As I reflect on 2021, I am immensely proud of CFDA’s work on behalf of our membership and the industry. At a time of uncertainty – from the ongoing pandemic to the lack of opportunity for underrepresented communities that continued to impact the fashion industry – we made some great strides.
In partnership with PVH, we released “The State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Fashion” report – actual research and tangible steps to drive greater representation in the workforce.
IMPACT, the CFDA’s DEI initiative, was launched with two main objectives: talent and brand engagement. With support from the CFDA Black Advisory Board and Board member Stacey Bendet Eisner, the CFDA established a best-in-class talent directory on the Creatively platform, promoting thousands of diverse talents and hundreds of industry employment opportunities. We also launched the Knowledge Exchange mentorship program. In addition, we continued to support the Designers Hub, led by Board Member Bethann Hardison, with funding and inclusion of Black designers in our programs.
In 2021, the CFDA commemorated the 25th Anniversary of CFDA Scholarships by awarding a record $500,000 through 19 scholarships. Eighty-one percent of recipients are fashion design students of diverse/ under-represented talent {35 percent Black/BIPOC, 31 percent AAPI, 15 percent MENA of which 80 percent identified as She/Her}.
Two new scholarships were established in partnership with the Coach and Swarovski Foundations. The Coach Dream It Real x CFDA Scholar Award was created to grow the futures of under-represented student talent with financial need, and the Swarovski Foundation Re: Generation Innovation Scholar Award incorporated mentorship to advance understanding of fashion design strategies and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The CFDA’s Fashion Future Graduate Showcase, now on our Runway360 digital platform, provided increased visibility to graduate talents with creative strengths across a spectrum of specializations and interests, including sustainable design systems, fashion activism, and innovation/new technologies. Seventy-one percent of FFGS21 design graduates identify as She/Her and 4 percent as They/ Them. Sixty-one percent of the talent is of racially diverse ethnicities or mixed backgrounds, and more than 16 nationalities.
Professional Development offered more than 24 virtual engagements – from panel discussions to one-on-one office hours with industry experts. In addition, we published 64 Industry Insights interviews, opinion pieces, and report summaries, further positioning CFDA.com as a destination for knowledge sharing. We have an expanding library of pre-recorded webinars and roundtable conversations available on-demand. More than 82 voices volunteered expertise within sustainability/ circularity, DEI, supply chain, social commerce, and media. Program highlights include a four-part Adaptive Fashion series, AAPI Heritage Month programming, a two-part Native American Indigenous Design Community series, and a three-part Elle x Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month series.
Sustainability, one of the CFDA’s strategic priorities, was further integrated into our professional development, education, and editorial/ communications, while also functioning across open access tools/ resources on CFDA.com, including our Sustainability Resources section with the newly-launched Materials Hub which features 60 innovators and vendors.
Our efforts around fashion supply chain resulted in the distribution of grants to help factories with relocation and an increase of supply chain vendors in our Production Directory.
Eleven new Members were admitted to the CFDA in 2021 – the most diverse class in the organization’s history. They are Autumn Adeigbo, Willy Chavarria, Jonathan Cohen, Mike Eckhaus + Zoe Latta, Abrima Erwiah, Claudia Li, Marina Moscone, Kenneth Nicholson, LaQuan Smith, and Hillary Taymour. With a new Associate Member tier added and a new Interim Member tier to officially launch in January, we continue to focus on serving our Members’ needs more precisely and ensuring an open pipeline to engage underrepresented designers.
Trade and policy issues remained a priority. Working with the AAFA + NRF, we added the CFDA’s voice to industry concerns such as tariffs, supply chain, port fees, and the Ocean Shipping Reform bill.
September’s return of in-person shows during New York Fashion Week was a welcome and vital moment for our industry. The incredible optimism and talent demonstrated American fashion as a global leader. We worked in tandem with IMG on a singular, official New York Fashion Week schedule led by the CFDA, and collaborated on a PR strategy to show a unified voice.
CFDA Connects, a new initiative to support the network of regional fashion weeks and organizations through promotion, business support, resources, and member privileges, launched with 12 inaugural groups including Atlanta, Columbus, Dayton, Hawaii, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Miami, Nashville, NW Arkansas, Philadelphia, San Antonio and St. Louis.
One of the many highlights of the year was the CFDA Fashion Awards in November, an in-person event at THE POOL + THE GRILL. The intimate event reflected the change happening in the industry with a diverse range of nominees, honorees, and presenters.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was remodeled to provide mentorship, professional development, and grants to all participants. It is part of its long history in nurturing a new generation of American designers.
We shared our work through cfda.com, targeted newsletters, and social media. In 2021, the CFDA joined the Tik Tok community, and we reached a milestone of 1 million followers on Instagram.
Internal operations had three focus areas in 2021: its people, technology, and office space. First, with guidance from DEI practitioners, the organization has begun the vital work of annual unconscious bias training for all employees. Our 10-year lease at 65 Bleecker Street came to an end this year. We continue to look at new systems to support our work as we transition to a hybrid remote working environment.
We see great potential in 2022 as we mark the CFDA’s 60th anniversary. We will build on current organizational priorities – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, COVID-19 Recovery, Sustainability, Membership, and Education – while telling stories about our Members and the history of CFDA.
