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Lei Takanashi

Lei Takanashi is a Correspondent at The Business of Fashion (BoF) covering menswear, streetwear, young consumer trends, and the intersection between fashion and culture. He is based in New York City. Prior to BoF, he primarily covered streetwear and hip-hop style as a Staff Writer in Complex magazine for five years. His work has also appeared in The Cut, Highsnobiety, Fader, Mass Appeal, and other culture magazines. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and history from Stony Brook University.

    Marketing

    How Fashion Picks Its Hip Hop Style Icons | The Debrief

    This week on The Debrief, BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi explains why the industry remains tethered to a small circle of established rap stars and whether a new generation of talent can break through.

    Marketing

    How Fashion Picks Its Hip Hop Style Icons | The Debrief

    This week on The Debrief, BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi explains why the industry remains tethered to a small circle of established rap stars and whether a new generation of talent can break through.

    Media

    What to Do When Reddit Turns on Your Brand

    With the platform’s posts now shaping Google search and AI chatbot results, fashion brands need to listen to the site’s millions of users – even when they don’t like what they have to say.

    Media

    What to Do When Reddit Turns on Your Brand

    With the platform’s posts now shaping Google search and AI chatbot results, fashion brands need to listen to the site’s millions of users – even when they don’t like what they have to say.

    Marketing

    How Fashion Picks Its Hip-Hop Style Icons

    As fashion continues to tap into hip-hop for celeb marketing opportunities, it is searching for fresh faces beyond the same superstar partnerships.

    Marketing

    How Fashion Picks Its Hip-Hop Style Icons

    As fashion continues to tap into hip-hop for celeb marketing opportunities, it is searching for fresh faces beyond the same superstar partnerships.

    Sports

    Why Every Fashion Brand Thinks It’s a Sportswear Label Now

    From Balenciaga to Old Navy, all sorts of fashion brands are attempting to capitalise on the activewear boom with collections of sweats, shorts and workout tees. Sometimes these clothes stick the landing, but it often comes off as just sweaty.

    Sports

    Why Every Fashion Brand Thinks It’s a Sportswear Label Now

    From Balenciaga to Old Navy, all sorts of fashion brands are attempting to capitalise on the activewear boom with collections of sweats, shorts and workout tees. Sometimes these clothes stick the landing, but it often comes off as just sweaty.

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    Sports

    The Sneakers That Mattered Most in 2025

    The Business of Fashion crunched the numbers, polled readers and spoke with leading sneaker authorities to identify the shoes that defined the market this year – and pointed the way to what’s coming next.

    Sports

    The Sneakers That Mattered Most in 2025

    The Business of Fashion crunched the numbers, polled readers and spoke with leading sneaker authorities to identify the shoes that defined the market this year – and pointed the way to what’s coming next.

    Retail

    Streetwear’s First IPO, Explained

    Human Made shares begin trading in Tokyo on Thursday, a milestone in streetwear’s evolution from a subcultural fashion trend to a mature fashion category.

    Retail

    Streetwear’s First IPO, Explained

    Human Made shares begin trading in Tokyo on Thursday, a milestone in streetwear’s evolution from a subcultural fashion trend to a mature fashion category.

    Retail

    Exclusive: Kith’s Ronnie Fieg on Designing the Brand’s First London Flagship

    The founder of the New York label discusses opening Kith’s first standalone UK store, which includes Fieg’s debut restaurant concept as the brand leans further into hospitality.

    Retail

    Exclusive: Kith’s Ronnie Fieg on Designing the Brand’s First London Flagship

    The founder of the New York label discusses opening Kith’s first standalone UK store, which includes Fieg’s debut restaurant concept as the brand leans further into hospitality.

    Sports

    How Wolverine Worldwide Turned Saucony Into a Sportswear Challenger

    Wolverine Worldwide’s CEO Chris Hufnagel explains how he’s kept two small sportswear brands, Saucony and Merrell, competitive in a category dominated by giants.

    Sports

    How Wolverine Worldwide Turned Saucony Into a Sportswear Challenger

    Wolverine Worldwide’s CEO Chris Hufnagel explains how he’s kept two small sportswear brands, Saucony and Merrell, competitive in a category dominated by giants.

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    Retail

    How Mining the Archives Became Fashion’s Go-To Strategy

    Brands such as Mulberry and Banana Republic are reissuing vintage pieces – or even selling the originals – as they look to tap into consumers’ nostalgia.

    Retail

    How Mining the Archives Became Fashion’s Go-To Strategy

    Brands such as Mulberry and Banana Republic are reissuing vintage pieces – or even selling the originals – as they look to tap into consumers’ nostalgia.

    Sports

    Can Sports Brands Turn Hypebeasts Into Athletes?

    As the lines between fashion and sports customers blur, sportswear brands have an opportunity to attract casual consumers to innovations designed for serious athletes.

    Sports

    Can Sports Brands Turn Hypebeasts Into Athletes?

    As the lines between fashion and sports customers blur, sportswear brands have an opportunity to attract casual consumers to innovations designed for serious athletes.

    Retail

    Exclusive: Madhappy Talks International Expansion and Marni Collaboration

    Co-founder Noah Raf details the sweats brand’s plans to open flagships on three continents, release new product categories and launch its first luxury collaboration with Marni.

    Retail

    Exclusive: Madhappy Talks International Expansion and Marni Collaboration

    Co-founder Noah Raf details the sweats brand’s plans to open flagships on three continents, release new product categories and launch its first luxury collaboration with Marni.

    Retail

    Exclusive: The Inside Story of Carhartt WIP’s Fashion Ascent

    In his first interview since taking over as CEO, Wilfried Atzert opens up about his rise from the shop floor to the top job, and his plans to grow the brand without losing its underground credibility.

    Retail

    Exclusive: The Inside Story of Carhartt WIP’s Fashion Ascent

    In his first interview since taking over as CEO, Wilfried Atzert opens up about his rise from the shop floor to the top job, and his plans to grow the brand without losing its underground credibility.