The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has announced a new partnership with Google to launch the Fashion Equity Fellowship, a grant program designed to provide leading-edge technology resources and knowledge directly to designers and their brands. This initiative will help prepare these designers for their collections and showcases at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in February 2025.
The fellowship highlights three prominent emerging brands set to shape the future of fashion:
- Area, Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg
- Collina Strada, Hillary Taymour
- Diotima, Rachel Scott
Under the guidance of Google’s Product Inclusion & Equity team and with support from CFDA, the selected designers will participate in both in-person and virtual fellowship activities. Running through spring 2025, this program will teach designers how to incorporate inclusivity and equity into their design process. Each designer will also receive a $50,000 grant to support the development of their collection and show, where they will debut new pieces focused on inclusive design.
The program is structured around two key tracks: the “practical track,” which covers the entire design process from ideation to UX, user testing, and marketing, and the “leadership track,” which connects designers with industry leaders to deepen their understanding of equity in design.
Annie Jean-Baptiste, Google’s Director of Product Inclusion & Equity, commented on the initiative: “We’re committed to supporting the creation of inclusive and equitable products, services and experiences across industries. By working with the CFDA and designers, we hope to find new ways to bring product inclusion and equity frameworks, tools and resources to fashion and make the world a more equitable place.”
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb also expressed his enthusiasm for the fellowship: “The Fashion Equity Fellowship with Google speaks to our mission and is an extension of CFDA’s longstanding work in the social impact space. We are excited to support exceptional American design talent and help them continue innovating in the inclusive design space. Through this important fellowship, they will learn to continue incorporating the lived experiences of an important customer base into their designs and showcases.”
In addition to this initiative, CFDA also launched the Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award in partnership with Tiffany & Co. this July. This first-of-its-kind award in the jewelry industry aims to nurture the next generation of American jewelry designers. It is supported by Tiffany Atrium and CFDA’s IMPACT program, further cementing CFDA’s commitment to fostering talent across diverse fashion industry sectors.