Highsnobiety
Double Tap to Zoom

In past years, rising stars such as Pyer Moss and Christopher John Rogers collected $400,000 in grant money when they took out the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Prize. This year, however, all 10 designers will receive a grant.

CFDA chairman Tom Ford explained “This year’s talented group of Fashion Fund finalists is facing an industry in the process of reinvention and transformation. The program’s new format aims to help the designers better navigate and thrive in fashion’s future.” Along with funds, each finalist will also receive a personal mentorship with industry leaders based on “designated areas of need.”

“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,” said Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast. “It’s not only a vote of confidence in their talents, but in a brighter future for American fashion.”

Scroll down to learn about this year's finalists.

Eckhaus Latta

Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta of Eckhaus Latta were among the first fashion labels to adapt to the changing environment and pivot their strategy during covid. The NYC-based label quickly tapped into their loyal downtown following of fans and friends to create their own content for their digital channels.  The label is known for its unconventional approach – championing gender-fluid designs, and offering garments that are defined by the wearer.

Batsheva

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Lawyer-turned-designer Batsheva Hay started off designing clothes for herself – now her Victorian-Amish-Hasidic-style “house dresses” are worn by the likes Erykah Badu, Cindy Sherman, and Courtney Love.

Hanifa

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Anifa Mvuemba is another designer who found a creative way to respond to the pandemic. She used 3-D animation to present a groundbreaking digital fashion “Pink Label Congo" show via Instagram Live. The largely self-taught designer is a favorite of Beyoncé's, Zendaya, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

House of Aama

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

House of Aama is a culturally inspired lifestyle brand rooted in the ethos of the African continent and diaspora. Beginning as an upcycling Etsy shop by a then-teenage Akua Shabaka and her mother Rebecca Henry, the Black-owned fashion label’s latest offerings cater to “various skin tones that exist within Blackness.”

Kenneth Nicholson 

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Kenneth Nicholson is broadening the narrative of American menswear. After completing fashion studies at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Nicholson enlisted in the United States Navy where he took notice of military dress. While he's made a name for himself by incorporating flowing silhouettes and decadent fabrics into menswear, he is opening up his label by incorporating female tailoring.

KHIRY 

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

KHIRY is a luxury brand inspired by the African Diaspora. With a focus on bold femininity and a goal of identifying and celebrating a global African aesthetic, KHIRY embodies strength, femininity, power, and romance. Jameel Mohammed founded the company in 2016 as a student at the University of Pennsylvania, with a Kickstarter campaign that raised $25,000 in less than a month.

Laquan Smith

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Queens native Laquan Smith started his brand at the age of 21 after spending his youth learning from his grandmother who instilled a passion and skill for sewing and pattern making. His distinctive work has caught the attention of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian, all of whom were early supporters of the gifted designer.

Abrima Erwiah of Studio One Eighty Nine

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Abrima Erwiah has more than 16 years of fashion and luxury experience. She is a former global marketing and communications executive for Bottega Veneta, a luxury-goods company under Kering (former Gucci Group/PPR) Group where she stayed for nearly a decade.

Edvin Thompson of Theophilio

Edvin Thompson’s conceptual clothing brand Theophilio combines nostalgia from his youth in Jamaica with New York city’s progressive culture; it is “a wearable biography.” Thompson has been dropping a collection every September/October for the past four years with an aim to put Jamaica on the map.

Willy Chavarria 

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Willy Chavarria’s avante-garde approach to streetwear coupled with his socially-minded views has earned the designer a special place in fashion. The conceptual label is Chavarria’s way to use fashion as both a political and creative outlet — the clothes are meant to be empowering and expressive in their approach to silhouette and fabrication.

We Recommend
  • Style-Wise, HBO's 'Industry' Cast Puts the Money Where the Mouth Is
    • Style
  • And The 1st Pick In The 2024 NBA Fashion Draft Goes To...
    • Style
  • INTERVENTION Brings a Bumper Schedule to Berlin Fashion Week
    • Style
  • From a Fashion POV, France Might've Already Won the Euros
    • Style
  • BLACKPINK Dominated Music: Streetwear Is Next
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • From Nike to Salomon, Browse This Week’s Best Sneaker Releases
    • Sneakers
  • Iconic Bauhaus Designs, Remade in Top-Grade Leather
    • Design
  • When Two Legendary Skate Shoes Become One
    • Sneakers
  • For Ultra-Luxe Baby Strollers, Loro Piana, Gucci & Dior All Depend on This Low-Key Label
    • Style
  • The Newest adidas Sneaker Innovation? Walking on Sponges
    • Sneakers
  • LAFW: You Just Had to Be There (But If You Weren’t, Read This)
    • Style