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The Best of BoF 2016 | Top 10 Op-Eds

To round off the year, we revisit the articles that sparked the most debate, yielded the biggest insights, and got the fashion industry talking in 2016. Today, we highlight some of the top opinion pieces.
By
  • BoF Team

1. Whites Only Policy at Vetements and Balenciaga by Jason Campbell

All white models walk the runway at Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2016 show | Source: InDigital All white models walk the runway at Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2016 show | Source: InDigital

All white models walk the runway at Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2016 show | Source: InDigital

For someone whose design work has been dubbed 'revolutionary' in fashion circles, Demna Gvasalia's all-white casting is shockingly out of touch with today's global reality, argues Jason Campbell.

2. Fashion Designers Deserve the Same Protection as Other Creatives by Susan Scafidi

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Source: Shutterstock Source: Shutterstock

Source: Shutterstock

Copying is doing more damage to designers than ever before, but the legal system in many countries has yet to act, argues Susan Scafidi.

3. The Fashion Tech Revolution Needs More Women by Rebecca Minkoff

Source: Shutterstock Source: Shutterstock

Source: Shutterstock

For new digital innovations in fashion and retail to resonate with female customers, women must be part of the technology teams that build them, argues Rebecca Minkoff.

4. 'Buy Now, Build Now' is the Real Revolution by Áslaug Magnúsdóttir

Photo illustration: BoF Photo illustration: BoF

Photo illustration: BoF

Brands must bring consumers into the buying process and build new production capabilities, so demand for new designs can be fulfilled in days, not months, argues Áslaug Magnúsdóttir.

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5. The Problem with 'Buy Now' by Pascal Morand

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Dior Autumn/Winter 2016 | Illustration: Paul Price

Consumer-driven ‘buy now’ strategies can damage fashion brands, argues Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode.

6. Offline Escape and the Future of Retail by Doug Stephens

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Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015 | Source: Coachella/Youtube

The success of festivals like Coachella shows people crave physical experiences. Filling stores with screens is fundamentally misguided, argues Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet.

7. The Rise of the Fashion Hipster by Eugene Rabkin

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Margaret Zhang | Photo: Nabile Quenum

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Catering to the fashion hipster — whose purchases are driven by irony, camp and insider humour — risks making promising brands the flavour of the day, argues Eugene Rabkin.

8. Stage Experiences or Go Extinct by B. Joseph Pine II

British band The Kaiser Chiefs play a live show inside Burberry's Regent Street flagship | Source: Burberry British band The Kaiser Chiefs play a live show inside Burberry's Regent Street flagship | Source: Burberry

British band The Kaiser Chiefs play a live show inside Burberry's Regent Street flagship | Source: Burberry

Goods and services are no longer enough — stores must deliver personal, memorable experiences, argues B. Joseph Pine II.

9. Fashion Needs a New Rhythm by Karen Walker

Karen Walker 2016 campaign | Source: Karen Walker Karen Walker 2016 campaign | Source: Karen Walker

Karen Walker 2016 campaign | Source: Karen Walker

The biggest challenge for brands from distant markets is not their geography but the timing and pace of the global fashion system, argues Karen Walker.

10. There's No Point Being a Well-Dressed Corpse by Tricia Ronane

The new Vivamayr clinic on the shores of Lake Altaussee, Austria | Source: Courtesy The new Vivamayr clinic on the shores of Lake Altaussee, Austria | Source: Courtesy

The new Vivamayr clinic on the shores of Lake Altaussee, Austria | Source: Courtesy

The super rich now consume health and wellness experiences much like Hermès bags, but with a more long-lasting and authentic effect, argues Tricia Ronane.

For more articles like this, check out our Opinion channel.

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