What's the Future of Fashion?

FashionSIGHTS Unveiled with Achim Berg

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FashionSIGHTS is an independent corporate think tank dedicated to exploring and shaping the future of the fashion industry. Rooted in rigorous research and powered by the expertise of our team and extensive network, we deliver value through THOUGHT LEADERSHIP and Advisory services to our clients, including senior decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Our unique inSIGHTS engine allows us to create hindSIGHT and foreSIGHT – analyzing past trends, addressing current challenges, and anticipating future opportunities. Based on our distinctive understanding, we actively support and make INVESTMENTS in start-ups and scale-ups at the intersection of fashion and technology, driving innovation and transformative growth.

At FashionSIGHTS, we use our convening power to foster a COMMUNITY of forward-thinkers by connecting our clients and partners with current and future decision-makers of the industry. We collaborate in a culture defined by trust, integrity, high performance, teamwork, and kindness. Together, we are reimagining the future of fashion.

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Interview #28 - Thomas Tochtermann, Chairman GFA

Why is sustainability taking a “peaceful pause” in fashion? This was the core theme of my recent conversation with Thomas Tochtermann, Chairman of the Global Fashion Agenda. Thomas is a passionate and influential voice for a more sustainable future in fashion. After a distinguished career at McKinsey & Company, he now serves as a board professional for various fashion and consumer companies. I’ve had the privilege of calling him a mentor during my McKinsey years, where he co-founded and championed the Apparel, Fashion & Luxury (AF&L) practice - and he’s remained a trusted friend ever since. In our discussion, we unpacked why sustainability in fashion appears to be facing more headwinds today than just three years ago. Why aren’t consumers willing to pay for sustainable choices? And why, despite all this, does Thomas remain hashtag#optimistic about the industry’s path to true sustainability? This thoughtful conversation is part of my ongoing interview series for my upcoming book on The Future of Fashion.
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Interview #24 - Caroline Pill, Global Sector Leader Fashion,...

Who’s Rising - and How? Cracking the Code of Success in Fashion and Luxury This was a central question in my recent conversation with Caroline Pill Global Sector Leader for Fashion, Luxury, and Beauty at Heidrick & Struggles. Caroline plays a key role in placing top-tier executives at leading global fashion, luxury and hashtag#beauty brands. Her work goes beyond traditional talent acquisition – it includes executive coaching and strategic leadership development, with a focus on building teams that combine cultural sensitivity with strategic vision. With more than 15 years of remarkable global experience (New York, Shanghai, London) in executive search, Caroline is the ideal expert to discuss how hashtag#leadership skill sets have evolved, what value formal education plays versus a person’s practical experience, and to hear her thoughts on gender hashtag#diversity in executive roles – particularly her passionate advocacy for hashtag#empowering hashtag#women in hiring practices. Thank you again, Caroline for sharing your valuable insights with the FashionSIGHTS community - I really enjoyed our conversation in London. This interview is part of my series for my upcoming book on The Future of Fashion.
event May 2025

The Future of Retail Summit, Milan

Achim Berg joins the opening panel at the first edition of "The Future of Retail" Summit, hosted by FASHION Magazine in Milan on May 5th. The summit gathers leading voices from across the fashion industry from Italy and beyond to explore the evolving dynamics and future of fashion retail. In the discussion, Achim addresses the complex challenges and emerging opportunities that are currently reshaping the industry landscape.

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The 2025 Forbes Billionaires List is out - and it’s clear: F...

The combined net worth of fashion and luxury billionaires in the Forbes Top 200 fell to $522bn, down 16% from $617bn in 2024. That decline is mirrored in the number of fashion/luxury figures in the Top 200: just 10 in 2025, compared to 14 last year. Notable drop-offs include: • Giorgio Armani now ranked #208 with $11.8bn • Sky Xu (Shein Shein) now #323, net worth down by $2bn • Michael Rubin (Fanatics slipped to #248 • Nicolas Puech (Hermès heir, 5% stake): dropped entirely Last year, Bernard Arnault (LVMH) briefly claimed the top spot as the world’s richest. But tech is back on top: Elon Musk has reclaimed #1 with a net worth of $342bn (as of March), while Arnault fell to #5, with his fortune down to $178bn (from $233bn). ...
event April 2025

Navigating Future Careers in Fashion & Luxury

FashionSIGHTS partners with Dweet to host a LinkedIn Live community event featuring a dynamic panel of renowned industry experts and leading academic voices. The session brought together Laura Buckle (Senior Director of Global Recruitment at SKIMS), Melanie Mitchell (Graduate Futures Career Consultant at UAL), Laurent Piffaut (Co-Founder of Dweet) together with Achim Berg to explore a key question facing young industry talents: How will careers in fashion evolve - and how can talent best prepare for what’s ahead?

press April 2025

Prada brings Versace home to create Italian luxury contender

Reuters by Elisa Anzolin

Achim comments on Prada’s acquisition of Versace and its significance for Europe’s luxury landscape.

Prada’s deal to buy Versace signals a strategic push to build a true Italian powerhouse in global fashion. Achim considers this a pivotal step toward rebalancing Europe’s luxury landscape, long dominated by French conglomerates. Despite Italy’s strong “Made in Italy” image of trust and quality, the country has lacked a player of comparable scale. This move brings Versace, previously owned by US-listed Capri Holdings, back under Italian control, marking a shift from fragmented past efforts to a more consolidated national vision. Achim notes that unlike earlier small-scale ventures that failed to gain traction, this deal carries real strategic weight and long-term ambition.

press March 2025

D-Congress 2025: How AI Is Powering Fashion, Culture And E-C...

Forbes by Cassell Ferere

Achim is featured as a top voice with his keynote speech on fashion's paradigm shifts and the evolving e-commerce landscape.

Held in Sweden, home to innovative e-commerce companies, D-Congress brought together prominent industry thought leaders to explore the transformative power of AI in global fashion, culture and retail. In his keynote, Achim discussed fashion’s e-commerce transformation, highlighting how the landscape is consolidating and evolving around three core value-driven archetypes. He also identified ten key paradigm shifts that are revolutionizing the fashion industry, from AI streamlining back-end operations to ESG initiatives becoming non-negotiable for brands.

press March 2025

Paradigm shifts: Dr. Achim Berg on D-Congress Talks

Achim's keynote on fashion's paradigm shifts, presented live at D-Congress, is now available as a podcast episode.

After a decade of massive growth, peaking during Covid, e-commerce now faces a reality check. Achim dives into the drivers behind the past decade's e-commerce boom and gloom and explains why the focus has now shifted from aggressive growth to profitability. This shift is leading to a market restructuring and consolidation, with a future focus on three key archetypes that define the landscape.

press March 2025

What luxury can learn from the watch resale playbook

Vogue Business by Milena Lazazzera

Achim shares his opinion on the opportunities and challenges of resale in fashion and luxury.

Resale has become a major force in luxury, with watches leading the way due to limited supply, durability, and high value retention. Their scarcity fuels demand and strengthens strong resale prices. Fashion faces greater challenges in resale, as items like cashmere and shoes degrade over time, and the industry often overproduces rather than limiting supply, reducing long-term value. As Achim notes, this makes resale more complex, requiring a careful approach. Many brands still underestimate consumer demand or struggle to integrate resale into their business. A key lesson from watches is the importance of authentication and collaboration with trusted resale platforms to protect brand equity and unlock new opportunities in the secondary market.

linkedin February 2025

The Two-Horse Race: How Fashion’s Richest Are Shaping the In...

The FashionSIGHTS team is thrilled to share our first #inSIGHTS #report, titled "Behind the Fortunes – How Fashion and Luxury are Creating Billionaires Galore."
event March 2025

Svensk Handel's D-Congress

Achim Berg presents a keynote at Svensk Handel's D-Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden. The congress is a leading retail event in Northern Europe, bringing together over 3,000 innovators and decision-makers to shape the industry's future.

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How to Spend It...

has been one of my favorite weekend rituals for over 20 years. There’s something special about getting up early on a Saturday, when the