These Are the 10 Finalists of the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund
Uniquely, this year’s class consists of all womenswear designers, with the exception of two jewelry brands; however, all represent America’s bustling creative scene.
Reported by Vogue.
Ten names. One shot at $300,000. The 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has officially announced its finalists, and this year's class is a sharp snapshot of where independent American fashion is actually headed.
Selected at CFDA headquarters, the finalists are Aisling Camps, Amir Taghi, Terrence Zhou of Bad Binch TongTong, Emily Dawn Long, Jamie Haller, Julia Ferentinos of Juju Vera, Zane Li of Lii, George Inaki of Milamore, Claire Sullivan of Miss Claire Sullivan, and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen. According to Vogue, the cohort skews almost entirely womenswear — the exceptions being jewelry designers Juju Vera and Milamore — but what unites all ten is something harder to manufacture than a category: a distinct point of view with an audience already paying attention.
A Committee Worth Watching
The selection process got a notable refresh this cycle. Chloe Malle, Denise Magid, Yumi Shin, and Christopher John Rogers — himself a former Fund winner — joined the committee, bringing both industry range and lived experience of what this program can actually do for a career. CFDA president and CEO Steven Kolb called the finalists' perspectives and "strong sense of purpose" the future of the industry, which reads less like boilerplate when you consider who's in the room making those calls. Nicole Phelps, global director of Vogue Runway and Vogue Business, framed the class against the backdrop of America's 250th year — a pointed reminder that homegrown creative talent has always been the country's most underrated export.
Beyond the prize money — $300,000 for the winner, $100,000 each for two runners-up — the Fund delivers something arguably more valuable: structured business mentorship that can mean the difference between a buzzy label and a sustainable one. The winner will be revealed this October, which gives the fashion world the rest of the year to get very familiar with these names.
In a moment when independent designers are being squeezed from every direction, this class is proof that American fashion's most interesting work is still happening outside the conglomerates.
Read the original at Vogue.
