Latest news with #BoFPodcast
Business of Fashion
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
In Paris, Hellos, Goodbyes and Waiting For Creative Change
Listen to and follow the 'BoF Podcast': Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: The latest fashion season marked a period of significant transition with new creative leadership taking centre stage at some of luxury's biggest houses. Highly anticipated debuts at Dior, Celine and Maison Margiela set the tone for a new direction, while designers like Rick Owens continued to redefine the emotional and aesthetic parameters of fashion. At Balenciaga, Demna bid farewell to his iconic aesthetic, setting the stage for his upcoming tenure at Gucci. Against this backdrop, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks and editor-in-chief Imran Amed discuss the realities of a shifting luxury landscape and the growing tension around pricing, accessibility and the future structure of the luxury market. Key Insights: Jonathan Anderson's debut at Dior represented the start of a carefully managed transformation. 'Dior is like a performance for him; JW Anderson is the real Jonathan,' said Blanks. 'I felt he was on a mission to manage expectations. He was basically saying, give me time.' The conceptual collection served as an opening statement rather than a full evolution. Rick Owens remains a source of creative independence and authenticity. 'There is no compromise in what Rick Owens does. He is a beacon of hope,' said Blanks. Amed also highlighted how Owens' shows now offer a safe space that celebrates difference: 'He's been talking about how he wanted to create a place where people who don't subscribe to conventional notions of beauty can find a place where they can fit in. It's always so remarkable at his shows and presentations because you can really see that all come to life.' Demna's final Balenciaga show symbolised a deliberate departure from his signature aesthetic. 'He said goodbye to his Balenciaga,' said Blanks. Amed observed, 'At Balenciaga, Demna needed to put more of his own codes into it. At Gucci, he has so much to work with.' With this pivot, Demna closes one chapter while preparing to reinterpret another legacy house. Amid a challenging economic environment, luxury brands are reconsidering their pricing strategies. 'Luxury always worked in this pyramid where you had very high-end customer spending at the top. That pyramid structure has been kind of bloated in the middle now,' explained Imran. Brands are being forced to reevaluate what 'entry-level' really means. 'They're thinking about what they can put at the bottom … the entry-level price points." Additional Resources:
Business of Fashion
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Rachel Scott on the Sensuality of Craft
Listen to and follow the 'BoF Podcast': Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, has built a reputation for bringing a nuanced portrayal of Caribbean culture to the global fashion stage. Drawing on her Jamaican heritage and global experience, Scott seeks to foreground overlooked craft traditions and champion a narrative that moves beyond exoticised tropes. 'Craft doesn't have an aesthetic. Craft is technique and execution,' Scott says. 'There are endless possibilities, and on a conceptual level, I think that craft is the most intimate form of fashion. Because it is made by hand, there is this energy exchange. So I kept thinking about intimacy, sensuality and desire. This week on The BoF Podcast, Rachel Scott sits down with BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed to discuss how she is redefining craft and advocating for a more inclusive design industry. Key Insights: Scott credits her global outlook to extensive travels during her childhood. 'When I was younger, [my mother] was adamant not to take us to Europe because that was easy. So she would take us to Asia… and South America. I already had this grounding of a global perspective,' she explained. Her extensive travels through Asia and South America particularly influenced her to view fashion as a form of communication: 'I started thinking about clothes as language, especially because I was seeing these different perspectives and these different approaches to dressing.' Scott seeks to foreground informal, yet globally shared, knowledge of embroidery and craft techniques. 'I remember seeing techniques in India that I had seen in Jamaica… there is this global knowledge, but only one place gets valued,' she says. This recognition inspired her mission to challenge the traditional valuation of craftsmanship. 'It's almost like an oral tradition that exists that I wanted to find a way to elevate and present to the world,' she adds. For Scott, craft is inherently sensual and intimate. 'Because it is made by hand, there is this energy exchange,' she says. This philosophy underpins her creative approach, focusing on tactile and emotional connections: 'I would receive the production of the crochet… I would open the box and feel this energy. There is spirit and there is something imparted from the person making it to the person wearing it.' Scott's advice to aspiring fashion designers is to challenge traditional expectations and timelines. 'Fashion is really crazy… someone really small is judged on the same level as someone from a conglomerate,' she explained, encouraging designers to embrace their unique journeys. 'You don't have to abide by these notions of when you should do something, how you should do it… wait until you're ready and find your way.' Additional Resources: The Business of Beauty Global Forum: Hailey Bieber Is Just Getting Started
Business of Fashion
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Tracee Ellis Ross: Understanding the Diversity of Humanity is Good Business
Listen to and follow the 'BoF Podcast': Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: When Tracee Ellis Ross launched Pattern Beauty in 2019, she set out to challenge the beauty industry's lack of products for curly, coily and tight-textured hair. Despite numerous obstacles, including scepticism about market viability and systemic biases in the product testing process, Ross has built Pattern into a leading haircare brand addressing an underserved market. 'Black beauty and textured hair was not being mirrored back as a celebration but instead it was a problem,' Ross shared. '[Pattern] is to allow people to have the access to their most beautiful hair and self in their own bathroom as opposed to having to always trust a professional.' During her conversation with BoF founder Imran Amed at The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 in Napa Valley, California, Ross shared her journey from Hollywood actress to entrepreneur, detailed the systemic changes she's driving in the haircare industry and emphasised the importance of humanity in business building. The author has shared a YouTube video. You will need to accept and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by our third-party partners (including: YouTube, Instagram or Twitter), in order to view embedded content in this article and others you may visit in future. Accept Key Insights: Ross described her early struggle with understanding and accepting her natural hair as a deeply personal and emotional journey. 'Making sense of how my hair grew out of my head was difficult,' she said. 'I had to master and understand and gain a sense of love and celebration in my hair.' This experience became the foundation for her brand Pattern, which aims to shift the narrative around textured hair from one of difficulty to one of pride and empowerment. Ross articulated how the standard beauty narrative has often required Black women to erase parts of themselves to be seen. 'There's a part of beauty and beauty culture that has been about erasing who we are in order to fit in,' she said. Through Pattern, she seeks to change that narrative by celebrating individuality and authenticity: 'I want people to have their hair. They just need the right products to support their hair. That's what doesn't exist.' Pattern was not an overnight success born of celebrity privilege — it took a decade of perseverance, rejection and self-education, Ross said. 'There's this myth that I was this famous actress who had lots of money to start a company — garbage,' she said. 'I'm a Black actress in Hollywood. Let's be clear about my finances.' While products are at the heart of Pattern, Ross stressed that her brand is rooted in community, identity and purpose. 'Pattern is about allowing people access to their most beautiful hair, their most beautiful self, in their own bathroom,' she said. 'You have an opportunity to take all that wasted space not serving this customer and turn it into money, purpose, and value.' Additional Resources:
Business of Fashion
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Hailey Bieber on Building Rhode into a Billion-Dollar Beauty Brand
Listen to and follow the BoF Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: When Hailey Bieber launched her beauty and skincare brand Rhode in 2022, it quickly built a loyal customer base and achieved rapid commercial success. By early 2025, Rhode had generated $212 million in annual sales and, in May, was acquired by E.l.f. Beauty in a landmark $1 billion deal. 'Rhode is not just about the product; it's the whole entire world of Rhode. I want people to feel something when they get the products. When they use it, I want them to feel that they are a part of something,' Bieber shared this week at The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 in Napa Valley, California. 'I really do see us being a legacy brand. Rhode is going to go down as one of the greats.' In her first public appearance since the acquisition, Hailey spoke with The Business of Beauty's executive editor Priya Rao about launching her brand, how the deal with E.l.f. transpired, and her vision for the future of Rhode. The author has shared a YouTube video. You will need to accept and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by our third-party partners (including: YouTube, Instagram or Twitter), in order to view embedded content in this article and others you may visit in future. Key Insights: Rhode is intentionally positioned as more than a skincare brand. 'It's not just about the product, it's the whole entire world of Rhode,' Bieber said. She envisions the company evolving into a lifestyle brand with editorial flair and cultural relevance beyond just beauty. In building Rhode, Bieber looked past traditional beauty incubators and industry insiders and instead focused on building a close-knit team with a fresh perspective. 'I knew I wanted to put my own money into it. I knew I always wanted to be the majority owner,' she said. The result is a brand that feels 'super curated and tight' — an intentional strategy to maintain clarity and control. The $1 billion sale to E.l.f. Beauty was not a quick decision. Bieber was deliberate about finding a partner that respected Rhode's DNA. 'Rhode is like my baby; I'm so precious about it. The idea of ever even considering [a sale] was a very big deal to me,' she said. Bieber underscored the importance of personal connection and integrity in building a brand that resonates. 'I am Rhode and Rhode is me,' she said, explaining that the brand's tone, aesthetic and communication all reflect her own sensibilities. 'That's why I always say, Rhode is my world. It doesn't feel like a job to me.' Bieber said she is building Rhode for the long haul, something that endures, rooted in authenticity and longevity rather than trend-chasing. 'I really do see us being a legacy brand,' Bieber said. 'Rhode's going to go down as one of the greats.' Additional Resources:
Business of Fashion
30-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Giancarlo Giammetti on Securing Valentino's Legacy
Listen to and follow the 'BoF Podcast': Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: Giancarlo Giammetti met Valentino Garavani by chance on July 31, 1960, setting in motion one of fashion's most enduring — and most successful — creative partnerships. Together, they transformed Valentino into a global fashion powerhouse, celebrated for its elegance, craftsmanship and cultural influence. In 2016, Giammetti co-founded the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti to preserve their remarkable legacy, promote creativity and foster charitable initiatives. This week in Rome, BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed had the honour of sitting down with Mr. Giammetti at PM23, the newly opened home of the foundation, located right next to the Valentino headquarters where their journey together first began. In this exclusive interview, Mr Giammetti reflects on the founding days of Valentino, the importance of protecting creativity in a fashion market that prioritises commercialisation and why it's critical for the industry to support future generations of designers who are overlooked by a fashion system under pressure. 'This continuous change of people, using people to cover jobs … it makes a big confusion. None of them really becomes a part of the legacy of the company. That's what is a big problem today,' says Giammetti. Key Insights: Giammetti highlights the strength of his decades-long partnership with Valentino, emphasising their deep personal and professional connection. 'We grew up related so much to each other that we cannot be separate,' he says. 'Even when we had some rupture in our private life, after a while, we kept our family. That's why we have such a big family — because all of our friends became friends of our family with us.' Giammetti expresses concern about the fashion industry's current state, noting the disconnect between creative integrity and business pressures. 'Designers have become their own stars, they have their own style, and they don't want to really become a witness to the work of the companies where they are hired to prolong life – they want to work for themselves,' he says. Giammetti believes in preserving the heritage of fashion through new means. 'I hate fashion museums. I think that to see all the mannequins like Madame Tussauds look really like wax things. I don't think there is a life inside,' he says. 'With digital work, you have to work with that to project your legacy in a different way.' Giving advice to aspiring creatives, Giammetti encourages young designers to remain true to themselves and avoid distractions. 'Be yourself. Don't get distracted. You have to believe in yourself and do what you want.' The author has shared a YouTube video. You will need to accept and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by our third-party partners (including: YouTube, Instagram or Twitter), in order to view embedded content in this article and others you may visit in future. Additional Resources:
