The CFDA, in partnership with Vogue, announced on Thursday that Melitta Baumeister was crowned the winner of the 19th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Rachel Scott of Diotima, and Henry Zankov of Zankov, were named runners-up.
Baumeister takes home a monetary award of $300,000, while the two runners-up each receive a grant of $100,000. The winner, runners-up and finalists will also gain access to business mentorships, as part of the initiative.
Melitta Baumeister is a New York based brand founded by German designer Melitta Baumeister and visual artist Paul Jung in 2013, which focuses on new materiality and form as its core process.
Baumeister received a MFA degree in Fashion Design and Society at Parsons in 2013, with the graduation collection shown in NYFW, where she met Jung, who graduated from the MFA program at School of Visual Arts for Fashion Photography. Melitta Baumeister presented its first collection in Fall 2014, supported by VFiles in NYC, after which the brand’s collections have been carried by Dover Street Market. The brand was selected for the 2015 Vogue Talents in Dubai, and in 2016 the Melitta Baumeister collection was part of Cooper Hewitt’s Triennial exhibition, in addition to being shortlisted for the LVMH Prize that same year.
“Our CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund class of 2023 are wonderfully talented. They all have something to say about what fashion can be—and where it needs to go. As we prepare to celebrate the fund’s 20th anniversary in 2024, this year’s finalists have been a wonderful reminder of why we set up the fund in the first place: To enable a new generation of designers to be seen and heard,” said Anna Wintour, chief content officer, Condé Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue.
In addition to the three winners, this year’s finalists were Angelo Fabricio Urrutia from 4SDesigns; Colin LoCascio from self-titled line Colin LoCascio; Kim Shui from self-titled line Kim Shui; and Kozaburo Akasaka from Kozaburo; Sami Miro from Sami Miro Vintage; Fletcher Kasell and Tanner Richie behind Tanner Fletcher; Everard Best; and Téla D’Amore from Who Decides War.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established in 2003 to help emerging American design talent find continued success in the business of fashion. Since its inception, the format has shifted, adapting in 2020, into a grant program.
“The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has always supported truly creative talent. It has been a way for the world to see new and unique stories. From my story in 2005 to the new stories we’re celebrating today. Congratulations to Melitta Baumeister, Rachel Scott, and Henry Zankov, and all the finalists doing truly individual and creative work,” said Thom Browne, chairman of the CFDA.
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