The Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation and the CFDA have launched the third edition of the Empowered Vision Award, a $100,000 grant for an emerging Black designer.
For the eventual winner, $100,000 may fund a first collection or a first team, the kind of infrastructure gift that outlasts any single runway.
Previous editions have established the award as a serious pipeline in American fashion, a counterweight to an industry whose access has historically narrowed along well-worn lines.
This year’s selection committee includes Willy Chavarria, Michele Cohen of Gabriela Hearst, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Robin Givhan, Edward Buchanan, and creative director Alastair McKimm.
For the CFDA, the award is part of a broader portfolio of access programs, and the third edition signals that the commitment is durable rather than seasonal.
