UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is in need of some bed rest this week. The companys stock price (NYSE: UNH) has been knocked off its feet again after the American insurance giant reported disappointing quarterly results and offered 2025 earnings guidance that was significantly below investor expectations. Heres what you need to know.
UnitedHealth Groups Q2 2025 earnings
Today, UnitedHealth Group reported its second-quarter 2025 resultsand they didnt live up to investor expectations.
For the quarter, the company reported an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.08. It reported revenue of $111.62 billion for the quarter.
As noted by CNBC, analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected UnitedHealth to report revenue of $111.52 billion for the quarter, meaning the company slightly outperformed expectations. However, those same analysts also expected UnitedHealth to report an adjusted EPS of $4.48. At an actual adjusted EPS of $4.08, UnitedHealth came in significantly below expectations.
The company may have beaten on revenue, but it made less profit than expected because of rising healthcare costs. Those rising healthcare costs are partly attributed to older customers now having surgery and other medical procedures that they put off during the pandemic years, notes CNBC. These include non-emergency procedures such as hip and other joint replacements.
Yet it wasnt UnitedHealth Groups Q2 results that gave investors the shivers. The company also updated its previously suspended 2025 full-year outlook. Investors werent happy about that either. UnitedHealth Group says it expects revenue of between $445.5 billion and $448 billion for fiscal 2025 and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of at least $16.
As CNBC notes, investors had anticipated fiscal 2025 revenue of $449.16 billion and adjusted EPS of $20.91 per share.
As a result of the lackluster quarter and poorer-than-expected 2025 forecast, UnitedHealth Group shares are dropping in premarket trading this morning as of this writing.
Todays results have seemed to have rattled health insurance industry investors, especially considering that UnitedHealth Group, as CNBC notes, is often seen as the bellwether for Americas private healthcare industry.
In sickness and in health
It’s not just UnitedHealth Groups latest Q2 results and underwhelming fiscal 2025 forecast that have rattled the companys investors as of late. Since the beginning of the summer, the company has seen bad news pile up.
In early May, UnitedHealth Groups then-CEO, Andrew Witty, announced he was stepping down for personal reasons. Witty had been highly criticized for his perceived tone-deaf response to the anger that Americans expressed against the company after the killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of the company’s UnitedHealthcare unit, in December.
Along with announcing Wittys departure, UnitedHealth Group also announced it was suspending its 2025 full-year fiscal outlook due to medical costs that were increasingly higher than expected. The companys chairman, Stephen Hemsley, was announced as the new CEO.
But a few days after Hemsley became UnitedHealth Groups new CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported that UnitedHealth was under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over possible Medicare fraud. This news, which UnitedHealth Group called misinformation, sent UNH shares tumbling.
Then, just last week, UnitedHealth Group confirmed on Thursday that it was indeed under federal criminal and civil investigations involving its Medicare business.
Americans angered by private insurance
While investors may be fretting over UnitedHealth Groups woes, few Americans are likely to feel sympathy for the private insurance giant.
After the murder of Thompson, social media users in the United States exploded not with sadness or outrage, but with glee.
What the reaction to the killing revealed was that there is a widespread, deeply rooted anger by Americans across the political spectrum against the countrys private healthcare system. As Americas largest private health insurer, UnitedHealth Group is a focal point for this angerand Americans didnt hold back.
As Fast Company reported at the time, social media was flooded with Americans venting their horror stories and frustrations in dealing with UnitedHealthcare and the other for-profit health insurance companies that have so much control over their health and financial lives.
My copay for thoughts and prayers is $100,000; I heard his condition was pre-existing; My ability to care was denied; My sympathy requires a referral; Submitted claim for condolences was denied, a user on Bluesky said.
This pent-up anger against UnitedHealth wasnt helped by Wittys response to the outcry, which some labeled tone-deaf.
UNH shares have had a bad 2025
As of the time of this writing, UNH shares are down about 1.11% to $279, driven by the companys poor Q2 2025 results and disappointing fiscal 2025 guidance. But UNH shares depression is nothing new this year.
Since the start of 2025, UNH shares had already fallen more than 44% as of yesterdays close of markets, primarily due to the rising costs of healthcare. Over the past 12 months, UNH shares have collapsed more than 50% as of yesterdays market close.
Mauro Porcini became the worlds first chief design officer at 3M, before taking the role at PepsiCo and, now, Samsung. But despite defining what it means for a designer to take a seat in the C-suite, he admits that, for a few decades now, hes ceased to fit anywhere perfectly.
Designers see me as a business person. The business people see me as a designer. Im there in the middle between the two worlds, like I’m Italian and American. I’m both of them, laments Porcini, before flipping this self-critique on its head. [But that means] I’m exotic in Italy, and I’m exotic in America. Now I’m exotic in Korea.
Porcini captures these dualities in the way he styles himself. With roots in Varese, Italy, he grew up alongside the Missoni family, and into his early 20s, he became friends with many of Italys most prominent voices in fashion. To this day, he has a penchant for Italian luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, and Valentino. But he insists that hes not afraid to mix them with drops from Zara.
A longtime collector of fine footwear, his latest obsession is a Gucci x Adidas collab, which he owns in six colors. (He recently added their gold-clad loafer to his collection.) The pieces showcase the materials and silhouettes of Gucci, but with the three stripes of Adidas. Its an unexpected mashup that adds a signature to just about anything Porcini wears these days.
The shoe has always been very powerful, because you can go crazy with the shoes. You can be really different. And for a man, its an easy accent, says Porcini. But then you go into these boardrooms, and you need to pitch investments of millions of dollars, or hundreds of millions of dollars, so rebalancing that with a jacket or blazersomething that reminds them that you’re still part of that [business culture is essential]. So you’re not going there with just a T-shit and sneakers.
[Photo: Samsung (portrait)]
Porcini adores a double-breasted wool coat, and his latest is a custom commission from Golden Goose, embroidered with cities from his life: Milan, Dublin, Minneapolis, New York, and Seoul. The overall effect is that Porcini has been mixing classic suit silhouettes with hints of sport (Ive even seen him mix trousers with a track pant piping into his look). Its perpetually surprising without being heavy-handed; intentional without feeling try-hard.
Each of us has different ways of dressing, but show that you have an original point of view. Because this is what designers do, says Porcini. They look at reality, they look at their world, and have a unique and original point of view on what they need to do. So through your dress, communicate that kind of original point of view. And communicate the confidence of sharing it.
For Porcini, dressing well is a tool to be taken seriously as a creative in business, but its base is about self-acceptance, love, and expression. As he learned as a teenager reading the 1926 allegory One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand by Luigi Pirandelloin which a man becomes so obsessed with the shape of his nose that it ultimately destroys his lifeyou cannot let peoples perception of you dilute who you are.
You need to have the peace of mind and the awareness that people will judge you, not on the basis of just what you do, but on the basis of who they are, says Porcini. And you need to be okay with it.
Describe your style in a sentence.
A mix of creativity, confidence, self-love, but also love for the world.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
There is a trouser that I painted when I was, I think I was 17, and I still have it, even if, obviously it doesn’t fit anymore. I have more than one, but there is one that I really love. I started to paint on clothing, and I started to sell this clothing to make a little bit of money. I paid for my driving school in this way. When I was 18, I even sold one to my teacher who was giving me driving lessons.
[Photo: courtesy of Porcini]
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
Super quick. Between the time I wake up and leave, its 45 minutes. And that includes emails, breakfast, shower, and getting dressed.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
I try to have a touch of creativity that creates surprise in the room and talks about my belonging to the creative community. But then I blended with a code that is more accepted by the audience, the business community. I try to create that comfort and discomfort together.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
It was not articulated in one sentence, but it’s literally, be yourself and be unique. Dont be a slave to fashion. Your pieces dont need to be the latest. They need to be something that makes sense for you and makes sense for what you want to project to the world.
Today, Salehe Bembury is one of the most in-demand designers in sneakers, who has collaborated with brands including New Balance, Crocs, Versace, Moncler, and Vans. With an aesthetic rooted in a combination of an outdoor lifestyle and funky, organic shapes, Bembury has reimagined streetwear as something as biological as it is mechanical.
But its almost impossible to centrifuge Bemburys fashion aesthetic from his own brand, and thats in part by design and what it means to be a creative in the era of social media.
We’re all kind of like cartoon characters in this space . . . we’re all just like kids in high school in the hallway, comparing outfits and competing and all that shit, Bembury says ahead of the release of his first career retrospective. It’s like, fucking Bart Simpson or Doug Funnie opening up their closet and seeing all blue shorts and orange T-shirts. So I would say that that’s what exists with my current selection of clothing, is that it just all fits within this cartoon character consistency.
Bembury says his fashion sense was originally born from mimicryNike ads and other influences that informed his style. But as he grew older, he learned, as we all do, what works on his bodyand he began considering his own signature look. Roughly a decade ago, he started carrying a wooden briefcase everywhere he went. That was me shouting Im an individual! he laughs. Beanies, too, were almost always in the mix.
But a move to L.A. led him to ditch the beanie, and an evolving aesthetic led him to retire the briefcase. His personal style became grounded in comfort, wearing high cinched Satoshi Nakamoto pants most days, any matter of tee, and maybe a Boro stitch (Japanese repaired denim) jacket up top. Handkerchiefs, a cycling cap, and wraparound shades often complete the look.
Grounding it all is an anchor in comfort. Take it back to childhood, I just remember what it felt like to go to church, and I hated that feeling, and I also thought that that feeling was representative of what it meant to have a job, says Bembury. Entering the professional space . . . when I first got a job at Cole Haan, and like, what I was wearing back then. It was in an effort to try to hold on to some level of individuality, but then also be a working professional. Id wear a plaid button down and Dickies. Is that professional? I’m not really sure, but like, that was my attempt at it.
Now, Bembury has evolved from wearing Uniqlo, to tailored off-the-shelf garments, to more bespoke pieces. That comes down to a combination of education and resources, he says. And while he knows thats a privilege, he does wish to remind the public that they dont need to settle for the fit off-the-rack.
[Photo: Chaymin Jay Barut (portrait)]
Actually, I get a lot of messages where people are simply curious how I get my pants like that. I think that’s also displaying maybe just a lack of understanding of simple tailoring, he says. I don’t even think a lot of people see that even as an option. But if you just taper these pants or crop them, they become a different pant!
Describe your style in a sentence.
Comfortable, utilitarian, with a dash of Japan.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
Proleta re Art made me a boro fabric North Face Supreme jacket. A$AP Rocky has a quote, “we don’t rock clothes, we rock pieces.” And that is a piece.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
Not long (a few minutes). The longest investments may be around Paris Fashion Week.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
It doesnt change.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
It’s probably the most said one, but it’s just like, “the best version of yourself you can be is yourself.” With the uniform that I’ve achieved, and with what I wear, it is myself to the fullest.
As a forward on the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese is one of the most dominant players in the WNBA, and when she joined us to speak about being named to our Best Dressed in Business, shed just broken league records by closing her fourth consecutive game with 15+ rebounds. (When critics panned her for “mebounding,” she trademarked it.)
It all embodies how Reese’s draft class did more than add fresh competition to the league when it arrived with a splash in 2024. It awakened the spectacle of the sport, celebrating the uniqueness of players who broke free from their uniforms with expressive, pregame tunnel walksa critical piece in increasing sponsors 19% that year and viewership by 170%.
A lot of the women already had the fashion, and I think the platform really helped them, says Reese. I think coming to the league with all the eyes that we had, it really shined a light on them and gave them the flowers that they deserve.
[Photo: Reebok]
Long before she joined the Met Gala host committee or had partnerships with Good American and Reebok (her signature Reese 1, inspired by diamonds, was announced this month), Reese earned the nickname Bayou Barbie for her glam perspective, even on the court, which was part of her game as long as she remembers. I always had my hair done, and my nails were painted, she recalls. My grandma used to put mascara on my lashes, and she brushed my hair up nicely. It was always dress to impress.
Reeses passion for fashion was spurred on through her mothers closet, from which shed steal bags and heels, the latter of which felt tricky for her 6 3 frame. I think it took me a while to feel confident in heels, going out, because I was already so tall, she says. But once I got older and seeing how much I stood out, it made me feel, like, super confident and bold.
[Photo: Chicago Sky]
That boldness is a throughline of her ‘fitsand perhaps the only one she cares much about. When I mention her silhouettes tend to embrace high waists and crop tops, she shrugs off any trends you might see, and insists she wants to have the opposite of any signature look.
Sometimes I’ll go streetwear. Sometimes I’ll go super girly, she says. I don’t really identify myself as dressing one type of way. [Though] I am into high fashion for sure. So you probably see me with a nice bag, nice pair of glasses.
Describe your style in a sentence.
I am versatile.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
I think my bags. Ive created a collection of bags, when I see it, I need it, I have it. Im in collector mode, in my vintage era. I just got this double flap Chanel bag, its orange, and I love it.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
If I’m only going to practice, it doesn’t take me long. But when I’m getting ready for a game? An hour, for sure.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
I dont really have meetings [laughs]. Most of these things are on Zoom these days. I dont want to meet people or go to their office.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
Be confident in your skin. Law Roach kind of told me before, don’t care what anybody else has to say. Like, as long as you’re confident in it and you feel good in it.
Its aura. You have to have aura.
Dara Treseder, Autodesks chief marketing officer, stands out in a crowd. Shes the one wearing a tailored, monochromatic outfit in a bold, bright color: a coral suit, a cobalt shift dress, a lime green gown, often with statement jewelry or shoes that provide a pop of contrast.
At her first job, she followed the standard advice of wearing an unremarkable black suit, so people would focus on her words rather than her attire. She showed up early to a big meeting, and when one of the other participants showed up, he mistook her for the janitor. It clicked that in this mans world, the only reason a person who looked like me would be in this room is because she was the cleaner, Treseder says.
[Photo: courtesy Autodesk]
Treseder vowed she would stop trying to blend in with her corporate attire, but rather show up as her authentic self. I had a beautiful structured red dress I would have loved to wear to that meeting, she recalls. I was worried that showing up as a Black woman in a red dress would be too much, too loud, too out there. But I quickly learned that when I wore what made me feel good, I had a more commanding presence.
Today, Treseder is something of a style icon. Shes found that the conventional wisdom is wrong: People tend to pay more attention to what shes saying when shes in an eye-catching mint suit at a Capitol Hill meeting or a mustard colored dress while on a panel.
She realizes that how she shows up at the office doesnt just shape how she is treated, but also how others are perceived. Today, shes among only 1.4% of C-suite executives who are Black women. I started thinking about my clothes as a way to not just express my power, but our power as Black women, she says. I want to show that we are capable, competent, and confident. We deserve to be here.
Describe your style in a sentence
Intentional. Every piece I wear is a choice that speaks before I ever say a word.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
My black Louboutin six-inch block heels. Theyre power in motion: equal parts presence, polish, and endurance. From customer meetings in Tokyo to main stage moments in Vegas, they remind me that showing up with purpose starts from the ground up.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
Getting dressed is quick. Just a few minutes. But getting ready is sacred. Its my daily ritual, my runway to the day. I use that time to pour into myself through music, prayer, affirmations, meditation, and reflection, so I can pour into everything else with presence and power.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
A structured dress or a sharp monochrome suit. I keep it clean and intentional so there is no noise, only presence. Monochrome is timeless and powerful, and it gives me space to make the look my own through fit, texture, and accessories.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
My mother told me, dress for you. That simple truth shaped everything. Fashion is comfort, not just physical but emotional. When you feel at ease in what you wear, you move differently. You lead differently. Confidence is the most powerful thing you can put on.
Hybridity has always been central to who I am, says Namrata Tripathi, the founder and publisher of Kokila, an imprint at Penguin Random House for children and young adults that highlights voices historically marginalized by publishing.
Being Odia and Punjabi Sikh, Ms. Tripathi grew up in an Indian home that blended two distinct aesthetics, cultures, religions, and languages. Because her parents were both diplomats for India, her family also moved frequently. She was born in Moscow, but she then lived in Afghanistan, India, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, and Poland before moving to New York to attend university.
I think of myself very much as a professional alien, she says. And I think the power in that is in adapting to my environment, but never erasing myself.
When she first entered the American corporate world, she observed what clothing was deemed appropriate, but she always questioned what power and leadership look like. For her, the answer involves the sari, which she saw her mother wear to work every day when she was growing up. I thought: One day I’m going to do that. And then I thought: Well, what day am I waiting for?
[Photo: Christopher Myers (portrait)]
Around 10 years ago, she felt confident enough to start wearing power saris, as her colleagues now refer to them, to the office for big meetings, and then more regularly. Previously, shed only worn saris to formal work events, such as the National Book Awards and galas, because they are beautiful, and I was excited to wear them.
Sometimes, shed wear saris her mother passed down to her, and she was often the only person in the room wearing non-Western clothing. One time, when she wore a churidar kurta, which consists of a tunic and trousers that bunch at the bottom, a well-intentioned colleague pulled her aside to tell her that her pants were too long.
At first, I did it to connect with my mother and her mother, whose saris I also sometimes wear, but over time, I saw how it influenced other people, too, she says. I had young people from various cultural backgrounds in the company comment on the pieces I’d worn, and I realized how impactful it had been to them, and how it reinforced the idea that the body is political. I’m interested in a different kind of leadership, and this is a way to show it. I like that it sends a message to people who aren’t often in the room that I’m trying to bring them into it.
Describe your style in a sentence.
Mera joota hai Japani, yeh patloon Englistani, sar pe lal topi Russi, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
An oversized white button-down because Ive always loved menswear.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
Tying a sari takes me about two minutes. Managing my hair can be . . . a process.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
Always a sari. (A power sari if you ask my team.)
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
Dont ever try to hide yourself.
When Julie Schott first launched Starface, a skincare brand known for its fun, star-shaped pimple patches, in 2019, she and her cofounder, Brian Bordainick, needed to take some headshots. I remember there was this idea that I should put on a blazer to seem professional, but I put on this blazer, and I felt like an idiot wearing a costume, says Schott, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Ojai, California. There’s nothing that I do at my job that requires a suit. I work from home most of the time. I think it looks ridiculous on me, and its just not my personality.
Schott ditched the blazer, and put on a Martine Rose track jacket, vintage sweats, and Gucci flats. Now, she feels that her headshot more accurately reflects her style, which she describes as sporty and nostalgic, consisting primarily of secondhand or vintage pieces.
[Photo: courtesy Julie Schott]
A former beauty editor at Elle magazine, Schott channels much of her personality through her nailswhich she gets done every two weeksher makeup, and her hair, which is currently cherry red.
I do feel most like myself with it, and it seems to make other people happy, she says of her hair color. It makes them smile, and makes them feel comfortable, like a cartoon. Its definitely an icebreaker.
Since launching Starface, Schott has built a constellation of Gen Z focused brands, including the contraception company Juile. She says her work allows for a level of personal expression, and that her style often reflects the free-spirited nature of her companies. Would she wear a Starface pimple patch in a meeting, though?
If I have a pimple, 100 percent.
Describe your style in a sentence.Both David and Victoria Beckham, 2005.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?An old Mickey Mouse shirt. Its fitted, soft, and perfectly worn in.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?Minutes. Four if theres a mirror. Im an outfit repeater and uniform wearer, so getting dressed is the quickest part of getting ready.
What do you wear to a big meeting?Never something new that could cause an unexpected wardrobe malfunction.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?Dont overthink it.
At Emma Gredes first job as a fashion show producer, she was told to wear black so she wouldnt stand out. But even back then, she refused to fade into the background. I bought whatever I could afford from Balenciaga or Celine, she says. I have always used my clothes as a tool (of self-expression).
Grede is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of our time. Shes the business mastermind behind Skims, Good American and the newly launched sports fashion startup Off Season. But even in the glitzy world of fashion, shes become notable for her style. Grede believes that our clothes should be a way to channel our creativity and personality, particularly in the world of business.
On a recent trip to London, her hometown, her team captured her outfits of the day, which included a white Jacquemus jacket and matching cargo pants set paired with pointed Balenciaga heels, and a blue striped Proenza Schouler top and skirt paired with strappy YSL heels. I dress entirely to please myself, she says. Depending on the day, that could be for comfort, or convenience, or because I want to feel bad ass.
[Photo: Jamie Girdler]
While Grede has always been stylish, shes spent much of her career behind the scenes. In 2008, she launched the talent management firm ITB Worldwide which was acquired a decade later. She then partnered with members of the Kardashian family to co-found Good American, Skims and Safely, letting her more famous co-founders be the face of the brand.
But these days, shes becoming a personality in her own right, as a judge on Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den. Shes recently launched a podcast called Aspire with Emma Grede where shes interviewed everyone from Michelle Obama to Gwyneth Paltrow.
As a mother of four with a demanding schedule, Grede doesnt have a lot of time to strategize about her outfits. And even though her looks vary, she developed a kind of formula to what she wears. She wears a lot of denim, including Vintage Levis and Frame. She has a collection of white and striped Oxford shirts from Celine, YSY, and Comme Des Garcons, and she also loves a good heel.
There is literally nothing in my closet that only gets worn once, she says. Theres something about the simplicity of not really choosing something new every day thats really freeing.
Describe your style in a sentence.
Thats so hard, I dress how I feel and I feel different all the time!
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
I have so many things but probably a pair of Gucci loafers Ive had since I was 15. I bought them for myself, and it was such a big deal at the time.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?
Five minutes. I pull outfits ahead of time.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
Something that has bought me luck in the past Im very superstitious.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
To embrace my individuality and do what makes you feel good.
As a senior design director at Apple, Wyatt Mitchell spends a lot of time thinking about the way the technology company’s products and services show up in our everyday lives. This design consciousness doesnt stop with work; it extends to his distinctive personal style.
Over the years, Mitchells taste has evolved in a way that has given his style some serious rangefrom traditional denim workwear to precisely tailored clothing to a bow tie, depending on what hes trying to convey to the world.
Style is a tool you can use for yourself mentally, and externally for other people, he says. I like the ability to use a tool like that to telegraph certain things about me.
[Photo: Ashley Bloom/Apple]
Though Mitchell is hesitant to pigeonhole his personal style, he has become known for his signature look of traditional workwear coveralls and jumpsuits, which he sources from automotive workwear websites or RRL. In 2019, Mitchell went viral when he walked on stage at Apples annual developer conference in a white coverall from RRL and Off-White sneakers.
Mitchells look was celebrated across fashion blogs for its obvious contrast to the typical jeans-and-a-shirt tech world uniform at the time. What you wear is an extension of your visual acuity, he says. I don’t try to take on entirely new styles. I’m not that sort of free, but I do like the evolution.
[Photo: Lilly Red (portrait)]
In a world of sameness, Mitchell is doing the exact thing that all good style leaders do: they unabashedly wear what inspires them, and do it repeatedly. Its a little scarymy closet is predominantly suits, overalls, and coveralls, he says. I should probably pare that down.
Describe your style in a sentence.
I honestly dont think I can put that in to words. And if I could, I would be a writer. Sorry.
Whats the one piece in your closet youll never get rid of?
Nothing is sacred, but Ill probably always have a pair of Chucks.
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning?Varies. Some days I can get dressed in one motion. Other days can be full of trial and error.
What do you wear to a big meeting?
As a designer, I think its important to look like you understand aesthetics.
What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever gotten?
That shirt is too small for you.
It took me 35 years before I learned how to dress well. And it took about that long to learn who I was. That timing is not a coincidence, as anyone on our inaugural Best Dressed in Business list will tell you.
For the first time in our three-decade history, Fast Company is celebrating fashion across the world of work: eight remarkable individuals ranging from athletes on the court of the WNBA to designers in the C-suite of Seoul to innovators at Apple.
This editorial initiative is not about whether quiet luxury or that cut of jeans is still in. Its not about labels or influencers, either. Its about celebrating those who are comfortable enough in their skin to stunt across the professional world. Because most of all, dressing well requires knowing oneself.
In some ways, the timing of this package couldnt be more fraught. Both high fashion and fast fashion are encountering new challenges in the face of shifting consumer tastes. But never before has culture afforded us the license to dress in so many different ways for any given circumstance.
We live in an era of unbridled self-expression, fueled by social feeds and global retailers moving too fast to keep track of. This is an advantageous moment for individualism: There is no wrong way to dress anymore, and there are countless right ones.
For a lucky few, work offers a path toward self-actualization. And the way we dress for that occasion is something we are here to celebrate.
Mark Wilson
[Photo: Samsung]
Mauro Porcini, chief design officer, Samsung
Mauro Porcini became the worlds first chief design officer at 3M, before taking the role at PepsiCo and, now, at Samsung. But as a designer seated in the boardroom, he admits to being constantly pulled between two worlds. His style captures this duality, and has served as a tool to be taken seriously as a creative in businesswhile helping him find peace within himself.
Read more
[Photo: Jamie Girdler (portrait)]
Emma Grede, fashion entrepreneur
Emma Grede is a mother of four who has spent most of her career building a fashion empire behind the scenesand behind the Kardashians. As the cofounder of Good American, Skims, and Off Season, she’s created a constellation of brands that reach into the closets of people around the world. But shes still managed to become a style icon in her own right by creating a rotation of classic pieces that she mixes and matches.Read more
[Photo: Walik Goshorn (portrait)]
Angel Reese, forward, Chicago Sky
As an all-star forward for the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese is one of the most dominant players in the WNBA. But her draft class did more than add fresh competition to the league when it arrived with a splash in 2024. It awakened the spectacle of the sport, celebrating the uniqueness of players who broke free from their uniforms with expressive pregame tunnel walks.
Read more
[Photo: Chaymin Jay Barut (portrait)]
Salehe Bembury, shoe designer
One of the most in-demand designers in sneakers, Bembury has collaborated with New Balance, Crocs, Versace, Moncler, Vans, and other brands. With an aesthetic rooted in a combination of outdoor lifestyle and funky, organic shapes, Bembury has reimagined streetwear as something as biological as it is mechanical. His personal style is equally interesting.
Read more
[Photo: courtesy Autodesk]
Dara Treseder, CMO, Autodesk
Dara Treseder doesn’t have any interest in blending in. The marketing exec learned early in her career that stifling your perspective only has drawbacks. Now as the CMO of design software maker Autodesk, she embraces tailored, monochromatic outfits, often in bold, bright colors. It’s a way to stand outand to make your voice heard.
Read more
[Photo: Christopher Myers (portrait)]
Namrata Tripathi, founder and publisher, Kokila
With her Penguin Random House imprint Kokila, Namrata Tripathi celebrates marginalized voices in books for young people. But her quest for representation doesnt end on the page. At work, she has become known for her power saris, and for the influential message her style sends to younger colleagues. Read more
[Photo: Apple]
Wyatt Mitchell, senior design director, Apple
As a senior design leader at Apple, Wyatt Mitchell spends a lot of time thinking about how aesthetics and design choices show up in our everyday lives. This obsession doesnt end at work; it extends to his distinctive personal style, which ranges from tailored suits to denim coveralls.
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[Photo: Maggie Shannon (portrait)]
Julie Schott, founder, Starface
Julie Schott is known for selling Gen Z on her star-shaped pimple patches. But as she stepped into entrepreneurship, she ditched blazers and other wardrobe tropes for eye-catching track jackets and cherry red hair as a way to signal that her businesses are doing things differently.Read more
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