BoF’s Marc Bain and a group of panellists break down the state of web3 in fashion and where the technology is headed.Background:Over the last couple of years, the fashion industry couldn’t stop talking about the potential of NFTs, the metaverse, known in tech industry speak as web3. Now, the fervour around web3 has cooled and the speculators are long gone. But for those committed to the web3 space, the work continues, even as the discussion has shifted.“People are pulling back, but people are investing,” said Brian Trunzo, metaverse lead at Polygon Labs. “If folks are still at the education stage, doing research either internally or through agencies, they may have cut budgets and pulled back a little bit, whereas folks who have beefed up and built out teams to execute against their web3 strategy, who have had that requisite education, they're doubling down.”This week on The BoF Podcast, we share a conversation from The BoF Professional Summit: An Inflection Point in Fashion Tech, where our technology correspondent Marc Bain speaks with three web3 experts — Brian Trunzo, Alice Delahunt, founder and CEO of Syky, and Milton Pedraza, the founder and CEO of consulting firm the Luxury Institute — to debate the future of web3 and fashion. Key Insights:“Something that we say in web3 is that it's not so much a bear market, it's a build market,” says Trunzo. Rather than letting a drop in investments define how brands should approach the digital world, consider the performance of the brands that are actually putting resources towards building in the space. Still, there are details that still need to be figured out, the panellists acknowledged. For Delahunt, purchasing a digital Gucci bag on Roblox made her realise how murky digital ownership could be, because virtual items must exist on the platform where they’re purchased. She believes blockchain has the power to change that standard. “Think about the physical world. We’ll go out on the street and there's public infrastructure that is owned by the US government… It’s public, but private enterprise sits on top of it,” she said. “I think of the blockchain as the public infrastructure that people start to build on.”According to Pedraza, this idea of digital identity will only become more paramount as the lines between the online and offline worlds continue to blur. “The technology keeps evolving… but the core principles of data identity, controlling your identity, taking control, monetising or doing whatever you want with your data… will all be supported by these emerging technologies,” he said.No matter what’s trending, Delahunt said the fact that digital tools like Blender and Fortnite can free users of the physical world’s limits. “You've always wanted to be a butterfly, you are not confined in the same way physically… and your ability to express yourselves in those spaces will inevitably be a huge part of the future,” said Delahunt.Additional Resources:How AI and Web3 Are Shaping Fashion’s Future: At BoF’s tech summit experts in technology and creative innovators share their insights on how emerging technologies are impacting the fashion industry. To subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Business of Fashion Podcast

A Reality Check on Fashion and the Metaverse

BoF’s Imran Amed speaks with Alec Leach about his manifesto on how we can move towards a better relationship with fashion.Background: For nearly five years, author Alec Leach worked as an editor at streetwear website Highsnobiety, where he spent his “career telling people to buy stuff.” Leach saw up close the contribution his content was having on overconsumption and the lack of responsibility brands and consumers took for their own part on the climate crisis, both subjects he tackles in his book, “The World Is on Fire But We're Still Buying Shoes.” “I love working in the industry. I really, really do,” says Leach. “I think we just all need to accept that we're part of this consumerist machine. And once you accept that, then the kind of potential for positive change becomes clearer.” This week on The BoF Podcast, Leach sits down with BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss how the fashion industry and consumers must change. Key Insights:During his time at Highsnobiety, Leach attended several events, including the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, focussed on sustainability in the industry. But for all the discussion of supply chain and new technologies, he felt that there wasn’t enough talk about what he saw as the core issue. “No one's really asking why we buy so many things,” he said. “It always comes down to overconsumption.”In Leach’s book, he says shopping is part of a consumer's identity because of the role it plays in self expression. “It's important to acknowledge that fashion is intimately connected to our sense of self. That makes shopping a pretty existential experience,” said Amed, quoting Leach’s book. According to Leach, the supply chain is a “nonsensical system” that allows brands to take little accountability for their own manufacturing processes. “Brands aren't really that responsible for what happens in their supply chain, and they're not really responsible for what happens to all these clothes when they're no longer wearable,” said Leach. Leach’s personal experiences in therapy over the course of years helped him dig deeper while writing his book. “That's where a lot of the more psychological and philosophical elements of the book came out, it was about me being in therapy every day, every week and asking myself some very difficult questions afterwards,” he said.Additional Resources:“The World is On Fire But We’re Still Buying Shoes” by Alec Leach: Leach’s debut book or manifesto explores society’s relationship with overconsumption and how consumers can have a better relationship with fashion. To subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Is On Fire But We're Still Buying Shoes

The Ugandan-born model how he is finding purpose in pursuing an unconventional career to support his family and the community he comes from.Background: At BoF VOICES 2022, fashion model Dennis Okwera spoke about his childhood in Uganda, fleeing home to avoid the violent life of becoming a child soldier in the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army, coming to the UK as a refugee at the age of nine. Though he was scouted multiple times while living in the UK, it wasn’t until he was attending university that Okwera decided to pursue modelling. This week on the BoF podcast, model Okwera discusses his childhood escaping a guerilla army in Uganda, his adult life as a model in the UK and how he used his success to give back to his community. “Let's just be a little bit kinder to each other, especially to refugees. Just see them with an open mindset; we're just looking for security and freedom, that's it really,” said Okwera. Key Insights:After Okwera was scouted he said at first his father objected to the idea of him modelling. “The first time I got scouted, my dad was like; ‘No, no, you're not doing it.’ You know, this is an African dad who thinks anything outside of education is a complete failure,” he saysWhen Okwera first started his modelling career he had the opportunity to work with designer Grace Wales Bonner when she was still a student attending Central Saint Martins. Thanks to his career in modelling, Okwera was able to put his cousins through school and support his aunt who was diagnosed with HIV. Okwera says the “sole purpose” of him pursuing a modelling career was to support his family. After travelling back to Uganda to donate sanitary essentials like diapers and formula, Okwera reunited with his mother after 24 years of being away. “I didn't know what it was like to have your own mum,” said Okwera. Additional Resources:BoF VOICES 2022: Live Your Best Life: During last year’s BoF VOICES model Dennis Okwera discussed his childhood escaping the rebel group, Lord’s Resistance Army and fleeing Uganda to live in the UK. To subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dennis Okwera: ‘Let’s Be Kinder To Each Other, Especially Refugees’

Labour rights activist Kalpona Akter and chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent reflect on where the industry stands a decade after the deadly factory collapse. Background:Ten years ago this week an eight-storey factory complex in an industrial suburb of Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people and injuring thousands of others.The Rana Plaza disaster ranks as one of the worst industrial disasters on record. It shook the fashion industry, shining a spotlight on critical safety failings in major brands’ supply chains. In its wake, hundreds of brands signed a groundbreaking safety agreement that helped improve conditions in thousands of factories in Bangladesh, but elsewhere little has changed.This week on the BoF Podcast, labour rights activist and founder of the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity Kalpona Akter reflects on where the industry stands a decade later, while BoF’s Imran Amed and chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent discuss what still needs to change.  “If you ask me then, ‘what did you achieve in the last ten years?’ I can say then only the improvement of safety,” says Akter. “The other areas of workers’ rights, like wages, it is still poor.”Key Insights:Fashion remains a dangerous business, with hundreds of people killed and injured in its manufacturing supply chain every year. “You see fires, electrical safety issues, issues around the handling of toxic chemicals, issues with unsafe boilers, really serious incidents that lead to injury and death on a regular basis,” says Kent. Efforts to address dangerous working conditions have been undercut by relentless demand for faster, cheaper fashion. “[It] leads to this race to the bottom, where manufacturers get squeezed and then start to cut corners in different places, from safety to wages to worker well-being. That is a huge systemic macro problem,” says Kent.Consumers have the power to make a big difference by letting companies know they care about how the people who make their clothes are treated. “When they're in the store, if they can go beyond size, colour, style and price and start asking questions from the store managers… I think that would start ringing the bell in bosses’ offices,” says Akter.Additional Resources:How to Avoid Another Rana Plaza | Case Study: In the wake of 2013′s deadly factory collapse in Dhaka, more than 200 brands signed the Bangladesh Accord. BoF unpacks why it’s widely viewed as fashion’s most effective safety campaign.The BoF Podcast: Activist Kalpona Akter on Improving the Lives of Bangladeshi Garment WorkersCredits: 0:24 - CBC News0:46 - ITV News0:57 - Ronald EllisTo subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten Years After Rana Plaza, Has Fashion Changed?

Ahead of the opening of “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” exhibition, the Costume Institute’s head curator discusses the legendary designer’s work and lasting impact.Background:Andrew Bolton, the head curator of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, first dreamed up the idea for a Karl Lagerfeld-centric show at Lagerfeld’s 2019 memorial service.Next month, that vision will be realised with a new exhibition, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” focussed on the late Chanel and Fendi designer. With the exhibit, set to run from May 5 to July 18, Bolton’s goal was to focus on the designer’s prolific career rather than the man behind it.“We wanted to focus on the work rather than the words or the man because he was problematic,” said Bolton. “There were those things he said that were difficult … the one thing that was authentic, real and tangible was his creative output.”This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks sits down with Bolton to discuss the upcoming show and Lagerfeld’s legacy in fashion and beyond. Key Insights:Lagerfeld was a trailblazer in fashion, helping to inspire countless designers who followed him, according to Bolton. “One of Karl's greatest legacies was creating the blueprint for the modern day fashion designer impresario,” said Bolton.His influence transcended fashion, too. “He was somebody who didn't restrict his creativity down to one outlet. He was an interior designer. He was a photographer, he was a writer, he was a theatrical designer as well as a designer,” said Bolton.Bolton said that Lagerfeld was “nostalgic and sentimental,” going as far to recreate his childhood bedroom in his home. That was often reflected in his work, and is examined in the exhibition. “For somebody who loved history so much and consumed history, he could not not look back, and you see those recurring motifs in his work.”Synonymous with Lagerfeld was his signature suit, which featured a severely tailored black jacket and crisp white shirt. Bolton saw that outfit as a simple ensemble not designed to draw attention. “To me, his greatest disguise was a black and white uniform; he created it because it deflected away from anything,” he said.While the exhibition focuses on his work, more of Lagerfeld’s personal life and relationships with collaborators like Amanda Harlech and Patrick Hourcade are detailed in the book that accompanies the show. “I wanted that to be their relationship, their voice,” said Bolton. “They had very specific relationships with Karl, and they're illuminating, but I didn't want that to be infiltrating the thesis of the exhibition.”Additional Resources:Met Curator Andrew Bolton, Quiet Defender of Fashion as ArtKarl Lagerfeld: A Line of BeautyHere’s Why People Are Angry About 2023’s Met Gala Theme, Karl Lagerfeld: When the 2023 Met Gala theme was announced, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” the museum received some backlash due to Lagerfeld’s problematic past. To subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Karl Lagerfeld at the Met: Designer, Polymath, Jigsaw Puzzle

In advance of his first fashion show at The Hollywood Bowl on April 19, the founder of Fear of God shares his approach for designing subtle garments that allow customers a taste of luxury. Background: Jerry Lorenzo, the founder of Fear of God, wants to make his brand an aspirational-yet-attainable destination for consumers, and redefine what’s regarded as luxury. Fashion, he said, should be “equally comfortable as it is elegant.”It’s a mindset he translates across Fear of God’s products, from its Essentials sub-brand, which sells items priced as low as $40, to the pieces that will appear on the runway on Apr. 19, when the brand is set to present its next collection in a show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.This week on The BoF Podcast, Lorenzo speaks with BoF’s editor-at-large Tim Blanks in a conversation at BoF VOICES 2022 about how the brand is pushing the boundaries of what’s considered luxury today. “It's luxury in a sense that you can see yourself in it,” said Lorenzo. “It's aspirational in that sense, but it's not a fantasy that is out of reach.”Key Insights:Lorenzo said Fear of God was born out of his own sartorial desires. “When I started the brand, I was really just creating pieces that were missing from the marketplace that I selfishly wanted,” says Lorenzo. “I assumed that others felt the same way.”Even now, Lorenzo says that his life continues to provide direction for where he’ll take Fear of God. Fear of God Essentials Kids, for example, was inspired by his own kids, and he created a women’s line after seeing his wife steal his blazer. “Our brand is evolving authentically with… desires and envisions that I have,” he said. Ambience is hugely important for Lorenzo, which is reflected in the brand’s new Los Angeles-based flagship store. “Our intention is that when you come into the environment, there's a shift that happens and we want to bring you into a space that's beyond just the environment,” he says. For Lorenzo, American luxury today is rooted in the idea of freedom. “It's having the freedom to wear what you want when you want to wear it, and having the freedom to put on something that frees you up mentally and spiritually so that you could be the best version of yourself.”The ultimate goal with Fear of God, Lorenzo said, is to build clothes that last and create style that transcends time. “We're hoping to build a brand that is sustainable in the sense that we'll always be around and that we're creating a product that you hold on to and that you want to keep, not a product that you want to sell or flip,” he said. Additional Resources:Fear of God to Open Next Chapter with Large-Scale Fashion Show for Fans: During BoF VOICES, Fear of God founder Jerry Lorenzo discusses the next steps for his luxury brand. You can catch up on all the videos from BoF VOICES on our YouTube channel, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jerry Lorenzo on the Future of Fear of God

Restaurateurs Asma Khan and Judy Joo share how food can bridge cultures and bring people together.  Background:Food may be a universal experience, but the culinary world has a long patriarchal history. Throughout their own tenures in the industry, chef and philanthropist Asma Khan, who owns London’s Darjeeling Express restaurant, and restaurateur and author Judy Joo, who operates the eatery Seoul Bird, faced a long line of roadblocks. At BoF VOICES, both shared how they struggled to find restaurant spaces, were talked over in meetings and consistently saw Western cuisines prized above all else.But it was through their respective journeys that Joo and Khan realised the depth of the relationship between food and politics, and how it can be used to help open people’s minds. This week on The BoF Podcast, Khan and Joo discussed being women of colour in the male-dominated food world, as well as how food can be a vehicle for cross-cultural sharing and acceptance. “The more you learn about other cultures, you learn about tolerance, you learn about mindfulness, and you learn to respect each other more,” said Joo.  Key Insights:After working in careers in law and finance, both Joo and Khan’s passion for cooking pushed them to pursue careers in food. “I pursued a career in fixed income derivatives for about five or six years, and then I had an epiphany and I decided, you know, I can't chase a pay cheque anymore,” said Joo. “I really want to chase my passion… I just wanted to cook and eat. Patriarchal structures are reflected in the way the people eat, something Khan witnessed firsthand growing up. “I learned as a young woman in India that in our society, in every meal, women ate last, girls ate least, this was how it was,” said Khan.While hosting “supper clubs” out of her own kitchen, Khan more deeply understood how difficult it was to draw a line between food and culture. “I want to tell people you cannot take my food and separate culture from it. I won't let you eat it… You break bread with me. You have a conversation about my food,” said Khan. Though she — and her cuisine — have faced prejudice, Joo said Korean pop culture like “Squid Game” and “Money Heist: Korea” has opened more people’s eyes. “Food is so often the entry point to learning about a new culture,” she said. Additional Resources:BoF VOICES 2022: Creativity and Its Power to Change: From South Korea and Japan to Ghana and Ukraine, speakers including Fast Retailing’s Koji Yanai, photographer Campbell Addy and stylist Julie Pelipas discussed the power of culture and creativity in the fourth session of BoF’s annual conference for big thinkers.You can catch up on all the videos from BoF VOICES on our YouTube channel, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Food Can Foster Tolerance

At Istituto Marangoni in Mumbai, the artistic director discussed the influence of Indian craft on her collections.Background: This week, Christian Dior presented its pre-fall 2023 collection at the Gateway of India monument in Mumbai, marking the first standalone show from a European luxury megabrand in the country.It was a historic occasion for fashion in India, which is projected to soon become the world’s fastest-growing major economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. With that, Dior’s appearance in Mumbai could prove to be a seminal moment: When Fendi staged a show at the Great Wall of China in 2007, it helped catalyse more than a decade of growth in the Chinese luxury market. This week on The BoF Podcast, Maria Grazia Chiuri, the artistic director of women's at Christian Dior since 2016, sits down with BoF’s Imran Amed at the Istituto Marangoni in Mumbai to discuss the show, her intimate relationship with India and appreciation for Indian artisanship. “India has a huge history, a 6000-year history in textile style and embroidery,” said Chiuri. “This is part of the culture.”Key Insights:For Chiuri, Dior’s Mumbai show was the culmination of a long-held ambition to present a collection in India due to her love for the country’s traditional artisans. “We are really happy because it’s a dream that we’ve had for a long time. It's very personal for me … it is not a simple fashion show,” she said. More than just showing the collection in the city, Chiuri wove local artisans’ creativity into the collection through an ongoing partnership with The Chanakya School of Craft, co-creating intricately embroidered clothing with references to India’s rich cultural heritage. “We’re creating a new kind of modern embroidery that was not done before,” she said. When Chiuri met Karishma Swali, managing director of the Mumbai-based export atelier Chanakya International and the founder of the The Chanakya School of Craft, on her first trip to India, it sparked a friendship which has spanned over two decades, as well as numerous professional collaborations. “This is an important collaboration that I’ve had for a long time with Karishma, with this incredible family and company …  I started to work with them in 1992,” Chiuri said. “We grew up together … our creativity and our discussions were so important in my career.”Additional Resources:Dior to Show at Mumbai’s ‘Gateway of India’ Monument: Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri presents the brand’s 2023 pre-fall collection at the historic Gateway of India monument in Mumbai. Market Analysis: Is This Luxury’s Watershed Moment in India?: In this story, Arnika Thakur explores luxury spending by Indian consumers, brands investing in domestic expansion in India and market competition from Indian designers.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri on the Value of Indian Craft

At The BoF Professional Summit: An Inflection Point in Fashion Tech, the seasoned luxury executive explained why Gucci believes in the long-term potential of fashion and web3.  Background:Last September, Gucci announced that its CMO, Robert Triefus, would be taking on a new role as CEO of  Gucci Vault and Metaverse Ventures. Now, he works closely with president and CEO, Marco Bizzarri, to shape Gucci’s brand strategy while developing the house’s expansion into web3. This week on The BoF Podcast, Triefus sits down with BoF’s Imran Amed to discuss how the luxury fashion house’s ambitions in virtual spaces fit with its wider business goals and brand repositioning.   “If we think about all that we're doing in the metaverse, we always have an eye on creativity, creating the emotion,” says Triefus. “But underpinning that is the story of the brand and all that rich storytelling that has built up over 102 years.” Key Insights:Triefus says it’s particularly important for a luxury brand like Gucci to experiment with new technologies, because it offers a testing ground. “Through [Gucci] Vault, we're able to push ourselves into places where for the core brand, it might be considered to be too risky. But through Vault, we have that playground space so that if by chance we were to make a mistake, we're not going to impact the core brand,” he says. Popping up in the metaverse plays a similar role for Gucci as running a billboard or other advertising activation. “It's an opportunity to engage with the community that is going into Times Square in the real world,” says Triefus. Gucci Garden, which received 19 million visitors in two weeks and saw a digital version of its Dionysus bag retail for more than the cost of the physical bag, helped dictate steps Gucci will take in virtual worlds going forward. Learnings from Gucci Garden “[inform] us about where we can place our bets in the longer term and how we can be much more scientific in what we're doing,” says Trefius. Additional Resources:Luxury Brands Gucci, Tiffany Dive Into NFTs Despite Slump: Kering SA’s Gucci and LVMH’s Tiffany & Co. take a leap into NFTs. Gucci adds the cryptocurrency to its roster as an additional way to purchase its products. How to Seize Fashion’s Gaming Opportunity — Download the Case Study: In a BoF case study, Marc Bain discusses how fashion brands can benefit from expanding their reach into the video game industry. Gucci Teamed Up With Sims Community To Bring Its Off The Grid Collection To The Game: Nylon Magazine explains Gucci’s collaboration with Sims 4 content creators Grimcookies and Harrie to bring the brand’s Off the Grid collection into the game.  To learn more about the metaverse and other critical topics discussed in the podcast click here. All BoF Professional members can watch the BoF Professional Summit: An Inflection Point in Fashion Tech on demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Triefus on Leading Gucci Into the Metaverse

At BoF VOICES 2022, the seasoned Nike executive discussed the power of second chances and the secret he kept while building Michael Jordan’s brand.   Background: ﻿Starting in 1999, Larry Miller worked alongside Michael Jordan to build the Jordan brand, which does more than $5 billion in revenue. 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 the 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 in apparel at the company before going on to become president of the Jordan brand in 1999. But it wasn’t until years later that he went public about his backstory with the publication of his book, “Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom.” 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. “I've come to the realisation that a lot of times we are afraid to talk about the obstacles that we overcome. But in reality there's no shame in overcoming obstacles,” said Miller. Key Insights:“When 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,” 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. “It's been amazing to me the response that I've gotten from people who I've known and worked with and who have just encouraged me and embraced the fact that I've got this past.”Following the release of his book, Miller apologised to the family of Edward David White, the man he killed. In White’s honour Miller created a foundation for his descendants to attend university or trade school. “I think I'm 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,” said Miller.Additional Resources:A Nike Executive Seeks a Family’s 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. Jerry Lorenzo and Jordan Brand’s Larry Miller Will Speak at BoF VOICES 2022: BoF hosts its annual VOICES conference, and invites Jordan chairman Larry Miller to speak.Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom: “Jump” written by Larry Miller and his daughter, Laila Lacy, shares the story of Miller’s life from the streets of West Philadelphia to the Nike boardroom. Want more from BoF? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jordan Brand’s Larry Miller on the Power of Second Chances

Tim Blanks and Imran Amed discuss the highlights of the Autumn/Winter 2023 collections, including Daniel Lee’s debut at Burberry, a transitional show at Gucci and Balenciaga’s first brand statement in the wake of the advertising scandal.Background:This season was a “restart” for the global fashion industry, says Imran Amed, BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief. The Autumn/Winter 2023 collections felt like the first return to normal after the pandemic — especially as Chinese fashion professionals were finally able to return to runway shows following extended Covid-related lockdowns that limited their international travel. A number of fashion’s biggest brands used their shows as a way to start a new path. Burberry rolled out its first collection under its new creative director Daniel Lee, while Gucci unveiled its first collection since the departure of Alessandro Michele. At Balenciaga, Demna returned to a more subdued approach after the brand fell under intense criticism at the end of last year after it was accused of sexualising children in an ad campaign.But overall, fashion was still fixated on navigating all the uncertainty that prevails in the world, economic and otherwise. “If there’s one thing we learned over the last few years — it's that anything can happen,” says Amed. “Everyone was preparing for the unknown, the uncertain.”  Key Insights: Over the course of the season, designers, editors and enthusiasts were talking about how the purpose of fashion has evolved. “It wasn't just brands, it was individual designers who were processing what they're doing and what they need to do, because obviously the future looms very dark and very uncertain,” says Blanks.Gucci is in a transitional moment, with new creative director Sabato De Sarno’s vision for the brand still to be unveiled. The brand’s first post-Alessandro Michele show was all over the place, according to BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks. “It was chaos, but enjoyable chaos,” says Blanks. Daniel Lee put a strong emphasis on Britishness for his Burberry debut. Meanwhile, Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta show was a cohesive parade of clothes that doubled down on craft and storytelling, says Blanks. Diesel’s Glenn Martins is solidifying himself as a designer to watch with his work in today’s vernacular of denim and celebratory sexuality. “It's a mark of genius, what he manages to do with things that are really familiar — that alchemy of fashion,” says Blanks. Martins put a mountain of 200,000 condoms at the middle of his runway. In his first collection since the brand came under fire for its controversial advertisements, Demna — known for his ironic stunts — focused on the clothes, a nod to the label’s founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. Additional Resources:Top 10 Shows of the Season: BoF’s editors pick the top ten shows of the Autumn/Winter 2023 season.At Paris Fashion Week, Less Was More: In an age of clickbait fashion, it was acts of reduction that, paradoxically, stood out most, reports Angelo Flaccavento.Want more from BoF? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Restarts and Resets in the Fashion Month Gone By

On the latest episode of The BoF Podcast, Coty CEO Sue Y. Nabi shares how embracing identity in the workplace can lead to better business outcomes.Background:As one of the industry’s most visible transgender leaders, Sue Y. Nabi, chief executive of beauty conglomerate Coty, is well-versed in the transformative power of identity. In 2020, she was named the company’s fifth CEO in five years and was tasked with leading its turnaround. Then, the Kylie Cosmetics and Covergirl owner was plagued with debt and inefficiencies. Since Nabi took the reins, however, sales have started to climb back up steadily: full-year revenue was up 14 percent year-over-year in 2022. Nabi laid the groundwork for growth by doubling down on prestige and expansion in China — focusing especially on excavating the strengths and purposes of each brand in the conglomerate’s portfolio.“When you look at others, you forget where you are and you make all the mistakes… The world is full of copycats. Difference is not only a chance, but in business, it's an asset,” said Nabi. This week on The BoF Podcast, Nabi joins Mory Fontanez, founder of consultancy 822 Group, to share how embracing identity in the workplace and aligning personal and professional values can strengthen a business. Key Insights:Nabi’s father, a painter, helped inform her understanding of beauty. “There is the conventional, classical beauty, and there is the different one — the one that also speaks to us a lot,” said Nabi. Being unique in business is a tangible asset that can create new opportunities, according to Nabi. As well, staying in touch with your intuition — not just data points — can help leaders make intelligent decisions. In both personal and professional spheres, Nabi’s definition of transformation centres on addition, rather than subtraction or erasure. In a fast-paced world, people can feel pressure to make decisions quickly, but having patience and conversations is the way to finding enduring solutions to problems of all kinds.  Additional Resources:BoF VOICES 2022: Live Your Best Life: In the final session of BoF’s annual gathering, speakers from model Dennis Okwera and Coty chief Sue Y. Nabi to Nike’s Larry Miller and activist Malala Yousafzai reflected on their personal histories and inner powers.How to Create an Inclusive Workplace: Employees who feel comfortable and engaged make for a more productive and innovative workforce. Here’s how to make meaningful change in your company.Discover more careers advice and content from leading fashion professionals on BoF Careers, and explore the 2,700+ global jobs available in fashion and beauty today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sue Y. Nabi on How Being Different Is a Superpower

BoF’s technology correspondent Marc Bain joins Imran Amed to discuss Silicon Valley’s latest craze, and its potential for the fashion industry. Background: As chatter around NFTs, virtual reality and the metaverse dies down, conversation about generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence that makes novel content when given specific prompts, is heating up. Artificial intelligence has been around for decades, but recent advances like Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, which generates sophisticated text and DALL-E, which does the same with images, have set the groundwork for significant shifts in how culture and businesses operate. While specific use cases are still being ironed out, the possibilities for fashion could be transformative. “We’ve gone through these hype cycles with things like the metaverse. This is one I think could be different…” said BoF technology correspondent Marc Bain. “This is something where you can see the real-world applications.” Key Insights: There are many potential applications for generative AI in fashion: e-commerce sites could deploy it in chat boxes, fast fashion brands could ask it to produce styles based on customer data, and designers could use it for mood-boarding and colour conception.But there’s a level of expertise AI doesn’t have yet. It can produce images based on past analysis, but doesn’t understand the technicalities behind garments, for example. While there’s skill to crafting prompts for technology like ChatGT, one of its most promising aspects is its ease of use. Anyone can use it without much learning. AI is shaking up search on the internet, too. Bing is using ChatGPT to produce a technology that wouldn’t just give users links to pluck through, but direct answers to queries. We will further address the critical topics discussed on this podcast at The BoF Professional Summit: Artificial Intelligence, Web3 and an Inflection Point in Fashion Tech on March 22, 2023.Join us at The Times Center, New York – or via the global livestream – together with global business leaders, technologists and creative innovators from brands including Gucci, Ambush, StockX and Levi’s to gain actionable insights to inform business strategy, optimise supply chain and retail operations, and leverage new channels to engage with customers.Purchase your ticket before February 28, 2023 to secure your place at the early bird rate or register for the livestream now. Click here to sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Generative AI Could Reshape Fashion

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the CEO of Mercy Corps, shares insights on growing global food insecurity and deepening inequality.At the end of 2022, one in 10 children worldwide were dealing with malnourishment, the result of the worst hunger crisis the world has faced in a generation. It’s an effect of the ricocheting of the triple threat of climate change, geopolitical conflict and Covid-19 through the global economy. Though there’s little chance of resolving these issues imminently, community-sourced efforts can play a large role in combating the devastation they bring to people around the world.On a recent trip to Somalia, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the chief executive of humanitarian aid organisation, Mercy Corps, saw the real-life impact of these global concerns up close. On stage at BoF VOICES 2022, she discussed that experience, and how people around the world can contribute to positive change.  “[Global community] should inspire us to really make small actions, to make a difference and figure out ways in our own lives and in our own lines of work where we can contribute,” said D’Oyen McKenna. This week on The BoF Podcast, D’Oyen McKenna discusses details of her visit to Somalia and the effects food insecurity has on society. Key Insights: D’Oyen McKenna believes we all have a responsibility to engage with and respond to crises around the world, even if the causes are out of our hands. “While none of us can fully control the forces that are shaping our world today, we do get to choose how we represent ourselves in that world,” said D’Oyen McKenna. “But also how we engage with the world that we find, how we respond to it and act in it.” Despite the hardships that citizens of Somalia and other impoverished or conflict-ridden countries face, human determination and grit always shine through. “Even amongst this unimaginable hardship and grief… the power of the human spirit really comes alive,” said D’Oyen McKenna. While the world can feel divided with society frequently grouped under different sub-categories, D’Oyen McKenna argues that we should create a new sense of global community. “In a world of pandemics, climate crises and global hunger there is no us and them, only us.”Additional Resources:BoF VOICES 2022: Finding Optimism in an Unsteady World: From the Ukraine War to the climate crisis to the legacy of the pandemic, speakers including CNN’s Clarissa Ward, Mercy Corps’ Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Goldman Sachs’ Tim Ingrassia and Google X’s former chief business officer Mo Gawdat discussed the uncertainty gripping the world — and why there’s cause for hope.You can catch up on all the videos from BoF VOICES on our YouTube channel, please follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conflict, Climate and Today’s Global Hunger Crisis

The film director joins BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks to discuss how he uses his fashion and music roots to stage powerful experiences including from Abba Voyage and recent Dior Men and Fendi Couture shows. Background: Film and creative director Bailie Walsh cut his teeth working in London during the nineties and early aughts alongside talents like Boy George, Leigh Bowery and Alexander McQueen. While Walsh calls himself a film director, editor-at-large Tim Blanks, who hosts him on the latest BoF Podcast, describes him as more of a magician. He was behind the hologram of Kate Moss featured in McQueen’s show “Widows of Culloden” in 2006 that went on to be showcased in both London’s V&A Museum and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. More recently, he’s captivated audiences with his immersive virtual concert, Abba Voyage, in London, and his work with Kim Jones, who tapped Walsh to help stage Dior Menswear and Fendi Couture shows in January. Walsh approaches his projects with the goal of completely immersing his audience — and often pushes the limits to do so. “What I love about being creative or having the opportunity to be creative is a challenge,” said Walsh. Key Insights: Walsh helped infuse Dior Menswear Fall/Winter 2023 runway with TS Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land.” Models drifted past massive screens featuring Gwendoline Christie and Robert Pattinson reading the poem, spliced with music from composer Max Richter. Creatives need to live on the edge of fear, according to Walsh. “You have to be scared if you’re a creative person … you’re entering into a journey that you haven’t before,” he said. “That’s the point of doing it.” Music has been a thread throughout Walsh’s career. He’s made videos for Boy George, crafted Abba’s hologram-filled Voyage concert but also used music as a source of inspiration for his Daniel Craig-fronted film “Flashbacks of a Fool.”Walsh spent over two years thinking about how to play with illusion and reality to create Abba Voyage. Throughout the display, there are costume changes, chatter between the artists and shadowy figures still present when the lights are out. Then, there’s a moment the group suddenly disappears — a reminder the show was contrived. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baillie Walsh and The Art of Immersive Experiences

The Business of Fashion has gained a global following as an essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs in over 200 countries. It is frequently described as “indispensable,” “required reading” and “an addiction.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Business of Fashion Podcast

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