A Tribute to the Enduring Legacy of Mrs. B
The episode honors Joan Burstein, known as Mrs. B, celebrating her century‑long impact on fashion through the founding of Browns in 1970, which became a launchpad for avant‑garde designers like John Galliano, Comme des Garçons, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Host Imran Ahmed speaks with longtime collaborator Mandy Leonard, who recounts her own journey from Leeds to Browns and shares memories of Mrs. B’s keen eye, generosity, and mentorship that shaped generations of buyers and designers. Guest anecdotes from industry figures such as Paul Smith, Lisa Armstrong and Robert Forrest illustrate how Mrs. B’s open‑mindedness and relational buying approach transformed the European market and nurtured talent. The conversation underscores her lasting legacy as a visionary who combined radical taste with unwavering support for emerging creators.
The Costume Designer Behind The Devil Wears Prada 2
In this 15‑minute mini‑episode, costume designer Molly Rogers talks about her journey from a downtown New York boutique to shaping the wardrobes of iconic fashion‑centric shows like Sex and the City, Ugly Betty, and both Devil Wears Prada films. She shares how the...
Inside Dries Van Noten’s Venice Manifesto
In this episode, Tim Blanks interviews Dries Van Noten about his transition from leading his eponymous fashion house to becoming a custodian of craftsmanship at the Palazzo Pisani Moretta in Venice. Van Noten explains how the slower, self‑directed rhythm of life in...
Taxes and Tariffs
In this episode, Boston law professor Ray Madoff discusses how the U.S. tax code has transformed the display of wealth, turning once‑flamboyant aristocrats into the understated, "stealth‑wealth" elite we see today. She explains the historical shift from tariffs as the...
What Luxury's Winners Are Getting Right
In this BOF podcast, Imran Ahmed talks with three luxury leaders—Ermenegildo "Gildo" Zegna of the Zegna Group, Patrice Louvet of Ralph Lauren, and Noah Horowitz of Art Basel—about why some brands are thriving while the broader market contracts. The guests agree that...
Integrated Fashion: How We Stopped Buying Clothes and Started Buying Lifestyles | Season 14, Episode 1
In the season‑14 premiere of the Pair of Kings podcast, hosts Saul Thompson and Michael Smith introduce the concept of "integrated fashion," arguing that modern style is less about individual garments and more about buying into a lifestyle and cultural...
Wyatt Gilmore of Grant Stone
In this episode, host Jeremy Kirkland chats with Wyatt Gilmore, founder of Grant Stone, about his unconventional path into footwear—growing up with a family legacy at Alden, then moving to China and Taiwan at 19 to learn manufacturing from the...
Aerie and Pamela Anderson’s Anti-AI Pledge | Fast Five Shorts
The episode examines Aerie’s new "100% Aerie Real" pledge, highlighted by a campaign featuring Pamela Anderson that rejects AI‑generated bodies in favor of real women. Hosts debate whether this anti‑AI stance is a sustainable brand moat or merely a marketing...
Ask Imran Anything: On Boring Fashion, the Meaning of Luxury and Building Outside the System
In this 51‑minute Ask‑Me‑Anything episode, BOF founder Imran Ahmed tackles listener questions about fashion’s current creative climate, the evolving definition of luxury, and how emerging designers can launch brands outside traditional gatekeepers. He argues that while parts of the industry...
Virgil Nicholas of Vinny's
In this episode, Jeremy Kirkland chats with Virgil Nicholas, founder of the Copenhagen‑based footwear brand Vinny's. Virgil recounts the brand’s evolution over six years, the challenges of global supply chains, tariffs and a volatile market, and his belief that small,...
Faye McLeod on Luxury World-Building, One Window at a Time
In this episode, Imran Ahmed talks with former Louis Vuitton visual image director Faye McLeod about her 16‑year career designing store windows, facades, and runway sets that turn public streets into democratic stages. McLeod shares how a childhood accident taught...
Betty & Veronica
In this episode, hosts explore the cultural impact of Archie Comics, focusing on the iconic duo Betty and Veronica and how their fashion and storylines shaped teenage identity. They interview Archie expert Jasmine Aguilera and scholars Joel Christian Gill and...
Is Your $3,000 Handbag Worth It? Tanner Leatherstein Has the Answer.
In this episode Imran Ahmed talks with Tanner Leatherstein, a leather‑tanning prodigy turned viral content creator, about his unconventional journey from a family tannery in Turkey to truck‑driving, consulting, and finally dissecting luxury handbags on social media. Tanner explains how...
What European Luxury Can Learn From American Fashion
In this episode of The Debrief, senior editor Diana Pearl explains why European luxury houses are in a slump while American brands like Coach, Ralph Lauren, and Tory Burch are thriving. She argues that U.S. brands succeeded by refocusing on...
The Designers and Brands That Defined the Season
In this episode Imran Ahmed and veteran fashion critic Tim Blanks review the latest fashion season, noting a shift from the hype of debut collections to a more revealing focus on designers' evolving visions and their commercial rollout. They highlight...