The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc, (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association that leads industry-wide initiatives and whose membership consists of more than 400 of America's foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, which recognize the top creative talent in the industry, the organization offers programs which support professional development and scholarships, including the CFDA/vogue Fashion Fund, the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholar Award, the Liz Claiborne Scholarship Award, and the CFDA/teen Vogue Scholarship. Member support is provided through the Business Services Network, a high-profile group of companies offering designers strategic opportunities.

The CFDA Foundation, Inc. is a separate, not-for-profit organized to mobilize the membership to raise funds for charitable causes. Through the Foundation, the CFDA created and manages Fashion Targets Breast Cancer; raises funds for HIV/aIDS organizations with 7th on Sale; addresses the issue of model health with The CFDA Health Initiative; and is a key participant in other programs such as the annual Fashion's Night Out.

Design Manifesto

According to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, design begins with creativity so they have created a Design Manifesto as a reminder to respect the rightful ownership of ideas. The CFDA believes the protection of the intellectual property of designers begins with each of us and this Design Manifesto is a reminder that originality always wins.  View the Design Manifesto (downloaded with approval from the CFDA site in 2011).

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Founding Members of The Council of Fashion Designers of America

The CFDA believes the protection of the intellectual property of designers begins with each of us and this Design Manifesto is a reminder that originality always wins. Hang it in your creative space and show your support for original design.

“All designers deserve the right to design protection and only the creator of an original design should profit from that design. Taking someone’s work and calling it your own is wrong and robs the designer of a rightful return on their investment,” CFDA CEO Steven Kolb.

What are your thoughts about the pros and cons of joining a fashion industry association such as the CFDA? If you are a member (or previous member), please let us know about your experience with the association. Do you find that joining the association has been beneficial to your business?

Learn more about The Council of Fashion Designers of America at their website.

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