Each year, as part of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the 10 finalists are given a design challenge. This year’s Material Innovation Challenge, presented in partnership with Humane World for Animals, asked the designers to reimagine their brands through the lens of sustainable and bio-based fabrics.
Each designer received a stipend and a recommended list of sustainable materials and was required to use at least two. The finalists, who first met in June, have spent the last few months reexamining their production processes, discovering new materials, and pushing the boundaries of their independent brands. Yesterday evening at the Warren Street Hotel, the group came together once again, joined by their chosen muses, to present their final designs to a judging panel comprising Thom Browne, Chloe Malle, Aurora James, Kitty Block, PJ Smith, Yumi Shin, Nicole Phelps, Christopher John Rogers, Denise Magid, and Eva Chen. It is always admirable to see young designers reinvent their craft, especially when they expand the possibilities for a sustainable future.
Zane Li and Ayak Veronica, Lii
Photo: Martin Romero
