From generative artificial intelligence taking aim at fashion’s once-untouchable creative class to unconventional C-suite appointments and President Trump’s dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, 2025 was the year of the workplace shakeup.
Target walked back its DEI commitments before the ink could dry on Trump’s executive orders — and in doing so both demonstrated to rival retailers how not to respond, and underscored that consumer boycotts, long dismissed as ineffective, can have real impact on the bottom line. Even amid the rightward shift in American culture, female founders and entrepreneurs from marginalised communities found ways to push forward, building their own deal pipelines, sharing resources and rewriting the rules of access.
As the year drew to a close, layoffs and leadership changes accelerated. Amazon, Nike and Target were among the companies to cut jobs, while Walmart and Kohl’s installed new chief executives. Many questioned whether it was tariffs, the turbulent economy or AI driving all the personnel changes; likely it was a combination of all three.
Heading into 2026, we are likely to see more seismic changes in the economics and culture of the workplace. But one question looms large across fashion: whether artificial intelligence will ultimately serve as a tool that reshapes how humans work — or replaces them entirely.
Top Stories
1. AI Is Coming for Fashion’s Creative Class. As generative artificial intelligence takes on work once reserved for stylists, photographers and PR strategists, creatives are being pushed to prove the value of human ingenuity — and find new ways to protect it.
2. The CEO You Hire When Your Brand Is in Trouble. From Kering to Nike to Everlane, fashion and beauty companies are turning to fixers to get back on track — with mandates to steady finances, reset culture and reignite consumer desire.
3. Chief Product Officers Are Fashion’s New Power Players. From Burberry to Michael Kors and Under Armour, brands are leaning on product chiefs to navigate economic uncertainty and reignite innovation.
4. Can Fashion Be Inclusive Without Saying ‘DEI’? Brands, retailers and their employees are negotiating a new approach to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the Trump era — and that often means avoiding the term itself.
5. How Female Founders Are Courting Investors in a Tough Climate. Sinking brand valuations, a shaky economy and the rollback of DEI initiatives are pressuring women founders in fashion and beauty — but a new playbook is helping them navigate the storm.
6. Rent-a-CEO: Why More Fashion Brands Are Hiring Part-Time Executives. From beauty labels like BLK/OPL to retailers such as Lulus, more companies are tapping seasoned fractional talent who bring expertise and low commitment in a volatile economic climate.
7. How to Get Ahead in Fashion’s Stagnant Job Market. Tariffs, AI fears and shaky economics have slowed hiring but there are ways talent and brands can find opportunity in the standstill.
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