it requires discipline.” This hands-on grounding, in his view, is essential for developing a lasting, meaningful design practice.Additional Resources:
Francesco Risso | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry Exclusive: Inside Hoka’s Fashion Ambitions | BoFBackstage Pass | Marni and the Thread of Beauty | BoFHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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