Discover the most relevant industry news and insights for fashion PR & communications professionals, updated each month to enable you to excel in job interviews, promotion conversations or perform better in the workplace by increasing your market awareness and emulating market leaders.
BoF Careers distils business intelligence from across the breadth of our content — editorial briefings, newsletters, case studies, podcasts and events — to deliver key takeaways and learnings tailored to your job function, listed alongside a selection of the most exciting live jobs advertised by BoF Careers partners.
Key articles and need-to-know insights for PR & communications professionals today:
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1. The Debrief | How Influencers Make Money
The influencer landscape has shifted dramatically over the last decade. While the image of influencers posting flawless selfies on exotic, brand-sponsored trips still resonates, the reality has become far more complex. Influencers now host live shoppable streams, publish newsletters on Substack and engage in intimate group chats. Their goal is not just to build a following and wait for brands to come calling, but to establish multiple sources of income through affiliate links, brand deals and subscription models.
“Influencers and creators have realised that they need to diversify and be on multiple platforms. They need to be connecting with their followers in multiple ways and have a deeper relationship with their followers,” says Diana Pearl, senior news and features editor. “Even five years ago, there were people who didn’t really take this industry very seriously and didn’t realise the difference they could make for their brand. Now it is impossible to ignore.”
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2. The NFL Makes a Play for Women’s Fashion
This month, the NFL announced it had collaborated with New York-based ready-to-wear line Veronica Beard on a collection of 32 blazers — one for each team — based on the brand’s signature Dickey Jacket. Priced at $998 each, the jackets are more elevated than the rest of the league’s official women’s apparel offer — the customary sporty jerseys and sweatshirts, which are all priced under $200. The complete collection will retail on Veronica Beard and the NFL’s sites, as well as at Neiman Marcus stores and in NFL stadiums.
For Veronica Beard’s part, plugging into sports — and the NFL specifically, which saw interest among women surge last year thanks in part to media attention on pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs’ tightend Travis Kelce’s relationship — is an opportunity to speak to a new audience. The brand has been in expansion mode: Last year, it surpassed $250 million in sales and opened a number of new storefronts, including in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles’ ritzy Beverly Hills. This year, it added an outpost in the Hamptons and another in London.
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3. Old-School Magazines Are Brands’ New Favourite Marketing Tactic
Not so long ago, print seemed headed for extinction after years of magazines shuttering and media trending towards more video content online. But lately, fashion brands have been once again embracing print products as they shift more ad spending offline in an attempt to escape the algorithm and bypass the drawbacks of social-media marketing. These magazines aren’t solely focused on pushing product but are full editorial efforts, complete with interviews and feature stories that tap into culture while reflecting a brand’s ethos. Perhaps not by accident, they also coincide with a print revival among digital media outlets such as Complex, Spin, Nylon, and Vice, all of which announced a return to print this year.
“We live in a fast paced digital era where everything is condensed into short videos and images specifically for social media consumption,” said Palace’s communications director Patrick Tcherno. “Creating a tangible product that lives on from the cycle of a weekly drop allows for a more meaningful connection and a celebration of the creatives involved.” These magazines aren’t necessarily easy — or cheap — to put together. […] But done right, they can help brands reach beyond social media and build followings of their own.
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4. What Fashion Needs to Know About Gen Alpha’s Social Media Restrictions
Lawmakers across the US are proposing and passing legislation that would restrict children’s access to their phones and to social media platforms such as Instagram, with most citing a US Surgeon General warning that the devices distract students in class and can cause mental health harm. Countries including Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, France and Singapore have announced intentions to propose similar phone and social media restrictions for children. Last year, Australia enacted a ban on cellphone use in public schools.
For marketers, these laws will have far-reaching effects on how — and whether — they can now reach this group of young consumers as they gain purchasing power. “Children are starting to learn about brands much younger, and are developing brand loyalty between 13 and 17,” Dona Fraser, senior vice president of privacy initiatives at BBB National Programs and head of the organisation’s Children Advertising Review Unit. “Without avenues like social media, brands have a tough time ahead when it comes to winning this group over.”
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5. Gucci’s Marketing and Communications Shakeup Continues
Gucci’s chief brand officer Alessio Vannetti has left the brand, BoF has learned. The exit is the latest in a string of communications and marketing departures as the company overhauls its strategy and aesthetic. Over the past year, Gucci has sought to reset and elevate its image, increasing awareness of its iconic products and codes. Campaigns have emphasised carry-over items like horsebit loafers and monogram duffle bags, while exhibitions like its “Cosmos” retrospective in London and Kyoto underscored the brand’s history.
Last month, the brand rolled out a campaign shot by photography legend Nan Goldin featuring Blondie front-woman Debbie Harry. A new deputy chief executive officer, Stefano Cantino, joined Gucci in March before being promoted to lead the brand as CEO in October. As a veteran executive leading communications, marketing and strategy at Louis Vuitton and Prada, Cantino likely has a clear vision for Gucci’s communications organisation going forward. For now, however, many top roles remain vacant.
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6. Dior Names Bollywood Star Sonam Kapoor New Ambassador
As luxury executives eye India’s high growth potential, Christian Dior Couture has added Hindi film star Sonam Kapoor to its roster of ambassadors for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s womenswear. Kapoor is Bollywood royalty: the daughter of Anil Kapoor, one of the industry’s biggest stars. She rose to prominence in a mix of critically acclaimed films and Bollywood blockbusters throughout the 2010s, culminating in 2016′s “Neerja,” one of India’s top-grossing pictures featuring a female protagonist.
Dior has sought to underscore its links with India in recent years: the country is a nexus of craftsmanship where many of the brand’s suppliers for embroidery and embellishment are based, as well as a burgeoning market for luxury brands: luxury goods spending by Indian consumers is expected to roughly triple by 2030, reaching €25 to €30 billion per year, according to Bain & Company. Last March, Dior presented its pre-fall 2023 collection with a multi-day celebration in Mumbai.
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7. Fashion Brands Are Capitalising on Baseball’s Biggest World Series in Decades
The World Series this year is set to be baseball’s biggest championship in decades, pitting the Dodgers against the New York Yankees, two teams with a historic rivalry.
“This World Series is a dream scenario for many reasons. It’s the two biggest teams, they’re coastal and there’s some real healthy competition going on there,” said Mark Maidment, New Era’s senior vice president of brand and marketing for North America. “In terms of that big resonance across the country and globally, it doesn’t really get bigger than the Yankees and the Dodgers.”
With teams from two fashion capitals set to compete in a high-profile showdown, brands have been racing to take advantage. Polo Ralph Lauren and Madhappy were among those fortunate enough to release official Yankees collaborations during postseason games in October, but other brands are finding unique ways to create merch and marketing moments even without being official team partners.
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8. The BoF Podcast | How Michelle Yeoh Conquered Hollywood — and Fashion
Michelle Yeoh has captivated audiences for decades, from her iconic role in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” to her Oscar-winning performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Over her storied career, she has consistently pushed boundaries, proving her versatility both on and off the screen, breaking paths as an Asian woman on the global stage. Now, at the age of 62, Michelle has scored coveted global ambassador roles at not one, but two of fashion’s top luxury brands — Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.
“Fashion has changed, and it’s not just about dressing younger people,” Yeoh says. “You have to find representation across different generations, and I think what I represent is being proud that you are different, that you are older — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just before the Oscars a silly television commentator said, ‘You’re past your prime because you’re 50-something.’ How dare you? How dare anybody tell you what you are capable of?”. On The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Yeoh to discuss her winding journey to the big screen and why fashion is finally embracing older women.
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