Podcast Summary: The Business of Fashion Podcast

Episode: Making Sense of Fashion’s Brutal Job Market

Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler Young, Executive Editor Brian Baskin
Guest: Sophie Sore, BoF Careers

Episode Overview

This episode examines the challenging realities of fashion’s current job market, focusing on two connected trends: the industry’s move away from remote work and the intensifying difficulty for young professionals and recent graduates to break into coveted roles. Through first-hand reporting and insights from BoF's careers team, the episode provides hard data, nuanced perspectives, and actionable advice for both job-seekers and employers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fall of Remote Work in Fashion

(00:32–09:13)

• Fashion's Post-Pandemic Shift:
  Remote work, once adopted out of necessity during lockdown, is rapidly declining in favor of a return to the office.

  “Remote first is apparently out; companies that settled on three days in the office are now testing four, and some are pushing to the more consequential five days like pre-Covid times.” — Brian Baskin (00:32)

• Productivity vs. Collaboration:
  Companies realized productivity isn’t solely about output—it includes collaboration, morale, and culture.

  “Productivity should also include collaboration, morale, people being together, you know, facetime with leaders.” — Sheena Butler Young (02:11)

• Leaders’ Perspectives:
  Executive buy-in for returning is strong, often citing issues with remote teamwork and mistake rates.

  • Example: Max Ma, CEO of 7th Online, noticed a rise in costly software mistakes during remote work.

    “He tracked their mistakes...nearly every mistake they made...over those three years were due to, in his opinion...people working from home.” — Sheena Butler Young (04:26)

• Industry-wide Inertia & Motives:
  Some companies push in-office mandates simply because others are—even if their own productivity isn’t suffering.

  “Companies are doing what you just described, which is like everyone else is bringing people back. So I should as well...Or if we're being completely honest, there's things like, oh, I paid for this real estate, so you should all use it.” — Sheena Butler Young (06:55)

• Negative Side-Effects:
  Forcing office returns can be a covert way to encourage voluntary resignations, avoiding layoffs.

  “...A way you can get people to effectively fire themselves is to make them come to the office.” — Sheena Butler Young (08:04)

Notable Quote

“I think it's a fair, if harsh, observation...people [may] have to basically opt out of being able to work at their employer of choice if their lifestyle can’t accommodate being back in the office.” — Sophie Sore (08:22)

2. Employee Desires & Generational Differences

(09:13–12:24)

• Gen Z Surprises:
  Despite stereotypes, many Gen Z workers want to be back in the office, especially in cities like New York.

  “A lot of recruiters and experts say that it’s [Gen Z] that want to be in the office...They want to be at the shows, in the showrooms, looking at product.” — Sheena Butler Young (09:32)

• Older Generations Value Flexibility:
  Millennials, Gen X, and above—often with caregiving responsibilities—are stronger proponents of remote or hybrid options.

  “It's the Gen X and above...they’re the ones that are advocating for less time in the office…advocating or at least preferring to have more time at home.” — Sheena Butler Young (09:57)

• Ideal Hybrid Preference:
  BoF Careers’ 2025 survey: Most professionals (across generations) prefer a “three days in, two days out” hybrid model.

  “Last year, BoF Careers surveyed over a thousand individuals…three days in the office, two days remote, was the most popular across all the different ages.” — Sophie Sore (11:00)

• Mentorship Value:
  Younger workers increasingly recognize the value of in-person learning and mentorship lost during COVID disruption.

3. Fashion’s Toughest Job Market in Years

(12:24–23:50)

• Rising Youth Unemployment:
  Hard data confirms the market’s toughness.

  “Unemployment among 23 to 27 year olds climbed to roughly 4.6% in 2025...underemployment is at its highest level in years.” — Sheena Butler Young (12:43)

• Impact of AI:
  AI automation is eating away at entry-level, rote positions—especially those like copywriting.

  “A lot of them are citing AI taking on a lot of junior level work that they could have gotten.” — Sheena Butler Young (13:23)

• Limited Industry Growth:
  Fashion, arts, and entertainment are forecasted for sluggish growth (2-3% next decade), constraining new opportunities.

• Comparisons to Past Industry Slumps:
  Brian Baskin likens it to the early-2000s media recession: when industries don’t grow, new talent is left out.

Notable Quote

“It's the people with the shortest resumes and the least experience who might from that.” — Brian Baskin (14:44)

4. Strategies & Solutions for Breaking In

(17:33–23:50)

• Retail as a Gateway:
  The job market isn’t “frozen”—but most openings are in retail, not creative or headquarters roles.

  “I saw that a lot of the jobs were in retail—670 retail roles compared to 90 roles in like fashion and design.” — Sheena Butler Young (18:37)

• Getting Creative with Entry:
  New grads are pursuing sales, hospitality, and even restaurant roles in fashionable cities to make connections and gain experience.

  “Maybe the start isn't...at the big internship at LVMH. Maybe it is on the sales floor...working in restaurants and hostesses jobs in cities like London or LA or New York…you meet like an executive from a brand in that space.” — Sheena Butler Young (18:37)

• The Value of Customer-Facing Roles:
  Retail/restaurant work improves soft skills, customer insight, and may position you for upward movement, with some companies now promoting retail-to-HQ pipelines.

  “There is so much opportunity in being able to engage with a brand...including then thinking about how you can leverage those skill sets for a career later on.” — Sophie Sore (20:01)

• The Human Touch is Back:
  With AI on the rise, qualities that emphasize “human-ness”—interpersonal skills, initiative (e.g., bringing physical portfolios)—are newly prized.

  “I've heard people talk about even just printing out their Portfolios again in 2026 versus like sending people to your website or your Instagram. There is a real...apparent swing to...more traditional, conventional ways of doing things.” — Sheena Butler Young (22:07)

Notable Quote

“If you bring it, bring it very well done and very edited...Scissors are your words. That is the main advice to take away here.” — Sheena Butler Young (24:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On declining remote work:

  “There does seem like there’s no upside anymore for companies to let people work from home and it’s just a matter of whether they can get people to do it or not.” — Brian Baskin (06:34)

• On systemic shifts:

  “During the pandemic, employers widened their talent pool...If they're then revoking that and potentially losing members...it's something that they really have to consider.” — Sophie Sore (08:22)

• On breaking into the industry:

  “Most people are doing a combination...if they're going to be successful.” — Sheena Butler Young (19:46)

• Advice for aspiring professionals:

  “Curate that portfolio...If you bring it, bring it very well done and very edited.” — Sheena Butler Young (24:09)

Timestamps for Major Topics

• 00:32–03:50: The evolution and motivations behind return-to-office mandates
• 03:50–06:55: Leadership attitudes & reasons for in-person work
• 08:15–09:13: Hard employer tactics (mandates as attrition tools)
• 09:13–12:24: Generational attitudes toward office vs. remote work
• 12:24–15:00: Data on youth unemployment and slowed industry growth
• 17:33–20:01: Entry-level job realities & nontraditional pathways
• 22:07–24:09: The “human touch” and physical portfolios making a comeback

Takeaways & Actionable Tips

• For job-seekers:

  • Consider nontraditional or indirect pathways into fashion—retail, hospitality, and customer-facing roles are gateways, not dead ends.
  • Play up your interpersonal and problem-solving skills—qualities not replicable by AI.
  • Presentation matters: physical portfolios, a memorable human touch, and flexibility can help you stand out.

• For employers:

  • Weigh the trade-offs of remote vs. in-person policies—consider your company culture needs and existing workforce realities.
  • Recognize and leverage the potential in retail and entry-level talent pools.
  • Be clear and intentional in return-to-office mandates, considering past decisions and current workforce needs.

Episode Tone

The discussion is candid, fact-driven, and supportive, blending tough realities with practical encouragement. The hosts and their guest maintain an engaging, conversational style—balancing hard data, anecdotes, and actionable advice with empathy for the struggles faced by newcomers and employers alike.

End of Summary