It’s been a huge year for technological advancements in the fashion industry and beyond. ChatGPT maker OpenAI released its long-awaited GPT-5 model, Google and OpenAI both launched generative AI shopping tools, and a new wave of AI-powered fashion tech startups from Alta to Doji to Daydream emerged, promising to overhaul fashion discovery and personalisation.
So what have the leaders at the forefront of these changes been reading this summer to take stock of it all and inspire them for the next phase ahead?
The Vogue Business tech reading list is split between books that explore how AI and other emerging technologies are influencing our imaginations, and those that give practical advice on how to think entrepreneurially, work well with others and drive change. It’s recommended reading as you return to reality after the summer break — hopefully it delivers a well-timed dose of inspiration to energise you for the busy fashion month ahead.
Mike Hite, chief technology officer of Saks Global
The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps and Helping Your Business Win, by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr and George Spafford
The Phoenix Project offers a captivating exploration of Eliyahu M Goldratt’s theory of constraints. Through a fictional story following a relatable character called Bill, the book uncovers Bill’s experience as he learns — through trial and error — that the key to achieving success and maximising efficiency is to first identify any bottlenecks. This concept is highly applicable in the technology space and it’s central not only to my work, but also to my personal life. I believe in order to unlock innovation (or overcome any challenge), the first step is always understanding the barriers that stand in your way — or predicting what might arise as a bottleneck. The second is determining how to mitigate it quickly.
With real-world examples and a guide to applying this concept in technology, this book is practical and engaging, which keeps me returning to it year after year. I recommend it to everyone on my team.
Jenny Wang, founder and CEO of Alta
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, by Kyle Chayka
When Filterworld came out last year, I found myself resonating with Chayka’s thesis that the algorithmic feeds on platforms like TikTok and Instagram were homogenising culture; the same topics or people were consistently pushed to the top of the feed globally, defining what people or trends were popular.
Reflecting on my own work in the AI industry, one common criticism of the tech has been that if AI curates what you eat, wear, read, or buy, you might lose your own sense of self. I feel the opposite — if you give users the ability to train their own personalised AI, it can help them better curate and define their own tastes, starting with their closets.
Matthew Drinkwater, head of innovation agency at London College of Fashion
The Future Is Faster Than You Think, by Peter H Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Diamandis and Kotler reveal how breakthroughs in AI, robotics, materials science and immersive tech are converging and amplifying each other’s impact. For fashion leaders, that convergence matters because it doesn’t just change what you can create, but how fast you can imagine, produce and deliver it to entirely new markets.
Harry Rein, co-founder and CEO of ShopMy
The Score Takes Care of Itself, by Bill Walsh
I’m rereading Walsh’s book this summer. It’s a masterclass in turning uncompromising standards into enduring systems — set the bar, instil the behaviours and let results follow. Having played football in my college days, I find it a phenomenal analogy for how a group of people with very distinct backgrounds and skill sets must work in unison — both on and off the field — to drive success. Walsh’s framework is ultimately about process over outcome and building a culture so strong it continues to win long after you’re gone.
Mathilde Friis, anthropologist, PhD researcher and Virtual Beauty exhibition curator
Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women, by Ellen Atlanta
This book is a really interesting take on the toxic beauty culture caused by technology. It feels like an updated version to the pivotal The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf, which was very defining to the previous generation, and Pixel Flesh gives a new insight into the dystopian realities for women coming of age in the digital age. Atlanta bases her exploration on her own experience working in the beauty industry as well as countless interviews with women, which I think she depicts with lots of care. She also takes the concept of beauty really seriously, understanding that it is a lot more than how we look and impacts many more aspects of our lives.
Amy Wu Martin, partner at Menlo Ventures
The Man Who Solved the Market, by Gregory Zuckerman
Zuckerman’s book is all about how Jim Simons founded the hedge fund Renaissance. People think it was an overnight success, but the book narrates the near death, personalities and strategies that built one of the most successful hedge funds in history.
The Great CEO Within: The Tactical Guide to Company Building, by Matt Mochary
I recently reread this book, and I send it to all the founders I work with. It’s a fantastic practical guide to everything from time management, to prioritisation, to early hiring and managing investors. I follow his frameworks in my own work.
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