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The Debrief

The Business of Fashion

Welcome to The Debrief, a new weekly podcast from The Business of Fashion, where we go beyond the glossy veneer and unpack our most popular BoF Professional stories. Hosted by BoF correspondents Sheena Butler-Young and Brian Baskin, The Debrief will be your guide into the mega labels, indie upstarts and unforgettable personalities shaping the $2.5 trillion global fashion industry.

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27 episodes
weekly
Avg 27 min
English

Episodes 27

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September 17 · 28 min
Can Fashion Sell a New Generation on Trade Jobs?
BoF Commercial Features Editor Dan Hastings joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to discuss how rising tuition and AI disruption offer fashion a chance to attract young workers to skilled trades like tailoring and patternmaking.
September 9 · 18 min
Has Fashion Had Enough of AI?
As AI makes digital imagery even easier to fake, BoF's Diana Pearl and Marc Bain join Sheena Butler-Young to unpack why some luxury brands are betting on real artists and craft to win back customers who feel alienated by fashion built for their screen.
September 2 · 27 min
Who's Winning Beauty's H1 Reckoning
BoF Senior Beauty Correspondent Daniela Morosini joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to unpack what 2026 earnings reveal about beauty — where growth is strong, where cracks are showing, and what to watch in the second half.
August 26 · 28 min
Why Upcycling Is Suddenly Everywhere in Fashion
BoF senior editorial associate Shayeza Walid joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to unpack why upcycling is going mainstream — and whether it can become a lasting part of fashion’s supply chain rather than a moment of experimentation.
August 19 · 23 min
The Influencer Follower-Count Era Is Ending
BoF US Editor Diana Pearl joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to explain why the number at the top of a creator's profile no longer tells brands what they need to know — and what's replaced it.
August 12 · 31 min
What the Best Fashion Stores Get Right
BoF retail editor Cathaleen Chen joins Sheena Butler-Young to unpack the names and data behind BoF’s inaugural list of the world’s 65 best independent fashion stores — and why the pleasure of “moseying around” still matters.
August 5 · 34 min
The Fashion and Beauty Companies Everyone Wants to Work For
BoF’s Eoghan O’Donnell and Dan Hastings join Sheena Butler-Young to unpack BoF’s Most Desirable Beauty and Fashion Companies list and what makes an employer stand out today.
July 29 · 30 min
Why Everyone's Reading Clothing Labels Again
As shoppers swap "sustainable" for "healthy," BoF senior editorial associate Shayeza Walid joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to unpack why fabric content has become fashion's newest flashpoint — and why Gap just found out the hard way.
July 22 · 32 min
Is Fashion School Still Worth It?
As AI reshapes entry-level jobs and fashion slows, students are questioning the value of a degree. BoF Careers’ Dan Hastings joins The Debrief to assess what schools get right, where they lag and the skills graduates need.
July 15 · 26 min
The Anti-Unicorn Playbook That Beat Fashion's DTC Boom
BoF editor Diana Pearl joins Sheena Butler-Young to unpack how a generation of independent brands rejected the venture-backed DTC playbook — and why that slower, more disciplined approach ultimately paid off.
July 9 · 31 min
Luxury’s New Reality
As luxury shoppers push back against relentless price hikes and uninspiring boutique environments, BoF's Mimosa Spencer and Robert Williams break down why emotional connection has overtaken heritage as the primary driver of high-end shopping.
July 1 · 48 min
How Nike Built the Biggest World Cup Campaign Ever
Nike’s VP of global brand management Helena Thornton joins Sheena Butler-Young and Mike Sykes to discuss how brands win attention during sport’s biggest football event, from the thinking behind ‘Rip the Script’ to sport’s cultural power.
June 24 · 24 min
Why Activewear Consumers Are Looking Beyond Lululemon
As growth slows across activewear, brands like Set Active, 437 and Oner Active are gaining momentum with a new generation of consumers. The Debrief examines what's driving their rise and what it means for category leaders Nike and Lululemon.
June 17 · 25 min
How Books Became Fashion’s Latest Status Symbol
BoF reporters Haley Crawford and Shayeza Walid unpack why fashion is embracing literature at the exact moment reading is in decline — and whether books have become the industry’s latest status symbol.
June 10 · 31 min
Fashion's Ozempic Reckoning
As GLP-1 drugs reshape consumers’ bodies at unprecedented scale, BoF’s Diana Pearl and Brennan Kilbane examine how fashion and beauty brands are adapting to a profound shift in size, fit and appearance.
May 27 · 25 sec
A Message to Listeners
The Debrief podcast is taking a short break and will be back in 2 weeks.
May 20 · 21 min
Inside The Swatch X Audemars Piguet Global Frenzy
Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s $400 plastic pocket watch sparked a global retail frenzy. BoF’s Cathaleen Chen and Mimosa Spencer ask whether high-low collaborations democratise luxury or dilute exclusivity.
May 13 · 20 min
Why Are So Many Brands Faking Scandals?
The Business of Beauty’s Priya Rao and Rachael Griffiths discuss how beauty brands are moving beyond traditional social media content to experiment with “rage bait” in an increasingly fragmented attention economy.
May 6 · 30 min
Why People Hate AI
The Debrief host Sheena Butler-Young is joined by BoF’s Marc Bain and Haley Crawford to unpack why the industry’s push for AI-led efficiency is starting to rub shoppers the wrong way.
April 29 · 25 min
Why Some Retailers are Ignoring the Internet
As the global luxury e-commerce engine stalls, BoF correspondent Austin Kim discusses his look at independent boutiques finding that the right strategic move is to stay offline.

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