The CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, established by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue to help emerging American design talent find continued success, on Thursday opens the application process for the 2024 program.
The Fashion Fund will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
“Little did we know that when we launched the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund that one day we would be celebrating its 20th anniversary. That we can is due to the many wonderful designers who have taken part over the years — and we’re looking forward to welcoming those who will be our class of 2024,” said Anna Wintour, chief content officer of Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue.
“The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has transformed the American fashion landscape with a significant focus on emerging designers and talent discovery,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA. “Marking two decades of this groundbreaking initiative, we are looking forward to continue nurturing the future of the American fashion industry.”
Since its inception, the program has identified and nurtured the success of many of today’s American designers, including inaugural Fashion Fund winners Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, as well as Aurora James of Brother Vellies, Joseph Altuzarra of Altuzarra, Jonathan Simkhai of Simkhai, Christopher John Rogers, Willy Chavarria, Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, Telfar Clemens of Telfar and Thom Browne.
For the 2024 Vogue/Fashion Fund, they will select 10 finalists, and the winner will receive $300,000 and the two runners-up will each receive $100,000. The winner and runners-up will each be paired with a mentor.
For the milestone occasion, the Fashion Fund is bringing back the Design Challenge, a legacy program that will be supported by the Tommy Hilfiger company. Hilfiger, founder and principal designer, will also serve as the lead mentor to the 10 finalists. It will mark the first Design Challenge since 2019.
In addition, 2019 Fashion Fund runner-up Danielle Frankel Hirsch will spearhead a committee of past finalists and winners to explore fundraising opportunities for the program. The committee includes Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Beckett Fogg and Alejandra Alonso Rojas.
The 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is supported by Instagram, Nordstrom, Saks and Vogue.
To apply, designers must be in business for a minimum of two years. Their primary business must be based in the U.S. and they should have no more than 30 full-time employees and not exceed a total revenue of $10 million a year.
Last year, Melitta Baumeister was named the winner of the 19th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and Rachel Scott of Diotima and Henry Zankov of Zankov were named runners-up. The winner took home a monetary award of $300,000 while the two runners-up each received a grant of $100,000. They were selected out of a field of 10 finalists.
The members of this year’s selection committee are Wintour, Kolb, Aurora James of Brother Vellies and Fifteen Percent Pledge; Eva Chen of Instagram; Mark Holgate, and Nicole Phelps of Vogue; Paloma Elsesser, model; Rickie De Sole, Nordstrom; Roopal Patel, Saks, and Thom Browne, who also is chairman of the CFDA.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established after 9/11 to help emerging designers and cultivate the next generation of American fashion talent.