The Business of Fashion Founder & CEO: Imran Amed – Following a Feeling, Being a Pioneer, & Building the Voice of an Industry

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Imran Amed, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion, the platform that fundamentally changed how the fashion industry understands and talks about itself, to explore what it truly takes to bet on a calling when everything rational tells you otherwise. From journaling as a child to consulting at McKinsey, Imran traces the long and winding road that led him to build one of the most influential media businesses of his generation. The conversation covers the early days of stretching himself thin across multiple jobs just to keep the dream alive, the insecurity and need for validation that shadowed his ambition, and the moment the universe seemed to stop offering alternatives. Imran opens up about the internal struggle between security and purpose, how meditation and silent retreats helped him find stillness amid relentless pressure, and why genuine optimism, not the performative kind, has been his most durable asset. An unusually candid and deeply personal conversation about identity, courage, and what becomes possible when you finally stop ignoring what you were meant to do. Filmed at The Twenty Two (London), Gingko Suite. (00:00) Intro ✨🎙️ (00:54) BoF VOICES 🎤🌍 (03:34) How It Started 💡🌱 (05:15) Failure ❌📉 (07:06) Rise Of The Internet 🌐💻 (08:07) Following A Feeling 🧭❤️ (12:20) Prosumers 🔄💡 (13:34) Perspective 👁️🌍 (15:47) Creation Of The Logo ✏️🎨 (21:05) Turning Into A Business 💡💼 (25:37) "Why London?" 🇬🇧🌆 (28:35) Consumer To Prosumer 🔄✨ (30:00) Adapting To The Times ⏳🔄 (33:04) Being A Pioneer 🚀🌟 (35:13) "State Of Fashion" 👔📊 (41:05) BoF & McKinsey 📰💼 (44:12) The Impact Of Knowledge 📚💡 (47:57) Banned From A Fashion Show 🚫👗 (49:56) Breaking The Fashion Communication System ⚡🔓 (53:56) Industry & Business Relationships 🤝🏻💼 (56:45) Good vs. Bad Campaigns For Creators ✅❌ (58:18) Brands Keeping Up With Culture 🌍👔 (1:00:42) Imran Amed 📰✨ (1:04:11) Applying To McKinsey 📝💼 (1:09:36) Mechanics Of A Consulting Firm ⚙️📊 (1:11:06) Internal Struggle 💭⚡ (1:15:26) Meditation 🧘✨ (1:20:20) Silent Retreats 🌿🔇 (1:24:43) Optimism ☀️🌟 (1:26:35) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices