Mike Ashley’s Frasers Says It’s Taken Control of Hugo Boss
The British retail group has pushed its stake in the German apparel brand above 50 percent in a move that will turn Hugo Boss into a subsidiary of Frasers.
technology / Artificial Intelligence
Technology
How Fashion Brands Get AI Visibility Right
Getting AI to understand a brand does not guarantee it will recommend it. Drawing on data from BoF Insights Brand Pulse, new analysis of 120 fashion brands reveals how companies can improve their visibility and representation across ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Technology
Why the Robots at Vogue World Hit a Nerve
The online backlash to the robots’ appearance at Vogue’s annual spectacle speaks to a larger feeling in fashion that AI and technology have become inescapable, despite worries they are a threat to human craft and creativity — and even humanity itself.
Technology
The Fashion E-Tailer Pulling Ahead on AI
Zalando is using artificial intelligence to boost growth and efficiency, including a 90 percent reduction in the cost of creating website content. BoF went inside the push to win the AI race at Europe’s largest online fashion retailer.
Technology
Can Fashion Sell a New Generation on Trade Jobs?
BoF commercial features editor Dan Hastings joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to explore how rising tuition costs and the disruption of AI could give fashion a new opportunity to attract young workers to careers in tailoring, patternmaking and other skilled trades.
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Technology
Has Fashion Had Enough of AI?
As AI makes digital imagery even easier to fake, BoF's Diana Pearl and Marc Bain join Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to unpack why some luxury brands are betting on real artists and handmade craft to win back customers who feel alienated by a fashion industry built for the screen.
Beauty
How AI’s Nouveau Riche Are Spending on Beauty
Silicon Valley is minting new multi-millionaires — and billionaires — at a rapid rate, as tech firms like SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic target huge IPOs. Fashion, travel and wellness are benefitting, but not all beauty companies can capitalise on the boom.
Technology
What Founders Can Learn From Phia’s Mistakes
Behind Phia’s unfolding scandal lies a series of avoidable strategic and reputational blunders. Here are seven critical takeaways for founders building a fashion startup.
Technology
Retailers Tap AI Shopping Traffic but Fight to Keep Customer Data
As shoppers increasingly turn to ChatGPT and Google's Gemini for product recommendations, retailers are racing to appear in chatbot results while resisting efforts to cede customer data that underpin online sales.
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Technology
The Reason Your AI Investments Aren’t Paying Off
Investment in artificial intelligence promises to help fashion companies work faster, smarter and more efficiently, but one key obstacle stands in the way of good returns.
Technology
Can Brands Replace Outside Consultants With AI?
As more fashion companies turn to generative artificial intelligence for tasks such as research and analysis, they’re reassessing which outside expertise is still necessary and worth paying for.
Technology
Phia Shopping App Took Credit for Sales It Didn’t Drive
Testing found that the app, which has attracted the attention of investors and the fashion industry, overrode legitimate referrals from other publishers to claim credit for purchases.
Partner Content
Inside The Future of AI-Powered Shopping with BoF and Swap Commerce
Executives from Ganni, Givenchy, Lafayette 148, Monica Vinader, Stone Island, Tod’s Group, Versace and Victoria Beckham gathered at The Waverly Inn in New York City to discuss agentic commerce and how brands can deepen loyalty with shoppers.
The News in Brief
Shein Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Settle US FTC Probe
The settlement, equivalent to 44 percent of the ultra fast-fashion company’s second-quarter profit, is the latest blow amid regulatory and tax crackdowns in Europe and the US that have hampered Shein’s growth.
Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter
The recovery long promised by luxury brands seems nowhere in sight, as the expansion of war in the Middle East, along with China’s tax crackdown on the wealthy, piled further pressure on the world’s biggest luxury conglomerates in the third quarter, and executives buckled in for a tough winter.
UK Retail Sales Fall 0.4% in September, More Than Forecast
Sales fell in September as above-average temperatures hit demand for autumn clothing.
Elle Launches Moroccan Edition
Hitting newsstands in October, the magazine marks Elle’s 51st international edition, published under licence by the Geomedia group.
David’s Bridal Plans Spinoff and IPO of AI Wedding Planning Platform Pearl
Pearl, a subsidiary of David’s Bridal, will own David’s Bridal and license its intellectual property back to the bridalwear brand. David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook will serve as Pearl’s CEO.
L’Oréal Sales Beat Expectations as Premium Products Surge
The French giant handily beat expectations on strong demand for hair products at salons and premium skincare from its dermatological division.
P&G Beats Revenue Estimates, Flags Bigger Hit to Annual Profit
The maker of Pantene shampoo was helped by strong personal care demand, but expects higher commodity costs to reduce profit by about $1.4 billion this year.