“He’s got designers and editors hanging on his every word,” The Guardian stated about Imran Amed, founder of the website and modern media company, The Business of Fashion. Described as the “authoritative voice of the $2.5 trillion global fashion and luxury industries,” the company is headquartered in London and garners over 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
Imran Amed, Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of The Business of Fashion (on the right), sharing insights during the event hosted by Istituto Marangoni Dubai
Naturally, within the fashion sphere, The Business of Fashion is a daily staple, affectionately referred to as BoF. It serves as the premier source for authoritative industry insights and exclusive global scoops on luxury. Case in point: the first revelation of esteemed designer Phoebe Philo’s departure from Céline came via The Business of Fashion.
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Additionally, BoF’s daily newsletter is considered “addictive” by many, serving as a go-to digest for current events and a crucial source for understanding future developments. Their articles aim to help industry professionals analyse, interpret, and explore global and local changes in geopolitics, technology, society, culture, and other areas, assisting them in navigating the ever-evolving fashion landscape.
And what about the BoF 500? Introduced in 2013, it has evolved into the ultimate power list that recognises the 500 most influential figures in the global fashion industry every year. It stands as a pinnacle of success for luxury players.
There are other initiatives spearheaded by the BoF team, which has a presence in London, New York, Paris, and Shanghai. These include BoF Professional, the world’s largest community of fashion professionals; BoF Careers, a global talent marketplace for the fashion industry; and VOICES, an annual event gathering thinkers and innovators from within and beyond fashion.
However, not everyone knows the story behind this oracle of fashion and luxury, the go-to destination for designers, CEOs, and influential figures who eagerly yearn for their news to be broadcasted on this platform, all while dreading the critical scrutiny that comes with BoF’s articles, which are known for their honest and direct approach.
When Istituto Marangoni Dubai hosted a talk featuring Imran Amed, not only the founder but also the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Business of Fashion, we had the opportunity to engage with this entrepreneur, fashion executive, writer, thinker, and commentator. Together, we delved into his journey, discussing the future of fashion and journalism and covering a wide range of topics, from AI insights to the transformative potential of questioning.
Exploring fashion and journalism's future with Imran Amed from The Business of Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Dubai
Facilitated by Roberto Laiacona, Director of Istituto Marangoni Dubai School, and Elena Marinoni, the school’s Director of Education, the talk traced Imran Amed’s journey from his early career in Management Consulting at McKinsey & Company, one of the largest and most significant companies in the industry, to his latest successful venture in fashion journalism.
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Imran Amed defines himself as a “Canadian by birth, Indian by ethnicity, East African by heritage, Londoner by choice”, as stated on his Instagram profile. His journey epitomises that of an accomplished professional who, at a pivotal moment, faced deep dissatisfaction and bravely ventured beyond his comfort zone.
At 29, Imran Amed found himself waking up every morning with an intense feeling of unhappiness and unfulfillment. As he shared with us, despite having meticulously checked all the boxes of attending the right schools and working in the right companies, he remained discontent.
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Imran Amed, known for his analytical nature and adept problem-solving skills, has always approached challenges with remarkable business acumen. Initially, his mindset seemed distant from the creativity synonymous with the fashion industry. However, Amed revolutionised the approach to fashion, particularly in journalism, by recognising that fashion is fundamentally a business. He pioneered a novel perspective, emphasising the necessity of business analysis in fashion journalism.
Diving into the future of fashion journalism and media with Imran Amed of The Business of Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Dubai
Following a challenging period of dissatisfaction, Imran Amed made a pivotal decision in 2006: he left his job in management consulting and took a sabbatical from McKinsey. During this hiatus, he embarked on a transformative journey to South Africa, where he participated in a 10-day silent retreat at a Vipassana meditation camp. This experience transformed his perspective and changed the course of his life. It became unequivocally clear to him that he needed to pursue different paths.
Amed’s first venture was an incubator focused on supporting young British fashion designers. However, it didn’t quite take off as planned, and he faced closed doors along the way.
Despite encountering some setbacks, his resilience and perseverance led to significant encounters with industry leaders. As a result, Amed began consulting for LVMH while simultaneously launching a private blog titled ‘The Business of Fashion.’
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Amed initiated the BoF website in early 2007, starting as a blog that he would write during his spare time at night from his sofa in his flat in Notting Hill. Initially, The Business of Fashion was shared solely with friends and family. It wasn’t until Imran Amed decided to “take the password off his blog” that BoF truly gained momentum.
Until 2013, Amed served as the primary contributor to BoF. However, in that pivotal year, he secured $2.5 million in seed funding, led by Index Ventures, with participation from a diverse group of investors from the words of fashion, technology, and media. This infusion of capital propelled BoF into a phase of rapid growth unlike anything seen before.
In 2017, a decade after founding BoF, Imran Amed was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II with the appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contributions to the fashion industry.
Amed shared a relatable story of success and vulnerability. He appeared grounded and attentive to the questions raised by the audience, including one on the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and creativity.
“The importance of human creativity will never change [...] creativity is something that machines cannot generate” – Imran Amed, founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion (BoF)
According to the BoF Founder, instead of fearing AI, people should embrace it as a tool for their benefit while acknowledging that machines will never supplant the human mind.
Imran Amed, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion, shedding light on the future of fashion journalism during a talk hosted by Istituto Marangoni Dubai
His advice to students at Istituto Marangoni Dubai was concise: “Keep experimenting, keep asking the right questions, and new perspectives will open up.”
Lastly, when queried about the advice he would impart to his younger self, Amed responded in a calm and reassuring tone, “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.”
