Recent Highlights
A50 – The list of the 50 most important Germans in fashion
Achtung & FAZ magazine by Alfons Kaiser, Jennifer Wiebking, Markus Ebner, Alex Rottenmanner, Nicole Urbschat, Silke WichertAchim ranks No.10 on Achtung magazine’s annual “A50” list acknowledging his lasting industry influence and founding of FashionSIGHTS.
For the first time, FashionSIGHTS founder and managing director Dr. Achim Berg has landed on Achtung magazine’s annual “A50” list - a ranking that spotlights influential German individuals shaping the global fashion landscape. He debuts at No.10, just behind Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger and Chloé creative director Chemena Kamali.
The magazine highlights Achim’s lasting influence on the industry, citing his role in establishing McKinsey’s global Fashion & Luxury practice and his standing as one of the most quoted business voices in the field. His founding of FashionSIGHTS is recognized as a timely and strategic move, that unites data-based hindsight and foresight with deep industry expertise at a time of fundamental industry transformation.
Hot on the red carpet: Jewelry you can’t buy
CNN by Milena LazazzeraAchim comments on how red carpet exposure of rare jewelry drives brand value
Many luxury brands started to display rare archival jewelry from private collections and museums by loaning these exclusive pieces to celebrities for red carpet events. This strategy transforms high-profile events into cultural treasure hunts, emphasizing the timelessness and heritage of these pieces. Achim notes that this strategy simultaneously boosts sales of the brand's jewelry that can be purchased by generating brand trust and higher visibility. By presenting their historical jewels as living legacies rather than static museum objects, brands generate excitement and deepen brand engagement. Achim sees this as a powerful way to reinforce the value and relevance of jewelry, positioning it as a lasting investment with enduring creative and cultural significance.
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.
What Will Happen to the Handbags?
The New York Times by Vanessa Friedman & Jacob BernsteinAchim comments on how tariffs impact the luxury industry.
The US has long been seen as the next main growth engine for the luxury industry, but Trump's new tariffs have turned it into a source of concern. These measures act less as a tax on Europe and more as a burden on American consumers. Aside from Louis Vuitton's factory in Texas, no major brand is considering shifting production to the US, as "Made in Italy" and "Made in France" remain central to their identity. While some brands may be able to absorb the additional costs, years of price increases have already tested the limits of consumers. Although the luxury sector is more resilient than lower-margin segments, Achim warns that it won't remain untouched. The majority of luxury buyers are affluent or aspirational consumers - groups that are now hesitant amid market volatility and recession fears. In a climate of uncertainty, it is not necessarily wealth but confidence that drives indulgence, and right now, uncertainty is the prevailing mood, says Achim.
FashionSIGHTS meets Reutlingen University – Listening to the...
Achim Berg speaks at Reutlingen University about the four core pillars of FashionSIGHTS, followed by an engaging discussion with around 100 TEXOVERSUM and ESB Business School graduates on what is currently top of mind for the next generation of fashion decision-makers.
Reutlingen University’s TEXOVERSUM and ESB Business School faculties are among Germany’s leading institutions in their fields, with a strong track record of graduates now working at top international companies.
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?
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.
Barcelona Fashion Summit 2025
Achim Berg holds the opening keynote at the Barcelona Fashion Summit 2025, Spain’s largest fashion business event. Under the theme "Revolution: Breaking Fashion Paradigms", it will gather industry leaders to discuss transformative trends shaping fashion's future.
The Two-Horse Race: How Fashion’s Richest Are Shaping the In...
“Size is not in itself a guarantee for success”
Modaes.com by Pilar RiañoIn an interview with Pilar Riaño from Modaes, Achim delves into the future of the fashion industry.
He explains how SHEIN is disrupting fashion, similar to Inditex in the past, shaking up established business models. He also highlights the urgent need for regulators to step up, enforce sustainability standards and create a framework that holds fast fashion players accountable. He goes on to emphasize the importance of technological advances to make circularity a viable reality for the industry. Further, Achim addresses the growing polarization within the sector, where size increasingly matters and small brands are struggling to compete. Amidst this, he asserts that novelty and creativity remain crucial, ensuring cultural relevance and connecting brands with evolving consumer desires.
Giorgio Armani- L’uomo, il marchio, l’azienda
Book by Frank Pagano and Marco DiDio RoccazzellaAchim pays tribute to Giorgio Armani in the afterword of the book "Giorgio Armani - L'uomo, ilmarchio, l'azienda" by Frank Pagano and Marco Di Dio Roccazzella, published by Il Sole 24 Ore in October 2024.
Achim honors Armani’s keen ability to consistently deliver distinctiveness and timelessness—kept at the core of everything he did—over five decades in business. Armani parlayed his signature aesthetic and his distinctive vision for lifestyle into a thriving brand, growing it into a multi-billion, multi-gender, multi-category global fashion group. All while maintaining the company's independence and full ownership in an industry that is characterized by intense consolidation.
Luxury and Fast Fashions Are Creating Billionaires Galore
WWD by Miles SochaAchim talks to WWD about our research on the fashion and luxury industry’s wealth creation.
Fashion and luxury billionaires, led by LVMH’s Bernard Arnault and Inditex’s Amancio Ortega, have solidified their wealth despite global crises and a pandemic, with fashion and luxury ranking as the third-largest wealth-creatingindustry after technology and finance. The analysis highlights the polarizationin the industry, where luxury and value players dominate, while the mid-market struggles. It also showcases a dominance of European-based billionaires that account for 81% of the sector’s net worth. Looking forward, business model innovations, such as Inditex’s agility and Shein’s direct-to-consumer approach,coupled with the growing middle-class worldwide, suggest a resilient and prosperous future for fashion and luxury.
Press Archive
Our press archive offers a curated collection of articles and interviews showcasing our thought leadership. Explore the latest media coverage of our inSIGHTS and see how we shape industry conversations.
Upcoming Book
“What is the Future of the Fashion Industry?” is an upcoming book that will examine what’s in store for fashion over the next decade. Grounded in rigorous research, cutting-edge inSIGHTS and exclusive, high-profile interviews, this book identifies the 10 pivotal themes that will shape the industry and distinguish the leaders from the laggards. In an era marked by geopolitical tensions, climate change, disrupted supply chains, and fundamental consumer shift, the industry faces unprecedented uncertainty. These challenges raise a plethora of questions among executives and movers in fashion, who are seeking both clarity and direction. This book responds to that demand, offering actionable inSIGHTS and forward-thinking answers to navigate the evolving landscape of fashion.
We are currently in the process of researching and writing the book, which is planned to be published in 2026.
Updates on the Book
Interview #29 - Stefania Lazzaroni, CEO Altagamma
Interview #28 - Thomas Tochtermann, Chairman GFA
Interview #26 - Mats Klinberg, Founder & Managing Director a...
Interview #24 - Caroline Pill, Global Sector Leader Fashion,...
Interview #20 - Claus Fischer, Global Leader Retail, Luxury ...
Interview #19 - Michael Werner; Editor-in-Large, Textilwirts...
Interview #17 - Eric Liu; Founder & CEO Style3D
Interview #10 - James Fallon; Chief Content Officer, WWD
Interview #9 - Jörgen Andersson; Global Creative Director, H...
Interview #8 - Helena Helmersson; Chairperson Circulose
Interview #1 - Vanessa Friedman; Fashion Director & Chief Fa...
Interview #3 - Colin Browne; CEO, Cascale
Interview #2 - Max Bittner; CEO, Vestiaire Collective
Reports
Explore our whitepapers for in-depth inSIGHTS into the fashion industry. Our research provides both hindSIGHT and foreSIGHT - analyzing past trends, exploring current patterns, and anticipating shifts that will shape the future of fashion.
Out Now: HindSIGHT report No 1
Over the past 25 years, the fashion and luxury industry has created significant value, reflected in the massive personal wealth amassed by its super-winners. Using Forbes data as a proxy, the industry now ranks as the third-largest wealth creator, behind technology and finance. Yet, much like the rapidly evolving fashion landscape, the list of billionaires and their net worth is also undergoing a dynamic redistribution. Examining the patterns of wealth creation within the fashion and luxury industry offers inSIGHTS not only into this industry’s evolution over time and its current state, but also into where it may be headed next.
(Released on February 28, 2025)