The Business of Fashion

Online platform for the global fashion industry

Summary

The Business of Fashion is a cutting-edge fashion media company conceived for today’s global hyper-connected world. Founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, BoF is known for its authoritative, agenda-setting point of view on the global fashion industry and is an indispensable resource for fashion executives, creatives, fashion students and entrepreneurs in over two hundred countries. Today, the BoF team numbers more than a hundred people in London, New York, and Shanghai.

History

As someone who came into the fashion industry as an outsider, Imran Ahmed was obsessed with the creativity and magic of fashion, but found it impossible to break in. One of the biggest barriers was that there was nowhere he could find analysis and insights on the business of fashion and how the fashion industry worked.

In 2007, he started putting that information together himself. At first, it was a passion project to gain knowledge. Soon, a community of like-minded people started gathering together around this content. And as he travelled the world to meet them, he learned first-hand how fashion impacted everyone, everywhere, and how so few of their stories were being shared with like-minded people.

He realised that he had a unique opportunity to break down the barriers by providing rigorous business journalism befitting an estimated $2.5 trillion fashion industry employing millions of people around the world. By bringing them together as one global community, he and his team could share and learn from each other as the industry was being disrupted by technology, shifting consumer values and globalisation.

As per the official website he says: “Today I feel privileged to work alongside a global team of 100 people working together to open, inform and connect the global fashion industry — and in doing so, making room for everyone and bringing people together to celebrate the beauty, creativity and innovation that makes fashion tick.”

Mission

Over time, BoF’s pioneering approach has made it the fashion industry’s leading source of business intelligence, and one of its most respected and influential voices, simply because we won’t find BoF’s original reporting, analysis and advice anywhere else. The Business of Beauty brings the same kind of agenda-setting coverage to the beauty and wellness space. Today, its talented team of correspondents, editors, analysts, engineers, designers, marketers and others in London, New York, Paris and Milan.

Vision

The Business of Fashion envisions combining independent, agenda-setting fashion journalism with practical business advice, education, career-building tools and immersive fashion events, powering positive change in the fashion industry.

Key People

Imran Ahmed (Founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief)
Nick Blunden (President)
Walter Badillo (Chief Technical Officer)
Matthew Cullen (Head of business development)
Rachel Lochery (Head of finance)

Products and Services

Serving members in more than 125 countries, The Business of Fashion combines independent, agenda-setting journalism with practical business advice, online learning, career-building tools and immersive events, powering positive change in fashion and the wider world.

Recognition and Awards

The Business of Fashion is recognised as a website providing daily updates on fashion for fashion creators, executives and entrepreneurs. It is a network of fashion creatives, business professionals and entrepreneurs around the world, delivering fashion business intelligence on emerging designers, disruptive technologies and global brands that are making their mark on the industry.

References