Since the earliest days of tools like ChatGPT and Claude, industry conversations have been marked by a tension between excitement around speed and efficiency alongside deep-seated fears of job loss, creative dilution and concerns about its environmental footprint. What once played out in theory is now unfolding in practice — as a broader rejection of what AI represents — particularly as more consumers view AI-generated content as a cost-cutting measure that erodes fashion’s human touch,
In this episode, The Debrief host Sheena Butler-Young (@sheena.butler.young ) discusses with BoF correspondents Marc Bain (@marcbain_ ) and Haley Crawford (@haleycrawf ) why the backlash is intensifying and how consumer sentiment against brands using AI-generated imagery is forcing a reckoning. They explore whether fashion can actually embrace these tools without losing the care and time that confers luxury status.
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Nearly a year after President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs sent shockwaves through the fashion industry, the Supreme Court ruled he did not have authority to impose the sweeping levies. For an industry that imports billions of dollars in clothing, footwear and accessories into the US each year, the decision initially felt like relief. But that optimism narrowed almost immediately as new tariffs were introduced at 10 percent, with Trump indicating they could be raised to 15 percent over the weekend.
BoF reporters Marc Bain (@marcbain_ ) and Cat Chen (@kittykewlcat ) unpack what this means for prices, refunds and the supply chain.
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BoF and @McKinseyCo ’s annual State of Fashion report finds the industry entering 2026 with caution: 46 percent of executives expect conditions to worsen, citing geopolitics, macro volatility and the risk of shoppers pulling back. Yet there is also a pulse of optimism around AI-driven efficiency, luxury’s creative recalibration and fresh consumer interest in categories from smart glasses to fine jewellery.
Tariffs remain the dominant near-term swing factor. Brands mitigated pain in 2025 by pulling forward inventory, but as that cushion runs out, the full impact shows up in 2026 in costs and pricing. More broadly, luxury’s era of price-led growth has run its course; as BoF correspondent Marc Bain (@marcbain_ ) puts it, if you ask customers to pay more, you have to “actually offer the value for the price.”
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2025 was a big year for Jessica, Lucy and me. Over the summer, we left the neighborhood in Brooklyn where we’d lived for more than 15 years and moved to London. We’ve been able to see some incredible stuff along the way, traveling to Milan and Paris and getting to explore our new city. There have been some bumps, too, but mostly it’s been great. I ❤️ NY and know it will always feel more like home to me than anywhere else in the world, but I also feel pretty lucky to get to experience another amazing city and see things from another perspective. And while I miss Sunday morning bagels, the nearby pub does a great Sunday roast.
After turning to other matters for a few weeks, President Donald Trump has reignited his aggressive tariff strategy, threatening sweeping new duties on key fashion-producing nations starting Aug. 1, as well as a fresh set of new levies on the EU, Brazil, South Korea and other trade partners.
On this episode of The Debrief, correspondents Joan Kennedy and Marc Bain join hosts executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to unpack how brands are reacting, where prices are headed, and why diversification may no longer be the solution it once was.
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On May 12, the US and China reached a deal to temporarily reduce tariffs for 90 days, offering a breather from an escalating trade war. Stocks surged on the news, but experts warn this relief might not fully resolve deeper industry uncertainties or consumer anxieties.
BoF retail editor Cathaleen Chen and technology correspondent Marc Bain join hosts Brian Baskin and Sheena Butler-Young to unpack the ramifications of the tariff pause and what the fashion industry can expect moving forward.
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In early April, President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs, imposing duties as high as 145 percent on imports from China. Among the rationales offered were the prospect of a US manufacturing renaissance.
The American fashion sector — heavily reliant on overseas production, particularly in China — now faces significant disruption. Some brands are adapting quickly, leveraging their domestic operations and leaning into a ‘Made in USA’ identity. Others are reevaluating their reliance on China as their primary sourcing destination. But the prospect of a mass return of garment manufacturing jobs remains a remote possibility, most economists and fashion industry experts say.
In this episode of The Debrief, BoF correspondents Malique Morris and Marc Bain join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to assess whether the dream of American-made fashion is any closer to reality.
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Fast-fashion giant H&M recently announced its plans to deploy AI-generated "digital twins" of real-life models in marketing campaigns. While H&M argues it's proactively managing inevitable industry changes, including by working with models to compensate them for use of their AI versions, the decision has sparked significant backlash. Comments on social media and statements by industry figures highlight deep-seated anxieties around job security, creative integrity and the value of the human element in fashion.
BoF correspondents Marc Bain and Haley Crawford discuss the potential outcomes and tensions arising from AI’s expanding role in fashion marketing.
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