CFDA Unveils New Fashion Manufacturing Grants Backed by Ralph Lauren

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced Wednesday the launch of two new initiatives aimed at strengthening American fashion manufacturing, supporting workforce development, and driving innovation and economic growth.

The first initiative, the CFDA x NY Forward Grant Fund, is funded by the New York State Department of State and the Ralph Lauren Corporation and will provide partially matching grants to designers and manufacturers based in New York City's Garment District. The program will distribute grants in two rounds, scheduled for 2026 and 2027, to fashion manufacturers based in the Garment District, as well as designers who produce in-house.

The second, the US Fashion Manufacturing Fund, was created with Ralph Lauren as a founding partner and will provide support to apparel manufacturers across the country. It will operate from 2027 to 2029 and expand support beyond New York to major apparel-producing regions, including California, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Florida, among others. The program will provide partially matching grants covering up to 80 percent of each award, with beneficiary manufacturers contributing the remaining 20 percent.

“Strengthening American manufacturing to ensure designers have local partners has long been at the core of the CFDA's mission,” said Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the CFDA.

“We are proud to extend our more than a decade of work with Ralph Lauren Corporation and expand nationally while continuing our local investments in New York along with our first partnership with the New York State Department of State.”

The new funds build on the CFDA's Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI), launched in 2013 in affiliation with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Andrew Rosen and long-term supporters including Ralph Lauren.

To date, Ralph Lauren has contributed $2 million as FMI's lead insurer, providing grants to 54 factories and supporting more than 2,000 jobs across the industry.

“Our expanded partnership with the CFDA reflects Ralph Lauren's long-standing commitment to advancing innovation and supporting American fashion,” said Katie Ioanilli, director of global communications and impact for Ralph Lauren Corporation.

“This is not just an investment in our industry, it is an investment in a vital part of the American culture that we share with the world.”