NEW YORK — The Council of Fashion Designers of America has announced two new initiatives designed to strengthen American fashion manufacturing, drive innovation, support workforce development and promote economic growth in key apparel-producing regions.
The CFDA x NY Forward Grant Fund, developed with funding from the New York State Department of State and Ralph Lauren Corp., will provide partially matching grants to designers and manufacturers based in New York City’s Garment District. The U.S. Fashion Manufacturing Fund, created with Ralph Lauren as founding partner, will support apparel manufacturers nationwide.
Both programs are intended to help companies modernize equipment, expand services and train workers, building capacity and resilience across the U.S. fashion manufacturing sector.
The programs build on the success of the CFDA’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, launched in 2013 in affiliation with the New York City Economic Development Corp., Andrew Rosen and others, with long-term support from Ralph Lauren. To date, Ralph Lauren has contributed $2 million as the initiative’s premier underwriter, enabling grants to 54 factories and supporting more than 2,000 jobs…