The Business of Fashion Podcast
Episode: Edward Buchanan on Being Written Out of Fashion History
Host: Imran Amed (The Business of Fashion)
Guest: Edward Buchanan
Date: September 26, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features an illuminating conversation between BoF’s Imran Amed and designer Edward Buchanan, exploring Buchanan’s personal and professional journey from Ohio to Milan. It delves deeply into issues of race, inclusivity, erasure, and recognition in fashion, reflecting on Buchanan’s influential but often uncredited role in shaping Bottega Veneta’s ready-to-wear business. Listeners gain a rare first-person account of navigating creativity, systemic barriers, and the importance of belonging—along with Buchanan’s advice for young fashion creatives today.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Early Life and Upbringing in Ohio
[03:15–06:30]
- Edward Buchanan grew up in Bedford, a Cleveland suburb, in a “very divided” Ohio, where neighborhoods were segregated and racial tensions were still palpable in the 1970s.
- He was raised by a single mother, surrounded by love despite economic struggles:
“We didn’t always have lunch money… But there was never, ever a moment where I felt unloved as a child, which is a big thing.” – Edward Buchanan [06:11]
- Creativity ran in Edward’s family; his mother was a pianist, and “she allowed us to...float into the areas that we wanted to float into.”
2. Art School & Coming Out
[06:36–08:59]
- Attended Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), focusing first on fine art and illustration, not fashion.
- College was pivotal for both foundational skills and personal growth, including coming out:
“There was never any pressure about my sexuality...which I think relates to the love that I had in that home, because I never felt odd or out of place in any environment.” – Edward Buchanan [07:40]
- The Columbus arts and club scene helped him discover community and identity.
3. Transition to New York & Parsons
[09:57–12:32]
- Inspired by friends and NYC’s energy, Buchanan moved to New York in the early 90s, starting in visual merchandising (at The Gap) before attending Parsons.
- Early New York, especially downtown, was a place of survival, possibility, and crucial self-discovery:
“I was born in Ohio and I really became an adult [in New York]. It taught me everything about me as an individual...It taught me also that I was a black creative in a space that wasn’t always going to welcome me in.” – Edward Buchanan [12:38]
- At Parsons, he was one of very few Black students.
4. Fashion Education, Mentorship, and Hustle
[13:45–22:34]
- Buchanan’s move from fine art to fashion design was gradual, aided by Parsons' culture and the city’s nightlife.
- He credits CCAD for strong illustration skills, which helped him secure a scholarship to Parsons.
- Mentors included Gordon Henderson and Isaac Mizrahi.
- Buchanan interned widely but was not hired by major houses despite introductions:
“Gordon...introduced me to Calvin, the Calvin…to Donna, the Donna Karan...And none of them hired me.” – Edward Buchanan [18:56]
- Found value in internships at The Gap and a short-lived placement at Perry Ellis with Marc Jacobs.
- The path was non-linear, learning merchandising and the business side by necessity.
5. Breaking Through at Bottega Veneta
[22:34–33:06]
- Entry point came through a connection in visual merchandising; Buchanan joined Bottega Veneta, then a small, family-run leather goods house.
- He arrived in Italy and immediately faced racism:
“They stopped me and they held me for two hours. They did a cavity search...That set an outline of what were my expectations in going into a place where I wasn’t familiar or there were not many others that looked like me.” – Edward Buchanan [25:45]
- Became the first designer to build ready-to-wear at Bottega Veneta—learning Italian manufacturing and knitwear on the fly with help from factories and technicians:
“It was kind of my third school. I was really learning luxury goods while I was working at Bottega Veneta.” – Edward Buchanan [29:54]
6. Innovation, Collaboration, and Legacy at Bottega
[31:41–36:06]
- First shows were minimalist, differentiating Bottega from the “excessive” era of 1990s Italian fashion.
- “Accessories to the accessories” was Buchanan’s guiding concept—blending American sportswear and Italian craft.
- Partnerships with stylists (notably Katie Grand) brought punk energy and opened Bottega up to new communities:
“She started cutting the fingertips off of woven hand gloves and leather. And it was so punk in the approach.” – Edward Buchanan [35:37]
- Buchanan reflects now on being the first, and how that was not recognized or celebrated for many years.
7. The Problem with Inclusion in Fashion
[37:13–42:09]
- After three decades in Italy, Buchanan is often still the only person of color in many professional settings:
“How many times I walk into spaces and I’m the only one...Even when I started working...up until [George Floyd], there was really no one working on the interior structures of these companies.” – Edward Buchanan [38:34]
- Skeptical about the depth of change post-2020:
“After those black boxes started to fade down, it was back to business.”
- He emphasizes that fashion houses are quick to put Black and brown faces in ad campaigns but remain exclusive inside:
“They have no problems, Imran, putting Black and brown people as a window display in their advertising campaign, because that’s a flex...but you don’t necessarily have to have them working on the inside. Here lies the problem.” – Edward Buchanan [41:20]
8. Recognition and Being Written Back Into History
[42:43–47:24]
- For years, Buchanan’s foundational work at Bottega Veneta was unacknowledged; the house made no contact with him.
- A turning point came when Bottega’s current team researched the brand’s history and realized they lacked documentation of his era:
“After I left Bottega, I kept everything...so when they started to work on this [campaign], the head of PR...said...we’d like to have a conversation with you…It was interestingly therapeutic to talk about that time.” – Edward Buchanan [45:07]
- He was invited to star in an anniversary campaign, symbolically “writing” him back into the brand’s official narrative—something he describes as validating, after years of “erasure.”
- New creative director Louise Trotter was the first to reach out after her appointment, recognizing Buchanan’s role.
9. Advice for Young Creatives and Designers
[48:39–52:21]
- Buchanan teaches knitwear and mentors young designers, focusing on business acumen as well as creativity:
“Knowing the business means from the ground up...Being a designer as an independent or creating your own collection is a shit show right now...if you don’t have an understanding of the business from all corners, it’s really difficult.” – Edward Buchanan [49:08]
- His core advice:
“Find the honesty in your design...the story that you’re attempting to tell comes instinctively...Only you can tell yours.” – Edward Buchanan [50:23]
- For designers of color arriving in Milan or navigating the industry, Buchanan stresses community:
“It’s so necessary to reach out to people that are in the space, that know the space that can assist you in understanding how do we navigate this space...There’s a voice that knows and understands and I think that’s a major part of it.” – Edward Buchanan [51:32]
- Highlights the efforts of leaders like Stella Jean and Michelle of the Afro Fashion Association.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On the illusion of inclusion:
“You can hire [Black and brown people] to put in your advertising, but you don’t necessarily have to have them working on the inside. Here lies the problem.” – Edward Buchanan [41:20]
-
On being erased from fashion history:
“Because prior to that, the job that I did was unknown and erased…it was kind of written out of the story.” – Edward Buchanan [46:20]
-
On true design:
“Find the honesty in your design. Find what is the thing that you really believe in. And I think that you can really see it in design when it’s honest.” – Edward Buchanan [49:49]
-
On self-belief and perseverance:
“The work needs to stand for itself 1,000%.” – Edward Buchanan [52:21]
Important Timestamps & Segments
- Edward’s Ohio Childhood – 03:15
- Columbus, Art School & Sexuality – 06:36
- Move to New York & Parsons – 09:57
- Mentorships & Industry Rejection – 16:40–22:34
- Bottega Veneta Years – 22:34–36:06
- Italian Fashion System & Inclusion – 37:13–42:09
- Recognition by Bottega / Campaign – 42:43–47:24
- Advice to Young Designers – 48:39–52:21
Tone & Atmosphere
The episode balances nostalgia and honesty, with Buchanan’s warmth and depth shining through. There’s a genuine tone of mutual respect between host and guest, and a sense of mission in speaking candidly about ingrained inequities and personal triumph. Buchanan’s language blends humor, humility, and determination, making his insights both relatable and inspiring.
For Those Who Haven’t Listened
This episode not only offers a firsthand account of fashion’s creative engine rooms, but it also spotlights how recognition, diversity, and access are still hard-won battles in the industry. Edward Buchanan’s journey—marked by love, resilience, exclusion, and finally recognition—serves as both a warning and a beacon for a new generation of designers.