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Emily grew up far away from the fashion world in Calgary, Canada. After moving to New York for a role at the media company Complex, Oberg quickly built her profile as a tastemaker in the streetwear scene.
But eventually, she got the entrepreneurial itch and leveraged her experience to turn Sporty & Rich, which started as a mood board on Instagram, into a multi-million-dollar brand with a dedicated community following.
"I think people want to be part of anything that's aspirational. Our sweatshirts are $150, it's not like we're selling a $10,000 handbag, but I think that shirt represents the lifestyle in the world that we have built."
In conversation with BoF founder Imran Amed, Oberg reflects on her unconventional path, her strategic business choices, and the significance of creating an aspirational lifestyle through her brand.
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Bieber, a celebrity and influential beauty figure with a strong Gen-Z following, launched Rhode just three years ago, quickly distinguishing the brand with minimalist product offerings closely tied to Bieber's personal aesthetic. She just sold to E.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion, even as rival celebrity beauty brands struggle to grow sales or attract buyers.
Priya Rao, executive editor at The Business of Beauty at BoF, joins the Business of Fashion's Brian Baskin and Sheena Butler-Young to discuss how Rhode distinguished itself in a crowded celebrity beauty landscape, why E.l.f. Beauty saw strategic value in the acquisition, and what this landmark deal signals about the evolving beauty industry.
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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 and educational 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 is 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.
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The beauty sector historically thrived during economic downturns, earning a recession-proof reputation encapsulated in the “lipstick index.” However, recent earnings from major beauty conglomerates like Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Coty and Shiseido indicate that beauty’s resilience is being tested. Sales are declining, layoffs are coming and consumer habits appear to be shifting dramatically.
BoF Senior Beauty Correspondent Daniela Morosini joins Brian Baskin and Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to examine what's driving this slowdown and how the industry is adapting.
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Instead of his usual place in the host’s seat, BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed appears this week as a guest in an interview with Jonathan Wingfield, editor-in-chief of System Magazine, alongside Luca Solca, senior research analyst at Bernstein – as featured in the debut issue of System Collections.
This conversation was recorded on March 14, about two weeks before Donald Trump’s shock announcement of so-called reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world, most notably China.
Together, Amed and Solca explore major shifts in the global luxury market, the growing fatigue with high prices and mass production, and why creativity, innovation and strategic alignment between business and creative leadership are more crucial than ever.
“These companies are run by human beings, and if you don't give people incentives to change, they will kill you. If you see that you're making as much money as you like, and the business is as good as it ever was, then you probably will not change very much,” says Solca. “Adjusting to a more normal environment is causing a lot of soul-searching and getting these companies back in line.”
Amed adds: “Where brands work best is where there is that impeccable alignment between the creative leadership and the business leadership. Many creative directors feel like a lot of decision-making and creativity is being dictated to them rather than being in conversation with them."
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As inflation bites and politics polarise, the fashion industry in 2025 is facing unprecedented pressure to hold onto its customers. Brands are looking to community as a deeper and more emotional form of engagement. But building true community takes more than buzzwords.
In this episode, BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi joins hosts Sheena Butler-Young and Brian Baskin to unpack his case study on what it really means to cultivate community in fashion and how brands are navigating the pitfalls.
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Africa is experiencing an exciting shift, creatively and commercially, with growing global attention on its rapidly expanding middle-class population. Yet, local fashion entrepreneurs must navigate unique operational challenges and misconceptions about the quality and reputation of "Made in Africa."
Pink Mango’s Maryse Mbonyumutwa entered apparel manufacturing in Rwanda to address both economic and social sustainability. "[Africa] is sustainable by nature, as we've not fully industrialised yet," he says.
Laduma Ngxokolo, founder of South African luxury knitwear brand MaXhosa Africa, drew inspiration from his culture's traditional designs: "How do we take local traditional aesthetics and modernise them?" he asked.
To celebrate African creativity, Reni Folawiyo founded the concept store Alara in Nigeria. "I started Alara from a very emotional place to elevate African creators, both on the continent and the diaspora," Folawiyo says. "The idea of elevating but also empowering remains in everything we do."
On this episode of The BoF Podcast, an illuminating conversation unfolds on stage at BoF CROSSROADS 2025, where Mbonyumutwa, Ngxokolo, and Folawiyo, alongside Sudanese-British writer Rozan Ahmed, discussed Africa's unique contributions to fashion, the opportunities in sustainable manufacturing, and how they are redefining what it means to produce, create and sell in Africa.
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On May 12, the US and China reached a deal to temporarily reduce tariffs for 90 days, offering a breather from an escalating trade war. Stocks surged on the news, but experts warn this relief might not fully resolve deeper industry uncertainties or consumer anxieties.
BoF retail editor Cathleen Chen and technology correspondent Marc Bain join hosts Brian Baskin and Sheena Butler-Young to unpack the ramifications of the tariff pause and what the fashion industry can expect moving forward.
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A strange new genre of TikTok videos is challenging long-held assumptions about how luxury products are made. Often shot in anonymous Chinese factories, these videos claim that the so-called "superfakes" flooding the market are indistinguishable from, and sometimes made in the same factories as, high-end bags from the likes of Chanel or Louis Vuitton.
While all evidence points to these claims being false, the repetition of these videos has amplified a growing narrative: that luxury pricing is inflated, quality is slipping and production secrets are being exposed. Fuelled further by the U.S.-China tariff dispute and the allure of buying a $10,000 bag for $300, this narrative is resonating with a social media audience increasingly disillusioned with luxury’s mystique.
In this episode, BoF's chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent joins hosts Sheena Butler-Young and Brian Baskin to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes – and why silence might not be a viable strategy for brands much longer.
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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.
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