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The CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund has been reimagined this year to not only award prizes to the top winners, but for all ten finalists of emerging American fashion brands. According to Vogue, the fashion industry has taken steps to restructure its “business as usual” mindset in light of effects from the pandemic to be more supportive and inclusive of budding designers. “After an incredibly challenging time for all of us in fashion, especially here in New York, we’re thrilled that this year we are able to support all of our finalists,” Anna Wintour — global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast — shared. “It’s not only a vote of confidence in their talents, but in a brighter future for American fashion.” Instead of the CFDA /Vogue Fashion Fund’s normal format to grant one top prize and two awards to runners-up as it has in the past, this year all ten designers — who nearly all happen to be Black talent — will earn their grants and a year of mentorship from...
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is rolling out a new platform that strives to identify and empower Black creatives and leaders in the fashion space. Impact — a talent directory powered by the job platform Creatively — is a new program launched by the CFDA in an effort to nurture Black talent in fashion by offering them a place to display their work and submit their resumes in consideration for various job opportunities. “This work is essential to the future of American fashion, which must be diverse, equitable, and inclusive,” said CaSandra Diggs, new President of the CFDA, in an announcement. “The CFDA is proud to take the lead in this important effort for the industry and beyond. We launch IMPACT with a specific focus on widening talent pipelines and advancing career development for Black and Brown creatives and professionals. In the future, we will further the initiative to also address other inequities within the fashion system.” Creatively’s job platform that...
The CFDA Fashion Awards — often referred to as the “Oscars of fashion” — is one of fashion’s most prestigious award programs, recognizing the best in fashion creativity. This year, the awards have recognized what CNN describes as the “most diverse group” of winners in the event’s 39-year-old existence. If 2020 has taught us nothing else, it’s that there’s room for cultural diversity in the fashion world — starting with Black designers. The 2020 CFDA Fashion Awards recognized several prominent Black fashion designers as winners in their respective categories during its first-ever digital ceremony, including Christopher John Rogers, Telfar Clemens, and Pyer Moss’ Kerby Jean-Raymond who won the coveted American Menswear Designer of the Year award, CNN reports . Black Designers Matter: Christopher John Rogers, Telfar Clemens and Kerby Jean-Raymond Win 2020 CFDA Fashion Awards: https://t.co/uY6DWg7kcX pic.twitter.com/lyxJxWeKLn — The Root (@TheRoot) September 14, 2020 All winners took to...
As the rollback and termination of diversity and inclusion initiatives continue, the fourth annual Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala successfully raised $3 million on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, to support black-owned businesses. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the event at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA, attracted many notable figures from culture and business, including Keke Palmer , Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Teyana Taylor, and Jesse Williams. Prominent artists such as Amy Sherald and Mickalene Thomas were also in attendance, along with CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Rachel Scott from Diotima; Tatcha founder Vicky Tsai; model Amber Valletta; and celebrity stylists Law Roach, Wayman Bannerman, and Micah McDonald. “This is exactly the time we need to show up and continue to speak out,” Fifteen Percent Pledge Founder Aurora James said at the gala, per WWD. “Each and every one of us, our stories, our pasts, our cultures and identities, are part of the fabric that makes America great....
As part of Miami Art Week, Art Basel Miami took place from Friday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, kicking off with a private dinner on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Fazeel Khan Residence. Tres Generaciones Tequila, a premium tequila brand known for supporting creators and innovators, and CFDA two-time award-winning fashion designer Maxwell Osborne hosted the exclusive event in partnership with ARTNOIR to celebrate trailblazers marking new milestones at Art Basel, according to a press release. The dinner honored contemporary artist Andrea Chung, recognized for her original work inspired by island nations in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which challenges traditional notions of “paradise” through the outsiders’ perspectives. Guests included Fabolous , Leon Thomas, Paul Anthony Smith, Kesha McLeod, Carmelo Anthony, and Rubi Rose, among others, who all arrived by luxury boat cruiser and were greeted with Jamaican patties, a tribute to Osborne’s Jamaican-American heritage. He is a...
On Jan. 18, 2022, André Leon Talley passed away from a heart attack due to COVID-19 complications. The seminal, groundbreaking Vogue editor was only 73-years-old when he passed away in White Plains, NY, according to The Cut. Talley was no stranger to controversy, and made headlines when he detailed how his relationship with Vogue capo Anna Wintour became fractured in his recent memoir, “The Chiffon Diaries.” Perhaps that’s why the magazine was the last to report on his passing — a fact which did not go unnoticed by critics. This is what Vogue thought was appropriate to tweet 30 mins after the death of beloved fashion legend and former Vogue Creative Director and Editor-at-Large Andre Leon Talley was announced to have passed. Quelle coincidence. Interestingly tasteless as per usual. pic.twitter.com/OSvAYUzSxd — Beguiling Bini Baddie (@Aizehinomo) January 19, 2022 https://twitter.com/rgay/status/1483716464821428230?s=20 …let @voguemagazine ’s continued silence on the death of its...
When Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White announced that Virgil Abloh passed away on Nov. 28, 2021, the world was in shock. Few (if any) knew that the acclaimed fashion designer was suffering from a rare form of cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma. But according to CNN, Kanye West — his longtime friend and collaborator — honored his friend in his weekly Sunday Service when news of Abloh’s death hit the wires. Kanye West dedicates his latest Sunday Service to the memory of Virgil Abloh 🕊 pic.twitter.com/WS91D3JQ01 — digitalfeedmedia (@digitalfeedtv) November 29, 2021 “West’s ensemble choir sang a moving rendition of Adele’s “Easy on Me,” the single off her latest album, “30,” in his honor,” reported the outlet. “The message, “IN LOVING MEMORY OF VIRGIL ABLOH, THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DONDA,” appeared on the screen during a live stream of the service.” In his lifetime, he was a boundary-breaking fashion designer who also wasn’t afraid to court controversy. His...
It’s an undeniable fact that Black designers are trendsetters and Autumn Adeigbo is a part of their domination in the fashion industry. Adeigbo recently raised nearly $3 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm Offline Ventures, WWD reports. Prior to this recent funding, the fashion designer earned a $1.3 million investment in July 2020. While known for her “eye-catching dresses in bright colors and headbands,” Adeigbo’s collections are blazing in the fashion world and her celebrity clientele is steadily growing. Actresses Gabrielle Union and Kerry Washington and poet Amanda Gorman have rocked her designs. “More than just creating chic, colorful clothing, Autumn is creating a movement tied to sustainability, design and culture,” said Offline Ventures general partner Brit Morin. “Never before has the world seen a multibillion-dollar fashion label from a young Black woman, but we believe that Autumn Adeigbo has the x-factor to be the first. Investing in a fashion brand...
World-renowned tennis star Serena Williams has long since used her platform as an athlete to advocate for Black communities when it comes to diversity and inclusion. So much so that she cemented a partnership with her longtime sponsor Nike back in 2019 to create the Serena Williams Design Crew (SWDC) — a six-month plus apprenticeship program for aspiring diverse designers. Now two years later, the inaugural cohort from the design collective is unveiling the very first collection created by several up-and-coming movers, makers, and doers that celebrates every part of Williams that is an athlete, style icon, and voice for change. The program not only shares Williams’ story through woven details, but it also marks a milestone for the tennis champion and Nike in their joint mission to build up a talent pipeline made up of the next generation of culturally diverse designers. “For me, I just really wanted to see more people that look like me in the Nike design world and Nike loved that...
Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) is giving Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™ brand the ultimate co-sign to forge one of the most powerful partnerships in the fashion world. According to a press release, LVMH has announced that the conglomerate has acquired a majority stake of 60 percent in Off-White™ — Abloh’s popular luxury streetwear brand he founded in 2013. Together, the two will expand new and existing brands beyond the fashion umbrella. The acquisition deal has the potential to make Abloh the most powerful Black executive at the world’s most powerful luxury goods group. The New York Times reports that Abloh’s new leadership role will include working across various categories such as wine and spirits — Krug, Dom Pérignon and Hennessy, among 30 brands); hospitality (over 50 hotels); smashing silos and bringing in more diverse voices to a variety of brands. “I’m getting a seat at the table,” Abloh told the outlet in a Zoom interview. “The idea is to develop a trajectory I wish I had...
D&AD and Google have partnered together for an annual program that’s helping emerging creatives of color gain access to paid opportunities. A press release reports that last month D&AD announced the launch of its 2021 edition of the D&AD Shift with Google program in New York, which is connecting aspiring talent to an accessible space that allows them to perfect their craft via free night school that doesn’t even require a college degree. This approach not only helps creatives secure jobs, without barriers it also gives the industry direct access to some of the best up-and-coming talent in the city. During a time where society is focused now more than ever on uplifting the next generation of diverse leaders, D&AD Shift offers a great opportunity to bridge the gap between education and employment in the creative sector. “It’s time we look towards a fairer future for the creative industries. Creativity thrives from diverse minds and perspectives, and the only way this can be harnessed...
Telfar Clemens is in his bag…literally! As the world prepares to head to Tokyo for the 2021 Olympics, things are a little different than the previous years. From empty stadium seats to backlash from Japanese citizens having their city serve as the host — the games will certainly be nothing like what we’ve ever seen before. Over the past two decades track and field competitors of the Liberian Olympic delegation have been seen sporting Nike, adidas, and other sportswear machines, but this year they’ve taken it up a notch with uniforms produced by Telfar Clemens, The New York Times reports. The Liberian-American designer has singlehandedly disrupted the fashion system with his guaranteed to be sold-out bags, deemed as Bushwick Birkins, and a direct-to-consumer business model which has made him a pandemic success story. Clemens has now designed genetically spliced unisex designs not just for both the opening and closing ceremonies but his one-shouldered tank along with the track...
Instagram’s @design and the Brooklyn Museum are partnering to announce their inaugural grant program that’s empowering Black creatives this year. The #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program officially launched today as part of a joint effort to amplify, center and invest in the Black design community. Founded with a mission to create an open, inclusive and safe space that’s inspiring for all, Instagram’s @design strives to uplift the emerging talent amongst Black designers whose work embodies the platform’s core design values. “@design is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and championing inclusivity and accessibility, which is why we’re delighted to launch #BlackDesignVisionaries,” Ian Spalter — Instagram’s Head of Design — said in a press statement. “We hope that the craft, passion, and creativity of our grant committee and partners, as well as Instagram’s design values, will inspire designers to share their dreams with us.” The #BlackDesignVisionaries program will award...
NBA star James Harden is taking his business and investor expertise to Saks’ luxury platform. The high-end e-commerce company has appointed the Brooklyn Nets player to its board to share his unique perspective as a fashion enthusiast in an effort to help expand its high-potential consumer brands. “I am honored to join the Saks board and to be a part of a company that is paving the future of luxury retail. This is an exciting opportunity for me to combine two of my personal passions – a love of fashion and teaming up with brands that have the potential to lead while making an impact on the communities they serve,” Harden said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Saks team, and to having a direct impact on the company’s future success, the fashion community and its customers.” A press release reports that Harden’s appointment comes as the latest milestone for Saks’ strategy to become the premier luxury e-commerce platform in the fashion industry. With a proven track...
When iAsia Brown remembers her time in the military, she looks back with a fondness for what were clearly some fine times — but she admits that going back into the “normal” workforce presented its share of challenges. “What we go through in the military is unique only to us,” she told AfroTech. “That experience, while beneficial, is so unique that when we go back into “normal” society, we have a problem re-integrating. We not only don’t understand basic protocol — like not calling our superiors ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ — but our approach to work is completely different. But, that’s where someone like me comes in.” Research backs up iAsia Brown’s claims. According to Pew Research Center, about half of post-9/11 veterans say it was somewhat (32 percent) or very (16 percent) difficult for them to transition into civilian life after military service. However, like Brown said, that’s where what she offers comes into play. Brown has helped over 100 veterans make the transition into tech in the...