The Business of Fashion Podcast

Fashion designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez share their journey from wunderkinds to entrepreneurs, discussing struggles with investors, regaining control in 2018, and achieving profitability post-pandemic. They highlight the evolution of their brand, overcoming challenges, pivoting during COVID-19, and defining brand identity in the fashion industry.

Matthew Scullin from Microworks, known for partnering with luxury brand Hermès, dives into the fascinating world of mycelium and mushrooms. They discuss how mushrooms are revolutionizing the fashion industry by offering sustainable material alternatives. The conversation touches on the health benefits of fungi, from boosting immunity to mental wellness. Moreover, they emphasize the ecological importance of fungi and how they challenge traditional perceptions, encouraging a broader appreciation for these powerful organisms.

On the heels of selling a 24 percent stake in his namesake label, valuing it at $2.7 billion, Louboutin spoke with Rozan Ahmed at BoF VOICES 2021 about how his identity and upbringing have shaped his approach to business and life. Join BoF Professional for the analysis and advice you need. Get 30 days for just $1 or explore group subscriptions for your business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Shetty speaks about the importance of finding purpose and shares a guided meditation. The podcast explores the influence of perception on our choices, the lack of purpose among young people in the UK, and finding meaning in work. It also discusses habits for finding purpose and embracing your unique journey and purpose.

Up until a week ago, Jonathan Anderson was set to show his J.W. Anderson show in Milan, but Omicron has put paid to that, and Jonathan had to quickly change his plans and instead film a presentation at the Scala in Kings Cross London. BoF's editor at large, Tim Blanks, sat down with Jonathan to discuss his responses to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Jonathan has done everything from a show in a box to a show on a wall, and this time he has continued his optimism and enthusiasm in the face of the pandemic.  Read Tim Blanks' full article here.  Join BoF Professional for the analysis and advice you need. Get 30 days for just $1 or explore group subscriptions for your business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic has upped pressure on brands and corporations to take action on issues from climate change to social justice. More and more investors are asking for it and more customers are demanding it.  So what role do businesses need to play in creating the kind of society we want to live in?  Dame Vivian Hunt is  one of the most important voices in British business. During her talk at VOICES 2021, she made the case for stakeholder capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At this year's edition of VOICES, performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon sat down with Harris Reed, a recent Central Saint Martins graduate who has emerged as one of the industry’s brightest rising stars and is vocal about pushing gender-fluid fashion to the mainstream.  Reed and Alok spoke about concrete opportunities for industry stakeholders to de-gender fashion. While many fashion companies want to be seen working with gender non-binary people, few are baking their gender-free principles into their businesses beyond one-off collaborations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often think of hype as the antithesis of timelessness, especially in fashion. Chunky dad sneakers and sweatshirts emblazoned with logos, versus little black dresses and classic tailoring. But how can one brand straddle both? At BoF VOICES 2021, CEO of Balenciaga Cédric Charbit, discusses the brand's business vision, and how a soon-to-be 103 year old luxury house continues to shape the discourse. We want to learn what you value about The BoF Podcast and what we can do to make your podcast experience even better. Complete The BoF Podcast survey to have your say. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Everybody is born into a script they didn’t write for themselves. But activists defy that script to rewrite the narrative, non-binary activist, storyteller and former international ambassador for Black Lives Matter, Janaya Future Khan, said in a powerful talk that wove together theory with raw personal experiences, including a racist encounter on a plane. Khan was careful to differentiate real activism that drives change from the crescendo of surface-level proclamations, from individuals and brands alike, that have filled social media in recent years. “If we’re talking about what the work of activism really is, it’s about seeing the world as it is, not as we’re told,” they said. “Our job is to imagine change and make it true.” Join BoF Professional for the analysis and advice you need. Get 30 days for just $1 or explore group subscriptions for your business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last time Kim Jones showed in his hometown was 2003, the year after he graduated from Central Saint Martins. London didn’t really host many menswear presentations in those days. Besides, Kim already had his eye on the bigger picture, so he hightailed to Paris. His homecoming on Thursday, with the launch of his Pre-Fall 2022 collection for Dior Men at the Olympia Exhibition Centre, was, in one way, an appropriately spectacular reflection of everything that’s happened to him since. But it also illuminated the way Jones has managed to weave his own story into the brands — from Dunhill through Louis Vuitton to Dior and Fendi — that he has shaped.     His latest Dior collection is infused with the spirit of the Beat Generation, especially Jack Kerouac and his watershed On the Road. Over the past few years, Jones has been building an extraordinary library of rare books and literary ephemera, and Kerouac features strongly. This boho prince might seem unlikely in the context of a French couture house, but Kerouac was writing while Christian Dior was still working. And the rebel spirit of the Beats inspired the Left Bank of Paris, which sparked Yves Saint Laurent who succeeded Dior at the house. So, it wasn’t so tricky for Jones to winkle out a connection. His ability to do so reminds me of Karl Lagerfeld’s knack for joining the dots between eras, people and places.   Join BoF Professional for the analysis and advice you need. Get 30 days for just $1 or explore group subscriptions for your business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.