Second group of designers for CFDA Fashion Incubator announced

26 Aug '11

5 min read

The Council of Fashion Designers of America announced the group of designers selected to participate in the CFDA's 2012 – 2014 {FASHION INCUBATOR} program. The “class ii” designers are:

Antonio Azzuolo, a.a. ANTONIO AZZUOLO
Arielle Shapiro, ARI DEIN
Benjamin and Doug Burkman, BURKMAN BROS
Christian Cota, CHRISTIAN COTA
Emanuela Duca, EMANUELA DUCA
Ricky Hendry and Marc Daniels, ISAORA
Luis M Fernandez, NUMBER: LAB
Reece Solomon, REECE HUDSON
Maayan Zilberman and Nikki Dekker, THE LAKE & STARS
Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein, TIMO WEILAND

“It is very promising for the fashion industry that there is such a deep and diverse pool of talented and hard-working designers. We look forward to providing meaningful educational opportunities with the industry's leading experts to support their efforts”, said Lisa Smilor, CFDA Deputy Director.

Located at 209 West 38th Street in New York City's Garment District, the {FASHION INCUBATOR} is the CFDA's newest program designed to support the next generation of fashion designers. The mission is to help grow and sustain the business of the participating tenants over the course of two years. The {FASHION INCUBATOR} provides a creative professional environment to foster promising fashion talent, and help selected designers grow and sustain their business. By offering low-cost design studio space, business mentoring, educational seminars, and networking opportunities, the program provides a way for participants to reach their full potential and become an integral part of the New York Fashion community.

The new group of designers for the class of 2012-2014 will move into their {FASHION INCUBATOR} studios at the commencement of the second season of the program in May 2012.

The CFDA is very happy to announce Target's renewed support as Underwriter of the {FASHION INCUBATOR} program for 2012-2014. The association between Target and {FASHION INCUBATOR} is the latest in an ongoing series of partnerships with CFDA dating back to 1998. Over the years, Target has provided significant financial resources for post-graduate and scholarship programs.

“The CFDA has played a significant role in shaping the industry's most celebrated designers, many of whom have found a home at Target,” said Trish Adams, senior vice president of apparel and accessories, Target. “By continuing our sponsorship of the Fashion Incubator, Target is helping the CFDA offer the rising stars of tomorrow an opportunity to further hone their craft and develop the business acumen needed to be successful in a highly competitive marketplace.The CFDA {FASHION INCUBATOR} is also pleased to announce its partnership with New York University's Stern Consulting Corps, which will commence on September 23, 2011.

{FI} designers will have the opportunity to work with a specially-identified group of New York University Stern MBA students who will help develop full financial statements, cash flow projections, and investor-ready business plans. Joe Ferrara, a member of NYU's Venture Mentoring Network and board member of New York Angels, commented that “this is a wonderful opportunity for a premier MBA program to connect students to live businesses right here in New York City”. “The Stern Consulting Corps will bring discipline to financial planning and business plan development, so designers will have a fighting chance to recruit investors and build successful businesses.” “Together they will learn the business of fashion.”

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