The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
LONDON, United Kingdom — Each week here on BoF, we are lucky to sit down and learn from some of the most accomplished creative and business people working in fashion today. This week, we spoke to Jean Touitou of A.P.C and the designer Thom Browne, both of whom have found ways of building businesses, while sticking to their own principles.
Touitou, who has been building A.P.C. for 27 years, says that the trick to his success has been to plan for managed growth that enables him to retain control of his business and reinvest in the company's future through R&D and measured risk-taking. As Touitou said, "We will grow A.P.C. steadily, but we do not have the ambition to take over the world. I don’t feel the need to buy art or mega-yachts like other fashion houses.”
As for Thom Browne, who has wowed the fashion industry with his theatrical, conceptual shows, he is also commercially minded and pragmatic about what it takes to build a sustainable fashion enterprise. "Fashion is a business," he said. "As conceptual as you want to be, you do have to make sure that you approach it as a business. There has to be a commercial element to what you do."
Here are some of our top articles from the week gone by:
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Jean Touitou of A.P.C. Says Be Cautious, Expect the Worst and Be Ready to Die
BoF sat down with the irreverent and principled Jean Touitou to learn how he built the pioneering and independently owned French contemporary label A.P.C.
BoF Exclusive | Dazed Scales Back Print to Six Issues Per Year, Expands on Web
BoF can exclusively report that Dazed & Confused, one of fashion's most respected youth-focused magazines, will reduce the frequency of its print publication to 6 times per year as it continues to expand its audience online.
Thom Browne Says Stay True to Yourself
BoF sits down with Thom Browne to discuss his professional journey, his conceptual-meets-commercial balancing act and his company's expansion plans.
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Why Harris Wharf Works
Harris Wharf, a family-run, Turin-produced brand with London sensibilities, is steadily expanding its footprint with a business based on sharp cuts and a remarkable price-to-quality ratio.
Happy holidays!
Imran Amed
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
From analysis of the global fashion and beauty industries to career and personal advice, BoF’s founder and CEO, Imran Amed, will be answering your questions on Sunday, February 18, 2024 during London Fashion Week.
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