Monday marked the midpoint for the third Elaine Gold Launch Pad cohort. The fellows – Rui Zhou of Rui Zhou, Dana Hurwitz and Maria Pershadsingh of Bond Hardware, Graham Baldwin of Graham Tyler, Shanel Campbell of Bed on Water, and Loren Thomas and Caragh Bennet of Tribe + Glory – assembled at the CFDA to pitch their Design Sprint presentations to the selection committee.
These presentations help the brands to determine their goals moving forward, while receiving feedback from the committee that they can implement into their final presentations next March.
In partnership with the Accessories Council, each brand pitched for a micro grant of $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. A total of up to $75,000 was allotted for this Design Sprint pulled from the combined total funds of up to $175,000 for the program. Following the presentations, the committee carefully deliberated on the fund distribution, with each brand coming out with $15,000 in the end.
“Every single brand had a great presentation,” Accessories Council President Karen Giberson said. “This is definitely one of the strongest groups we’ve seen – they are incredibly diverse.”
In addition to the $175,000 total program funds, CFDA President and CEO Steven Kolb announced that, “Through funding and as a special gift through Valentino, each Elaine Gold Launch Pad Fellow will receive an additional $20,000 to aid with local production.”
Ready-to-wear brand Rui Zhou kicked off the presentations. Zhou’s intricate knitwear design explores ideas of imperfections and she describes her pieces as “poetry for the body.” Zhou plans to use the funds to focus on her production through purchasing machines and developing her fabric – as well as allotting funds to her show budget for New York Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2020.
Bond Hardware – a direct-to-consumer brand that “began making jewelry out of hardware from Home Depot,” as Hurwitz described – was the next presentation. The brand plans to use their funds to prioritize website and e-commerce improvements
Then it was nostalgia-minded designer Graham Baldwin of Graham Tyler’s turn. He “treats bodies as galleries,” he explained and is currently working on building inventory of four core styles. Baldwin plans to use the awarded funds on textile and product development.
Shanel Campbell of Bed on Water described her brand as “repositioning fashion as art.” Her slow-fashion label is focused on an auction and limited drops model, with give back initiatives. Campbell will use the funds for materials, production and marketing.
Tribe + Glory concluded the Design Sprint Presentations. The 501c3 non-profit jewelry and home goods brand is based in Kamuli, Uganda. The designer duo plans to use the $15,000 to optimize their online presence and launch a new website by next March.
The next program milestone for the Elaine Gold Launch Pad Fellows is the 360 Blueprint Presentations, coming up in March.
Special thanks to the selection committee members Carly-Ann Fergus, Crystal Ung, Frank Zambrelli, George Samen, Greg Armas, Jake Sargent, Jinal Shah, Julie Gilhart, Karen Giberson, Keanan Duffty, Leila Larijani, Lisa Linhardt, Sara Kozlowski, Steven Kolb, and Tommy Gibb.
