Zane Li, founder of the New York label Lii, was named the 2026 winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund at a ceremony at Crane Club.
Aisling Camps and Emily Dawn Long were named runners-up, and Vera Wang opened the evening.
Li’s work alters familiar garments rather than inventing unfamiliar ones. Shirts, coats and trousers arrive with proportions corrected, closures moved and seams redirected.
That approach is harder to photograph than it sounds. A collection built on modified everyday shapes asks the viewer to notice construction, which is not how most emerging labels win attention.
Li intends to use the funds to expand his team, a decision that reads as a bet on capability rather than visibility.
What the label does with a season of attention is the real test. Awards open doors; production keeps them open.
