CFDA news and archive

Daveed Baptiste named the winner of the 2025 Empowered Vision Award

Haitian American designer Daveed Baptiste has been awarded the 2025 Empowered Vision Award, presented by The Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Baptiste was named the recipient of this year’s award during a cocktail reception at the W Hotel Union Square in New York City last...

Fashion

CFDA bans fur at New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week has joined the growing ranks of industry events banning fur from their platforms. The news was confirmed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which said the decision was made to encourage American designers to rethink the industry’s impact on animals. The ban will come into effect at the September 2026...

People

Ashlynn Park named CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner

Ashlynn Park, the designer behind the New York brand Ashlyn, has been named the winner of this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (CVFF). The announcement was made at a dedicated dinner celebrating the initiative, hosted by Isha Ambani, Zac Posen, Anna Wintour and Chloe Malle. Park will receive a monetary award of 300,000 dollars. The two runners-up...

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Fashion

CFDA Fashion Awards 2025: Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne and The Row lead a confident new era for American fashion

The American Museum of Natural History provided a fitting backdrop for this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards, presented by Amazon Fashion and hosted by Teyana Taylor. The 2025 edition balanced legacy and innovation, celebrating enduring figures such as Ralph Lauren and Thom Browne alongside new-generation talent Ashlyn Park. Celebrating American...

Fashion

Everything to know about the 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is gearing up for the next edition of its Fashion Awards, an annual night honouring both next generation and trailblazing US designers and creatives. The 2025 edition of the gala will take place the evening of November 3, on which it will return to the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall...

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Fashion

Taylor Thompson named as Paul Smith’s Foundation designer-in-residence

New York-based American designer Taylor Thompson, known for his brand 5000, has been selected by Paul Smith’s Foundation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as the inaugural designer-in-residence programme recipient. Thompson, a 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and a 2025 Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the...

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Fashion

Is NYFW undergoing an identity crisis as major American designers continue to stray?

More and more American designers are opting to show outside of the United States in lieu of major European cities in the hopes of boosting brand exposure, connecting with a wider client base, and safeguarding future profit - but what impact is this having on NYFW? Steven Kolb, CEO and President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America...

Schools

Paul Smith extends Fashion Residency programme to US with CFDA

British designer Paul Smith has expanded his brand’s existing Fashion Residency programme to students in the US. In partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), for the initiative’s second edition the Paul Smith Foundation will be selecting one American designer to join the residency at Studio Smithfield in London. The...

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Fashion

CFDA releases preliminary SS26 New York Fashion Week schedule

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has released its preliminary New York Fashion Week schedule for the spring/summer 2026 season, which will run from September 11 to 16 throughout New York City. NYFW in September will feature more than 60 catwalk shows and designer presentations, with additional collections being presented...

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US trade organisations commend Trump’s comments on sneaker and T-shirt production

Leading US fashion and textile organisations have backed recent comments by president Donald Trump in which he suggested that his stringent tariff policies were “not focused on driving sneaker and T-shirt production to the US”. A joint letter – signed by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Council of Fashion Designers of America...

Fashion

New York Fashion Week's new partner KFN outlines plan to uplift event

KFN, a strategic partnership created by KF Fashion and N4xT, has outlined phase one of an initiative intended to bolster the presence of New York Fashion Week. The plan was revealed during an industry event attended by designers associated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and various media, which then reported on the news....

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Business

CFDA partners with AI powered personal styling app Alta

The Council of the Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has partnered with the personal styling app Alta in a bid to offer designers new ways to engage with audiences. Powered by more than a dozen artificial intelligence models trained by Alta's team, the app uses AI to optimize users' existing wardrobes and help them shop for pieces that fit and...