The Business of Fashion (stylised in all caps, also known as BOF), is a British-American fashion trade journal that covers fashion, beauty, and luxury industries. Founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, the publication is based in London and New York City.[1][2]
As of 2025, BoF had 123,000 paying digital subscribers, placing it 55th on Press Gazette's ranking of English-language news publishers with more than 100,000 online subscribers.[3]
History
BoF was founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, as a blog and occasional newsletter from his flat in London.[4] The site initially combined original articles on the fashion business with links to coverage from other publications.[5]
In February 2013, the company announced $2.1 million in seed funding led by Index Ventures, with participation from LVMH, Samos Investments, Advancit Capital, Carmen Busquets and Novel TMT Ventures. The Financial Times subsequently led BoF's Series B funding round, investing alongside existing shareholders Index Ventures and Felix Capital.[1]
In 2014, BoF launched an edition in China, which at the time was the only fashion-industry publication of its kind in the country. In 2015, Tim Blanks joined The Business of Fashion as Editor-at-Large.[5]
By 2018, Amed's daily newsletter reached nearly half a million people, six days a week, with recipients in approximately 190 countries, and its paying subscriber base had grown 12 percent year-on-year by the end of 2025.[4][3]
Products and services
BoF Professional
BoF's primary revenue stream is its subscription membership, branded BoF Professional. The membership provides access to daily news coverage, email newsletters, case studies, digital events and industry reports.
BoF Insights
BoF Insights is the publication's data and advisory division. Its products include Brand Pulse (originally launched as the Brand Magic Index), an AI-powered tool that measures fashion brand performance.[6]
BoF Careers
BoF Careers is a recruitment platform connecting fashion and beauty professionals with employers.
Publications
The State of Fashion
Since 2016, BoF has co-produced The State of Fashion, an annual industry report, in partnership with McKinsey & Company. The 2026 edition was the tenth in the series.[7] The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has listed the report in its resource library. Special editions have focused on the luxury, beauty, and technology sectors.[8]
The Daily Digest
BoF publishes a daily email newsletter, The Daily Digest, which initially combined reporting with aggregated fashion industry news and now focuses solely on BoF's original reporting.[5]
Recognition
- Fast Company named BoF one of its "Most Innovative Companies" in 2015 and 2024, with the latter recognition in the media category.[6]
- In 2016, founder Imran Amed received the Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard at the CFDA Fashion Awards.[9]
- In 2026, BoF was included in Press Gazette's "100k Club" ranking of English-language subscription news websites.[3]
References
- 1 2 Lunden, Ingrid (2013-02-18). "Business Of Fashion Gets $2.1M Seed Funding From Index, LVMH And More For Its No-Nonsense B2B Fashion Blog". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ "How The Business of Fashion became an unlikely insider's guide". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- 1 2 3 Tobitt, Charlotte (2026-03-12). "At least 61 English language news publishers now have 100k+ online subs". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- 1 2 Lewis, Tim (2018-09-09). "Imran Amed: meet fashion's most influential man". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- 1 2 3 Vogue (2015-10-22). "First Past The Post". British Vogue. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- 1 2 LaPorte, Nicole (2024-03-19). "This fashion trade publisher is using AI to measure subscribers' brand value". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2025-04-20. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ Balchandani, Anita. "The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change". mckinsey.com. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ↑ "The State of Fashion Report 2026 | McKinsey & Company and BoF Insights". CFDA. 2025-12-03. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ "The 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees & Honorees". CFDA. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2026-05-23.