Announcing the 2018-19 CFDA + Lexus Fashion * Initiative Winner

Over the past nine months, this year’s CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative class has radically reevaluated their approach to business and design. The 2018-19 group—comprised of Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough of Abasi Rosborough, Araks Yeramyan of Araks, Jonathan Cohen & Sarah Leff of Jonathan Cohen, Tracy Reese, and Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne of Public School—set actionable goals in areas from sourcing and service innovation to consumer consciousness. Aided by industry mentors and a triple bottom line approach – an outlook that values people, planet, and profit holistically – guiding their decision-making, the designers presented their final plans to a jury featuring Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Francois Souchet, PVH Chief Risk Officer Melanie Steiner, Rachel Esperson of Lexus, and CFDA President and CEO Steven Kolb.

The program culminated last night at Intersect by Lexus, where Public School’s Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne were awarded the $100,000 Lexus Grant. By conceiving a pioneering platform dubbed V-TO—a B2B fabric and garment supplier focused on making recycled cotton standard in the streetwear category—the duo looked beyond Public School with hopes of making an impact across the industry. Fellow participant Tracy Reese, whose new label Hope For Flowers prioritizes the people and manufacturing infrastructure of her native Detroit, Michigan in addition to environmental impact and working conditions in the supply chain, was awarded a $5,000 social impact award.

Lexus, a CFDA partner for nearly a decade, also met a milestone last night. The automotive company has officially given out $1 million in grants dedicated to the support of sustainability in the fashion industry.

Click here to learn more about the CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative.

Click here to learn more about the CFDA.

Author: Shyam Patel for CFDA