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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136 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes136

Newest first

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.
Wednesday · 30 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 22 · 32 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 15 · 26 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 9 · 31 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.
July 1 · 48 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 24 · 24 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 17 · 25 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.
June 10 · 31 min
A Message to Listeners
The Debrief podcast is taking a short break and will be back in 2 weeks.
May 27 · 25 sec
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 20 · 21 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 13 · 20 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.
May 6 · 30 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.
April 29 · 25 min
Why Luxury Still Can’t Find Its Way Out of the Slump
BoF luxury editors Mimosa Spencer and Robert Williams unpack why weak first-quarter results from LVMH, Kering and Hermès have deepened concerns about luxury’s slowdown – and why creative resets alone are not enough to restore growth.
April 22 · 36 min
Nike’s Reality Check
BoF’s Mike Sykes explains why Nike’s recovery under Elliott Hill still feels incomplete and examines why investor patience is wearing thin.
April 15 · 26 min
Can H&M Prove Sustainability is a Growth Engine?
BoF correspondent Shayeza Walid joins The Debrief to unpack H&M’s unprecedented climate progress paired with a dip in sales — and whether the Swedish giant can escape being slotted in the middle of the pack of the fashion market.
April 8 · 27 min
The Retailer That’s Obsessed With AI
The Debrief hosts Brian Baskin and Sheena Butler-Young are joined by BoF’s Retail Editor Cathaleen Chen to talk about why Revolve is betting on ‘a culture of AI’ for their expansion.
April 1 · 22 min
What European Luxury Can Learn From American Fashion
This week on The Debrief, BoF’s Diana Pearl explains why brands like Coach, Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch are outperforming many European luxury houses — and what their turnarounds reveal about pricing, product, retail and long-term brand building.
March 25 · 24 min
Why Fragrance Is Fashion’s Newest Digital Frontier
Daniela Morosini and Rachael Griffiths explain why fragrance is moving online – and how brands are increasingly selling scent through storytelling, styling and the idea of a fragrance wardrobe.
March 18 · 23 min
How Oil Shock Fears Are Rippling Through Fashion
BoF’s Shayeza Walid and Cathaleen Chen unpack why the war in Iran and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz matter to fashion – from synthetic fibre costs and factory energy shortages to freight surcharges and weakening consumer confidence.
March 14 · 25 min

The Debrief

Why Everyone's Reading Clothing Labels Again

Is Fashion School Still Worth It?

The Anti-Unicorn Playbook That Beat Fashion's DTC Boom

Luxury’s New Reality

How Nike Built the Biggest World Cup Campaign Ever

Why Activewear Consumers Are Looking Beyond Lululemon

How Books Became Fashion’s Latest Status Symbol

Fashion's Ozempic Reckoning

A Message to Listeners

Inside The Swatch X Audemars Piguet Global Frenzy

Why Are So Many Brands Faking Scandals?

Why People Hate AI

Why Some Retailers are Ignoring the Internet

Why Luxury Still Can’t Find Its Way Out of the Slump

Nike’s Reality Check

Can H&M Prove Sustainability is a Growth Engine?

The Retailer That’s Obsessed With AI

What European Luxury Can Learn From American Fashion

Why Fragrance Is Fashion’s Newest Digital Frontier

How Oil Shock Fears Are Rippling Through Fashion