Council of Fashion Designers of America

Council of Fashion Designers of America
AbbreviationCFDA
Formation1962; 64 years ago (1962)
FounderEleanor Lambert
TypeTrade association
Legal statusNonprofit organization
PurposeTo strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy
LocationManhattan, New York City
FieldsFashion
Members428 (2024)
Chairman
Thom Browne
Interim CEO
Hildy Kuryk
Websitecfda.com

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 370 American fashion and accessory designers. The organization promotes American designers' participation in the global economy.

In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, the organization develops future American design talent through scholarships and resources in colleges, and postgraduate schools. The CFDA also provides funding and business opportunities for working designers. Through the CFDA Foundation, the organization engages in various charitable activities.

History

The first president of the CFDA was Sydney Wragge (1962–1965). Founding members included Bill Blass, Donald Brooks, Betty Carol, Jane Derby, Luis Estevez, David Evins, Rudi Gernreich, Helen Lee, Bud Kilpatrick, Jean Louis, John Moore, Norman Norell, Sylvia Pedlar, Sarmi, Arnold Scaasi, Adele Simpson, Gustave Tassell, Pauline Trigère, Sydney Wragge, and Ben Zuckerman.

Diane von Furstenberg served as chairman for 13 years from 2006 until 2019, followed by Tom Ford, who served for three years. As of January 2023, Thom Browne is the group's chairman. Steven Kolb was the CEO and President from 2006 to 2026.

CFDA Fashion Awards

The CFDA Fashion Awards were founded in 1980 with the first awards given in 1981. They honor and showcase excellence in fashion design. They have been sometimes referred to as "the Oscars of fashion". In 1997, the CFDA Fashion Awards began including emerging designers.

Nominations are submitted by the Fashion Guild, a group of over 1,500 CFDA members including fashion editors, retailers, and stylists. Award winners are determined by vote and announced at an annual black tie event held in Manhattan.

Since 2022 , Amazon Fashion is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Winners of the fund include Telfar Clemens (2017), Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss (2018), Christopher John Rogers (2019), and Melitta Baumeister (2023).

Programs

The CFDA pursues a range of programs aimed at designers, students, at the industry at large.

Current and recent programs include:

For Designers:

For Students:

CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established to help emerging designers and cultivate the next generation of American fashion talent.

Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award

Established in 2024, the CFDA partners with Tiffany & Co. for the stated purpose of recognizing and uplifting outstanding American jewelry designers who are committed to driving inclusivity with the design industry. Awarded recipients are selected by a committee of industry experts.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

Since 2011, the council has led an annual campaign to promote the initiative and partners with well known fashion icons. In 2017, Fabletics partnered with Fashion Targets Breast Cancer to produce an activewear collection. A portion of all sales for the collection would be donated to target breast cancer screening and treatment.

Publications

CFDA publications include:

References

  1. ↑ "Members". CFDA. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  2. ↑ "CFDA Names Hildy Kuryk Interim CEO". Vogue. 2026-09-28. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  3. ↑ Nemy, Enid (8 October 2003). "Eleanor Lambert, Empress of Fashion, Dies at 100". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  4. ↑ CFDA. "History". CFDA. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  5. ↑ Sterlacci, Francesca; Arbuckle, Joanne (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 125–126. ISBN 9781442239098.
  6. ↑ "The Council of Fashion Designers of America - CFDA". Apparel Search. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  7. ↑ Jacobs, Alexandra (2015-05-27). "Luis Estévez, a CFDA Loss". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  8. ↑ "Tom Ford to Head CFDA as New Chairman". Complex. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  9. ↑ "Everyone Who Took Home a Trophy at the 2019 CFDA Awards". InStyle.com. Retrieved 2020-03-30. CFDA Awards. It all started back in 1980, and now, almost 40 years later, the show is still going strong.
  10. ↑ "The CFDA Fashion Awards: The 'Oscars of fashion'". CNN. 2013-06-04.
  11. ↑ thedailybeast.com CFDA awards, the Oscars of fashion 2009/06/15
  12. ↑ "Fashion Council Reaches a Crossroads". The New York Times. 1996-02-06. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  13. ↑ "Designers' Council Opens Door a Bit". The New York Times. 1997-12-09. p. 14. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  14. ↑ "2008 Annual Report" (PDF). Cfda.org. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  15. ↑ Lockwood, Lisa (2022-06-07). "The 2022 CFDA Awards to Be Sponsored by Amazon Fashion". WWD. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  16. ↑ "CFDA". cfda.com. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  17. ↑ Criales-Unzueta, José (October 19, 2023). "Melitta Baumeister Wins the 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund". Vogue. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Programs". CFDA. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  19. ↑ Pusateri, Catie (2025-06-03). "Meet the 2025 CFDA/'Vogue' Fashion Fund Finalists". Fashionista. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  20. ↑ Felder, Rachel (28 August 2024). "A New Award Aims to Encourage American Jewelry Design". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  21. ↑ Eli Flesch. "Kate Hudson Launches Breast Cancer Awareness Collection with Fabletics". Stylecaster. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  22. ↑ Marcy Medina (September 27, 2017). "Kate Hudson unveils CFDA and Fabletics' Fashion Targets Breast Cancer collection". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2017.[dead link]

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