In partnership with the Accessories Council, we are proud to reveal the 2019-2020 finalists for the Elaine Gold Launch Pad 23-week virtual residency.
The five 3.0 finalists are Loren Thomas and Caragh Bennet for Tribe + Glory; Graham Baldwin for Graham Tyler; Shanel Campbell for Shanel; Dana Hurwitz and Mariah Pershadsingh for Bond Hardware, and Rui Zhou for Rui Zhou.
Elaine Gold Launch Pad us a 23-week virtual residency for early emerging talent within 0-3 years of their professional journeys.
A key goal of the program is to catapult ideas with potential into visionary, viable ventures with impact. The unique creative entrepreneurship program provides cohort with focused design and business mentorship with milestone based micro-Awards totaling $175,000 to support idea activation.
The program is in honor of the vibrant accessories entrepreneur and innovator, who passed away in 2015, and encourages participants to embed sustainability, technology, and innovation within their ethos while exploring new business models and creating value through new ways of designing, making, producing, selling, and storytelling.
CFDA’s first-ever Global Ambassador Adrian Cheng has been named to the Elaine Gold Launch Pad Selection Committee and Advisory Board. Cheng, through his K11 Group, will provide focused mentorship to each of the finalists as well as additional financial support towards the program.
The 2019-2020 Elaine Gold Launch Pad Advisory Board also features Antoine Phillips of Gucci; Julie Gilhart; Karen Giberson of Accessories Council; Leila Larijani of UBS Financial; Brad Schmidt of Cadet; Carly Ann Ferguson; Greg Armas of Assemby NY; Megan Salt; Michelle Tulac of Ideo; Steven Kolb, Sara Kozlowski, and Lisa Smilor of CFDA; Thomas Gibb of Tidal NY; Becca McCharen-Tran of Chromat; Danilo Venturi of Polimoda; Frank Zambrelli of Design Quadrant; Jake Sargent of Soft Matter VC/Atmos; John Jones; Keanan Duffty; Marshall Cheek of Tory Burch; Mazdack Rassi of Milk Studios Camp David, and Sarah Blair.
Elaine Gold Fellows also receive membership access to Camp David, located in Industry City.
“As CFDA and Accessories Council enter the third year of Elaine Gold Launch Pad, we are immensely proud of the success of past participants,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “They have pioneered new approaches to fashion such as inclusivity, accessibility, and circularity. They look at the fashion model through a whole new lens, which is exciting and inspiring.”
“We were delighted to have more entrants than ever before,” said Karen Giberson, President of Accessories Council. “It was quite a task to pick the group for this round! We are excited to start working with this talented and diverse team!”
Now in its third year, the program has given a significant boost to the careers of several emerging fashion designers, among them Emily Adams Bode of Bode, Maria Kazakova of Jahnkoy, and Ali Rose and Jack Burns of Flint, Michigan-based Genusee.
