IMRAN AMED, the Indian-origin founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of London-based The Business of Fashion (BoF), has lived up to his quote: “In a world full of trends, I want to remain classic.”
Amed’s BoF – a blog he quietly breathed life into in 2007 – has taken the fashion world by storm. The portal Businessoffashion.com has become a one-stop resource hub for fashion executives, designers, and entrepreneurs in more than 250 countries.
The digital media company is catering to around $2.5 trillion global fashion and luxury industries as the most trusted voice.
Amed, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BCom from McGill University, had no experience or training in fashion. However, he was always fascinated by the industry and its intriguing blend of creativity and business. Amed says, “Deep passion for fashion business made all the difference”.
Today the portal boasts more than 2 million unique visitors per month, while there are more than 8 million followers on its social media platforms. BoF’s Daily Digest email newsletter, which presents a mix of original stories and links to news and features, reaches the inboxes of over 8,00,00 registered users every morning.
BoF’s revenue model, according to Amed, comprises events, online courses, and a career database. “We have a talented team of over 100 scattered across the world’s fashion capitals including London, New York, Paris, and Shanghai to oversee various functions,” he adds.
The media platform is funded by investors such as Index Ventures, Felix Capital, and LVMH. Further, the growing influence of BoF paved the way for The Financial Times to ink an investment partnership in 2019.
He was born in Canada and holds British and Canadian citizenship, and has served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co.
Amed was appointed MBE in 2019 for services to the fashion industry.
He is also the youngest-ever recipient of the Desautels Management Achievement Award at McGill University. He was named Honorary Professor of Fashion Business at the Glasgow Caledonian University in 2015, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in 2018.
In an article in September 2018, it is no wonder that The Guardian called him ‘fashion’s most influential man.’
