In a thrilling fashion face-off, the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and Vogue have revealed the champion of the 19th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund: Melitta Baumeister. Alongside her, Rachel Scott of Diotima and Henry Zankov of Zankov emerged as the runners-up.
The reigning champion, Melitta Baumeister, is awarded the coveted $300,000 prize, while the two runners-up each receive $100,000. Beyond the financial accolades, all winners, runners-up, and finalists will have the opportunity to access invaluable business mentorships as part of this outstanding initiative.
Melitta Baumeister’s eponymous brand is a New York-based venture co-founded by the visionary German designer Melitta Baumeister and celebrated visual artist Paul Jung in 2013. The core philosophy of their brand revolves around pushing the boundaries of new materials and forms.
Melitta Baumeister’s journey began with Baumeister earning an MFA degree in Fashion Design and Society from Parsons in 2013. Her graduation collection made a dazzling debut at New York Fashion Week, where she crossed paths with Paul Jung, a graduate of the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts for Fashion Photography. This marked the inception of a remarkable journey, with the brand unveiling its inaugural collection in Fall 2014, backed by VFiles in NYC. This marked the start of a journey that led to the brand’s collections being carried by Dover Street Market. Notably, the brand was selected for the 2015 Vogue Talents in Dubai and featured in Cooper Hewitt’s Triennial exhibition in 2016. Furthermore, it secured a spot on the shortlist for the prestigious LVMH Prize in the same year.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, expressed her enthusiasm for the 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund class, highlighting their talents and their potential to shape the future of fashion.
In addition to the triumphant trio, this year’s formidable finalists included Angelo Fabricio Urrutia from 4SDesigns, Colin LoCascio behind the self-titled line Colin LoCascio, Kim Shui representing her self-titled line Kim Shui, Kozaburo Akasaka from Kozaburo, Sami Miro of Sami Miro Vintage, Fletcher Kasell and Tanner Richie of Tanner Fletcher, Everard Best, and Téla D’Amore from Who Decides War.
Established in 2003, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was designed to nurture emerging American design talent and help them thrive in the fashion industry. Over time, the format has evolved, adapting into a grant program in 2020.
Thom Browne, Chairman of the CFDA, praised the fund’s legacy of supporting truly creative talents and congratulated Melitta Baumeister, Rachel Scott, Henry Zankov, and all the finalists for their individual and innovative contributions to the fashion world.
