The fashion landscape is changing at a rapid pace—and everyone is challenged to keep up. As our Chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg likes to say, “We are all surfing the tsunami in this world of fashion.”

To help our membership of 500-plus designers through these times, and position them for a healthy future, the CFDA is proud to launch NETWORK.

The new program provides CFDA Members with supplemental business support through mentorship, uniquely-crafted brand experiences as well as exclusive access to resources and Member-only conversation forums.

NETWORK is an evolution of our {Fashion Incubator} program, and grew out of CFDA Members’ – from the emerging to the established – existing need for similar opportunities, including mentorship and professional development; offerings will now be made available to the entire membership, not just a select group of up and coming talent.

“The decision to launch NETWORK stemmed from our CFDA Members’ current questions and needs, as the ever-changing shifts in how business is now being done – online, in stores, direct to consumer – have created a steep learning curve for so many,” CFDA Executive Vice President Lisa Smilor said. “Additionally, everything is moving faster than ever, and brands cannot afford to make mistakes that will cost extra time or money, or both. We felt the time was right to expand on the offerings of the CFDA {Fashion Incubator} program, and offer support to many designers, as opposed to a select few.”

The goal is to help our designers identify and address specific business concerns, then team then with experienced industry experts who agreed to serve as mentors in one-on-one sessions to address their business challenges and goals.

“Brands are currently being challenged to evolve in order to meet market and consumer expectations,” CFDA Member Services Director Sacha Brown said. “As a solution, NETWORK will offer our Members the opportunity to work with business mentors; the roster is made up of an elite group of experts who come from all areas of the industry, including merchandising, retail, technology, business strategy and much more. With advisement from the Mentor, Members will be better equipped to navigate existing challenges and explore new business strategies.”

CDFA will also host conversation forums for Members to engage with industry leaders and learn about new tools and resources available to them, and will offer many more services.

“Our Professional Development offerings have expanded from monthly conversations to a wider range of experiences like Master Classes, Office Hours and Founders Series, all curated to explore new trends, product offerings, technology developments, and the opportunity to network and connect with leaders who are changing the fashion and retail landscape,” Brown added.

We are kicking off NETWORK with today’s Fashion Leadership Conference at Hearst, where topics include The State of Fashion; The Future of Merchandising; On-Demand Manufacturing; Venture Funds & Investing; Female Founders; The Re-invention of Retail, and Social Media as a Digital Marketplace.

“Our mission is to provide our Members with an advantage,” Smilor said. “Through panel discussions, workshops or one-on-one mentorships, our designers and their teams will have access to the recognized leaders in our industry, who will provide the most useful and relevant information.”

To receive a Business Mentorship application, please email S.Brown@CFDA.com.