Gap Sales Miss Expectations After Old Navy, Athleta Fall Short
The brands Gap and Banana Republic beat comparable sales estimates.
artificial-intelligence
Workplace & Talent
It’s Time for Fashion to Get Real About AI’s Impact on Jobs
Fashion brands are racing to deploy AI in marketing, design and employee workflows. But inside companies, a lack of clarity is breeding layoff anxiety — and quiet AI use that feels risky, if not like cheating.
It’s Time for Fashion to Get Real About AI’s Impact on Jobs
Fashion brands are racing to deploy AI in marketing, design and employee workflows. But inside companies, a lack of clarity is breeding layoff anxiety — and quiet AI use that feels risky, if not like cheating.
Creative Class
Nick Knight and Simon Foxton: AI Is Not a Threat to Creativity
Knight and Foxton tell Christina Donoghue why artificial intelligence is not a threat but the most intoxicating and liberating new medium for visual expression, courtesy of System magazine.
Nick Knight and Simon Foxton: AI Is Not a Threat to Creativity
Knight and Foxton tell Christina Donoghue why artificial intelligence is not a threat but the most intoxicating and liberating new medium for visual expression, courtesy of System magazine.
Marketing
Introducing the BoF Insights Brand Pulse Index
The BoF Insights Brand Pulse Index benchmarks how fashion brands measure up across five core dimensions — Discoverability, Identity, Value, Connection and Love — revealing the new dynamics of brand performance in an AI-driven world.
Introducing the BoF Insights Brand Pulse Index
The BoF Insights Brand Pulse Index benchmarks how fashion brands measure up across five core dimensions — Discoverability, Identity, Value, Connection and Love — revealing the new dynamics of brand performance in an AI-driven world.
Retail
Resale Sites Try a New Strategy: Sell Less Stuff
After competing for decades to offer the widest possible selection, secondhand retailers like ThredUp, eBay, StockX and Rebag are now trying to gain an edge by offering a more curated experience, with the help of AI and celebrities.
Resale Sites Try a New Strategy: Sell Less Stuff
After competing for decades to offer the widest possible selection, secondhand retailers like ThredUp, eBay, StockX and Rebag are now trying to gain an edge by offering a more curated experience, with the help of AI and celebrities.
Technology
Tracking Fashion Brand Performance in the Age of AI
Our new AI-powered tool, BoF Insights Brand Pulse, evaluates fashion brand performance across five dimensions — Discoverability, Identity, Value, Connection and Love — combining digital signals and consumer conversations to measure brand performance in an easy-to-use dashboard.
Tracking Fashion Brand Performance in the Age of AI
Our new AI-powered tool, BoF Insights Brand Pulse, evaluates fashion brand performance across five dimensions — Discoverability, Identity, Value, Connection and Love — combining digital signals and consumer conversations to measure brand performance in an easy-to-use dashboard.
Marketing
How Brands Are Navigating the AI Ad Dilemma
While some fashion labels are starting to experiment with using AI-generated imagery in campaigns, others are taking a firm stance against it. Both approaches reveal how brands are evolving their creative identities and who they are trying to reach.
How Brands Are Navigating the AI Ad Dilemma
While some fashion labels are starting to experiment with using AI-generated imagery in campaigns, others are taking a firm stance against it. Both approaches reveal how brands are evolving their creative identities and who they are trying to reach.
Marketing
Fashion Is Already Preparing for Gen Beta
Obviously, it’ll be a long time before the generation — born starting in 2025 into a world of AI and rapid change — will have an impact on the industry. But they’ve already sparked conversation.
Fashion Is Already Preparing for Gen Beta
Obviously, it’ll be a long time before the generation — born starting in 2025 into a world of AI and rapid change — will have an impact on the industry. But they’ve already sparked conversation.
Beauty
Estée Lauder Companies’ CEO Says Fragrance Is Key to its Turnaround
While the US beauty conglomerate unveils its first fragrance-focussed innovation centre in Paris, executives including CEO Stéphane de La Faverie outlined new opportunities for its luxury and prestige perfume portfolio, which spans brands like Tom Ford and Le Labo.
Estée Lauder Companies’ CEO Says Fragrance Is Key to its Turnaround
While the US beauty conglomerate unveils its first fragrance-focussed innovation centre in Paris, executives including CEO Stéphane de La Faverie outlined new opportunities for its luxury and prestige perfume portfolio, which spans brands like Tom Ford and Le Labo.
Sustainability
Luxury’s Trust Issues
Big brands are taking steps to shore up consumer confidence in their high-end positioning, after a series of sweatshop scandals contributed to a sense of ‘luxury ick.’
Luxury’s Trust Issues
Big brands are taking steps to shore up consumer confidence in their high-end positioning, after a series of sweatshop scandals contributed to a sense of ‘luxury ick.’
Beauty
‘GEO’ Is Beauty’s New ‘SEO’
As influencers and consumers turn to the ‘ChatGPT glow-up’ trend for AI-generated beauty advice, brands are rushing to generative engine optimisation in hopes of upping their chances of being recommended.
‘GEO’ Is Beauty’s New ‘SEO’
As influencers and consumers turn to the ‘ChatGPT glow-up’ trend for AI-generated beauty advice, brands are rushing to generative engine optimisation in hopes of upping their chances of being recommended.
Beauty
‘Vibe Marketing’ Is Taking Over Beauty. What Is It?
Generative AI is being adopted across the beauty industry to create everything from product images to formulas themselves, based on prompted “vibes.” As more companies utilise these tools for efficiency, they risk losing the creative touch that separates storytelling from slop.
‘Vibe Marketing’ Is Taking Over Beauty. What Is It?
Generative AI is being adopted across the beauty industry to create everything from product images to formulas themselves, based on prompted “vibes.” As more companies utilise these tools for efficiency, they risk losing the creative touch that separates storytelling from slop.
Executive Briefings
The Executive Briefing: Luxury’s Deepening Crisis; Dopamine Culture, Explained; Rise of the AI Agents
Luxury fashion’s woes keep piling up, and the effects of the attention economy bears much of the blame. Plus, brands prepare for an onslaught of AI shopping assistants and the fragrance boom rolls on. Read on for your concise breakdown of July’s key developments from executive editor Brian Baskin.
The Executive Briefing: Luxury’s Deepening Crisis; Dopamine Culture, Explained; Rise of the AI Agents
Luxury fashion’s woes keep piling up, and the effects of the attention economy bears much of the blame. Plus, brands prepare for an onslaught of AI shopping assistants and the fragrance boom rolls on. Read on for your concise breakdown of July’s key developments from executive editor Brian Baskin.
The News in Brief
Fashion Startup Founder Pleads Guilty in $300 Million Fraud
Christine Hunsicker admitted she falsified financial statements to promote CaaStle Inc. as a valuable, growing business when in reality it was struggling.
Victoria’s Secret Forecasts Its Best Year Since L Brands Split
The underwear company is anticipating net sales of at least $6.85 billion in the current fiscal year, exceeding analyst estimates and marking the highest revenue since its split from L Brands Inc in 2021.
Uniqlo Aims to Grow Tenfold in India With Summer-Centric Clothes
The Japanese brand is accelerating its expansion in India to capture a greater share of the rapidly growing apparel market and affluent consumer base.
Oasis Pressures Kao in Latest Japan Activist Investor Push
Activist fund Oasis Management Co. is calling on the Japanese personal care company to convene an extraordinary general meeting, seeking a probe into its supply-chain risk management and internal control.
American Eagle Forecasts Sales Growth Above Estimates on Demand From Wealthy Shoppers
The retailer surpassed annual sales forecasts but expects a $60 million drag from import tariffs in the first half of 2026.
Missoni Family Exits Namesake Brand
The transaction gives FSI, a Milan-based private equity fund, a controlling share in the Italian luxury house, as more founder-owned brands turn to investors to fund growth and weather a tough global market.
Ross Stores Forecasts Annual Sales Above Estimates on Resilient Demand for Discounted Apparel
Spend growth at off-price chains is among the strongest in retail, with gains across all income segments.