LONDON, United Kingdom — 2014 was a year of geo-political and economic tumult. And, 2015 is set to be a challenging year for the luxury sector, as well, though there are bright spots on the otherwise gloomy landscape. This week, BoF spoke to five fashion CEOs to understand their top growth priorities for the new year.

We also spoke to Kevin McKenzie, global chief digital officer of Westfield Group, who explained how the company, one of the largest owners of indoor shopping centres in the world, is making targeted investments in new technologies and digital strategies aimed at reinvigorating the shopping mall experience.

This week, Céline's latest campaign, featuring 80-year-old author Joan Didion, took the Internet by storm and BoF tackled the topic of the so-called 'silver spend.' Older consumers control a huge percentage of global discretionary spending. Can fashion retailers tap the opportunity? This was the question posed by Robin Mellery-Pratt's insightful piece.

Also this week, two remarkable tales of business growth came from two very different fashion companies. Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia revealed to BoF how she built up the contemporary-priced fashion brand to become “pretty much a $200 million business” in just over a decade. Meanwhile, Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel spoke to Lauren Sherman about Mansur Gavriel, the leather goods label they launched in 2013, whose colourful handbags are now generating Birkin-esque waiting lists.

Finally, this week, the BoF Spotlight shone on House of HAD, a London-based knitwear label with an unexpected twist: the young brand's collections are manufactured in a football scarf factory in Cyprus, the home country of designer Alexandra Hadjikyriacou.

Please enjoy our top stories for the week gone by:

Where Will Growth Come From in 2015? Fashion CEOs Speak
BoF speaks to leading fashion CEOs to understand their 2015 growth priorities.

Kevin McKenzie on Reinventing the Shopping Mall
Kevin McKenzie, global chief digital officer at Westfield Labs, talks to BoF about the mall of the future, Westfield's World Trade Center and the role of the physical store in a digital world.

Bright Old Things and the Silver Spend
Older consumers control a huge percentage of global spend. Can fashion retailers tap the opportunity?

Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia Says Focus on Making Beautiful Product
Stacey Bendet reveals how she built contemporary-priced fashion brand Alice + Olivia into "pretty much a $200 million business."

How Mansur Gavriel Created the First Post-Recession It Bag
Mansur Gavriel is generating Birkin-esque waiting lists for its colourful handbags. Founders Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel discuss getting the brand off the ground and the perks and pitfalls of its rapid growth.

House of HAD's Football Factory Knits
This month, our Spotlight shines on London-based Cypriot knitwear designer Alexandra Hadjikyriacou, whose collections are manufactured in a football scarf factory in Cyprus.

And don't forget to check out BoF Weekly, a week in review published with Flipboard and updated every Saturday.