Hamish Bowles: On September the 11th, 2001, the United States and the world, changed forever. The national tragedy on 9/11 shook the foundations of the country and the reverberations were inescapable event. 

Archival: 9/11: Then there's the terrible blow the terrorists landed on the US financial system. 

Since the disaster $1 trillion has been wiped off the value of the US markets. A loss not seen since the Great Depression. 

Nicole Phelps: All industries across New York were impacted, fashion included. 

Mark Holgate: You saw this kind of sense of peril for the industry. And then there was a rallying call from Vogue and from the CFDA to do something to help. 

Hamish Bowles: During a time of economic uncertainty, established fashion houses had the financial means to survive the social turbulence. Meanwhile, emerging talent lack the industry knowledge and the capital to continue into the new millennium. 

Nicole Phelps: It was especially hard for emerging designers who did not get the kind of support from retailers, department stores, that big name brands were getting. And that is really the genesis of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. The mission was to build up young American design.

Kate Mulleavy: I don't know if we'd be here without the Vogue Fund because in a way it enabled us to be the business leaders of our company. To be the designers that we wanted it to be. 

Hamish Bowles: In partnership with the CFDA, Vogue created the Fashion Fund, and over the last 20 years has launched the careers of many of today's top designers.

Welcome to In Vogue: the 2000s, a podcast about the decade that ushered in a new millennium and redefined boundaries in fashion and society. Alongside fashion leaders, cultural icons, and Vogue's editorial team, we'll dissect the decades most impactful style moments and how they've shaped our culture today.

Anna Wintour: I'm Anna Wintour. 

Hamish Bowles: And I'm your host, Hamish Bowles.

As America began sweeping up the rebel in the wake of 9/11 and to taking stock of the damage it had caused on a national scale, it soon became clear that fashion would be one of the many industries to suffer major losses. This is Vogue fashion News Director, Mark Holgate. 

Mark Holgate: Suddenly there was a kind of landscape where American fashion, as with so many industries in America, and particularly in New York, were just suddenly under threat and were really struggling because of the fallout and the impact of the terrible moment of 9/11. 

Nicole Phelps: It's hard for some people to remember, you know, that far back it was 20 years ago, but like COVID today, the fear and anxiety that the 9/11 attacks created really impacted people's shopping habits. 

Hamish Bowles: The fashion community saw the need to support the next wave of emerging designers. For creators on the cusp of career beginnings, the economic downturn was devastating. The fashion world was at risk of losing an entire generation of talent and innovation. Here's Vogue's former Creative Director, Sally Singer. 

Sally Singer: I was involved with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund from the outset, from the initial conversation about how we could help emerging designers get a leg up in the world. To identify the next step that they needed to take professionally. And to utilize the resources of established designers and companies in New York City, the industry overall to help give back in a way to newer talents and to sort of connect the dots between an industry in which, you know, there was a very established generation and there was a struggling new generation. 

Hamish Bowles: Here's Vogue's Global Editorial Director, Anna Wintour. 

Anna Wintour: It may seem like a very small initiative when you look at the bigger picture of how the world was, was really affected that day. But to all of us at Vogue, I think we felt very helpless, but we knew that we wanted to do something that was within our influence to make a small, small difference. 

Hamish Bowles: Sally Singer recognized opportunities just to step in early on. 

Sally Singer: We had done a show after 9/11 called "An American View", a group show at Carolina Herrera studio, just to give people who lost their deposits on showrooms and lost their deposits in their shows and had built sample collections out that was just never going to be seen. A place to show together. And Carolina really generously donated her space. New York was still in a very tense period and we put on this show and what we realized about a year later was almost everyone was out of business. That wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to just give a space to show, give one that, there had to be more one could do.

Hamish Bowles: The editor's at Vogue and other leaders in the industry thought to partner with the CFDA, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, to create the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund. Specifically for up and coming designers. Here's Vogue editor, Mark Holgate. 

Mark Holgate: The idea was to really provide a space, literally, metaphorically, for some of these younger designers to have a moment to shine in American fashion amidst all of the big names. The Marcs and the Michaels and the Calvins and the Donnas and Ralphs and the Oscars and the Carolinas, you know, the, the kind of big establishment names.

Sally Singer: And it just seemed like the time to put something together where we could bring the established fashion community in to set up mentorship and money. And to establish a fund that could start to bring a focus and a generational specificity and a true sense of community to New York Fashion Week.

Hamish Bowles: First, they had to raise the money. 

Sally Singer: So yeah, we put together a dinner, I believe at Mayor Bloomberg's house to try to raise donations and raise a profile for it. And eventually it came together and it was very, very exciting. 

Hamish Bowles: The key player in the creation of the fashion fund was Anna Wintour. 

Anna Wintour: So we created the fashion fund. We launched it with a very generous donation from S.I Newhouse. Calvin was involved. Donna was involved. Ralph was involved. Vera was involved. Everybody was very, very generous in supporting the initiative. There's an application process where we have hundreds of designers from all over the United States applying. We go through the list, there's a selection committee. We whittle it down to 10 final candidates. And over the past 20 years, we have given out substantial sums to three winners and mentorship to three young designers every year. 

Hamish Bowles: Andrew Rosen, co-founder of Theory and recurring CVFF juror, has key insights on what makes an applicant, a contender.

Andrew Rosen: We're looking for people that, um, are innovative that have integrity in terms of their design and their company and people that we feel have a future.

Anna Wintour: I feel that's almost the most important sort of box that we tick when we're selecting our three final candidates is that we have to understand what their storytelling is. Not only to us, but to their audiences and to their customers.

Hamish Bowles: With the criteria for the selection established, applications flooded in. From the outset, every step of the process was intimidating, competitive, and utterly nerve wracking for aspiring candidates. This is 2008 CVFF finalist, Jason Wu.

Jason Wu: I entered once before and did not get in and then the second time around was when I was able to really, through my project, show who I am. So from the get-go you've got to be completely sure of who you are, your identity and what your brand is about. So in some ways it's kind of the ultimate bootcamp. 

Hamish Bowles: The drill sergeants of this bootcamp are fashions top executives. Here's Nicole Phelps. 

Nicole Phelps: The jury of the Fashion Fund has always been a mixture of Vogue editors, of CFDA representatives, retailers, e-tailers, and some fellow designers.

Hamish Bowles: Once admitted, the designers must present their collections, their business models, and themselves to the fashion panelists. Everything about the presentation is scrutinized. Vogue editor, Virginia Smith has seen first hand how intimidating it can be for young designers to present themselves before such a high profile panel.

Virginia Smith: Just being backstage with all the designers, they were nervous and we'd be like, okay, you're going to be fine they're not as scary as they look or you'd say, "don't look at Anna if you're nervous look at someone else." 

Hamish Bowles: Designers and sister duo, Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte have memories presenting to the fashion fund panelists in the late 2000s.

Laura Mulleavy: Our first Vogue Fund experience was having to do an in-person interview. We practiced all these answers, talking about business models and I remember going into where the actual meeting was and all the designers were there and everyone was on a rotational schedule. We were interviewed by Anna Wintour. And I remember thinking, "oh, this is it. You know, this is your moment to convince people to believe in you." And I remember thinking, this is, this is really where you have to nail an audition. It was very nerve wracking and very scary, but it meant the world because it meant people believed in you at your infancy. You know, it's not like you've developed a 10 year career and have all these amazing designs to show you don't really have the body of work to show that idea. It's just in your mind. 

Hamish Bowles: Here's Jason Wu with a firsthand experience of presenting to the fund's panelists.

Jason Wu: It's really daunting. You know, I remember the presentation, you know, where you saw like Anna and you know, the group of very intimidating judges in a room and, you know, we all had this like a little timer and we had to have five looks that defined who we were and who we are. 

Hamish Bowles: Here's Rodarte's Laura Mulleavy. 

Laura Mulleavy: There's two moments where you had to showcase clothing. There was the initial interview, and then there was a secondary part where we did a fashion show. So we had previewed a few pieces and the runway show was items from our Fall 2006 show. 

Hamish Bowles: Here's Rodarte's Kate Mulleavy. 

Kate Mulleavy: I remember being very nervous. There was a large show and all the looks exited, and each designer had their moment in the show. And I just remembered thinking, oh, I'm so scared to walk out at the end and it probably seemed like a larger audience to me at the time than we were used to. And I remember having a lot of fun on that trip. 

Hamish Bowles: One of the newest names to come to the fore was 2019 winner a Christopher John Rogers. 

Christopher John Rogers: We were making clothes in our apartment and we were really trying to manifest our reality or our fantasies actually into our realities. And by really knowing what we wanted to say and who we were talking to, and not just through the clothes, but through the business and how we really kind of wanted to set it up. I think the judges really kind of responded to that.

Hamish Bowles: Being named a finalist in 2008, remains a fond memory for Jason Wu.

Jason Wu: I mean, I, I was estatic. I couldn't stop smiling. And when you're working day to day, you don't know, now, am I doing well? Am I not doing well? You know, once you get selected to finals, it, it did feel like a seal of approval in so many ways. What it said was that, you know, you are contributing something interesting to fashion. 

Hamish Bowles: The moment Christopher heard the news that he was a CVFF nominee is one he won't soon forget. 

Christopher John Rogers: I was in my studio with my team and I was just like going through my emails and then I saw that email and I was gagging I was like, "oh my God." and normally I'm not like a freak out type of person, but I was like very excited. 

Hamish Bowles: Vogue editor Mark Holgate is a CVFF panel member who has vivid memories of Christopher as a contender for the fund's top prize. 

Mark Holgate: You couldn't help but be swayed by his vision because you know, the thing with Christopher as he does it with an absolute sense of dedication and an absolute sense of belief in what he's doing. Sometimes fashion. So for a young designer, sometimes what you want to see is ambition. You know you want to see ambition of vision and passion of making ambition of aesthetic ambition for what fashion can be for that person. 

Hamish Bowles: Having ambition, tenacity, and a clear a point of view are consistent traits amongst fashion fund applicants. The Mulleavy sisters forward vision was unmistakable. 

Mark Holgate: What's so fascinating about Kate and Laura Mulleavy from Rodarte for me, is that they make these incredibly innovative and imaginative, and oftentimes to my mind, romantic, very narrative driven collections. I've always found to be incredibly compelling. 

Hamish Bowles: Here are Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, who won the runner-up prize in 2006.

Kate Mulleavy: I can viscerally remember the moment that we won, just because there was so much nervous energy leading up to that night. 

Laura Mulleavy: It was, it was really interesting to be in that room and to feel as though maybe this could change your career. 

Hamish Bowles: In 2019, Christopher John Rogers' vision, ambition, and dedication to his craft, set him apart from his peers. The jury awarded him the CFDA Vogue Fashion Funds top prize.

Christopher John Rogers: The first thing that I did with the money was buy a studio space. We really needed a space devoted strictly to work. And I'm really glad that I made an investment. And then I hired the people who were working for me for free basically, my friends, um, I hired them full time for it. 

Hamish Bowles: For any aspiring designer, the idea of a career in fashion can feel like a fantasy. Winning the CFDA Vogue fashion fund, a wild dream. The Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, the fund's inaugural winner in 2004, his story is a fairy tale come to life. Here's Vogue Creative Editorial Director Mark Guiducci. 

Mark Guiduicci: When Lazaro Hernandez was a first year student at Parsons, he was returning back to New York from Florida where he grew up and was in the Miami airport. It was before 9/11, and so his mother was allowed to walk him to the gate. And when it came time for boarding, he noticed that Anna Wintour was on his flight and he told his mother who had no idea who she was, but he explained how important she was, and his mother said, "you should go up and say hello and introduce yourself." And he said, "no, I can't do that. I can't do that." And his mother actually made him promise her that before the end of the flight he would go up and introduce himself. So he actually wrote a note on the back of a cocktail napkin and went up to first class to deliver the note that he'd left it on her tray table and went back to his seat. He didn't hear anything until about a week later, he got a call from someone that Michael Kors who said that Michael had received the note from Anna and offered if he would like an internship. And that was his first job in fashion. And Michael gave Lazaro the notes to keep. A few years later, when Lazaro had met Jack McCollough, who had became his partner both in life and work and they had founded Proenza Schouler, which was named for their mothers. Laszlo actually included that same note in their application for the first ever CFDA Vogue fashion fund and then they went on to win it and Anna actually returned the note to him.

Hamish Bowles: Proenza Shouler set the standard for Fashion Fund winners. Their innovation, attention to detail, and awareness of their generations fashion interests made them the clear choice to win the first ever CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. Vogue editor Mark Holgate has enjoyed a front row seat observing each year's winners.

Mark Holgate: It's really interesting to see designers who, you know, you've watched them from the very beginning of their careers mature and that kind of really interesting and compelling way. It's also interesting to watch designers grow up because many of the people that were moving in that orbit in the early 2000s have grown up with them. What connects Proenza Schouler in 2004 with Christopher John Rogers in 2019, is they share this unabashed love of fashion. And one of the things I think is very important that we do with the fund is that we honor and support and celebrate those designers who've come through. Who really convey a sense of excitement about what they do and how it can operate in the world. The difference of course, is that when Jack and Lazaro won in 2004, there was no history of the Fashion Fund for them to draw on. I mean, literally they graduated perhaps two years earlier, so it's been a very quick ride for them. With Christopher, you know, he is someone who had seen a whole generation of young American designers spring up before him. So he had that to draw on. But I think what unites them, despite that 15 year difference is a sense of the possibilities of what fashion can be and how inventive and creative and how life affirming it can be. Um, those two labels, those two winners definitely share that

Hamish Bowles: The CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund gave winners like Proenza Schouler and Christopher John Rogers, the financial stability to launch a successful brand. After the break, hear how the fashion funds monetary support, in addition to its access to industry mentorship, catapulted unproven designers into realms of success.

After months of grueling work, winners receive prize money to invest in their business. In 2019, the top prize was $400,000. Here's Sally Singer. 

Sally Singer: That's a drop in the bucket in fashion, and that just sounds nuts, I know, but you're paying so many different people. Just to manufacture a shoe you're getting the hardware probably from one place, you're getting the leather out of another place, you've got another place that maybe makes the sole, you know, you can visit, you know, multiple different factories in Italy to make one shoe. And those are all people you have to pay. And you have to pay them maybe before you even got the orders in. Fashion can be a very expensive business to be in.

Hamish Bowles: As important as the funding is to the award winners, the mentorship aspect of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund is just as transformative. 

Sally Singer: Yeah, the money can be exceptional, but the mentorship can be transformational. 

Mark Guiduicci: I mean, from the first year that Proenza Schouler won, Rose Marie Bravo, who was then I think the chief executive of Burberry, helped mentor them. And in fact, I, my understanding is that Rose Marie still to this day, talks to Jack and Lazaro at Proenza Schouler about their business. But she was a kind of constant helping them through the year. Basically you're expected to mentor someone for a year, but of course the mentoring goes on far longer than that. 

Sally Singer: One of the things that mentorship does is it allows talent with the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund prize to have access to some of that brain power. Those are the best mentors, the mentors who have tackled the thornier business questions, the growth questions, the scale questions, and have done it with sensitivity and passion for creative brains who maybe could do many things, but they're really not good at that yet. It's a lot to be good at all of it. And sometimes those mentors can simply teach an emerging talent, which questions to ask. How do you interview a CEO? What do you even expect from the CEO? Those sorts of things they can, I guess, you know, they can provide the business school education to a design talent.

Hamish Bowles: Here's Rodarte's Laura Mulleavy. 

Laura Mulleavy: We were runner up, one of our opportunities was to be partnered with a CEO of a brand, and they partner us with James McArthur who was at the time the CEO of Balenciaga under Nicholas Ghesquière, and that was an amazing experience. To go to their showroom in Paris and see what it was like, what sales were like for a billion dollar company. And to ask questions about how do you have artistic integrity at accompany and want it to grow and how do you monitor that? So there was really amazing things that came out of the Vogue fund. 

Mark Holgate: The fusion of creativity and commerce, which is, you know, such a kind of peculiarly American phenomenon in some ways in the fashion world, was really a force and guiding principle of the Fashion Fund. The encouragement to the designers was to think creatively and think business and think how you can bring those two things together. 

Sally Singer: You can't mentor someone to be a creative genius. They either are or they're not. But you can teach them how to shape that into a commercially viable vision. And at the end of the day, if you want to be in the fashion game you're doing commercially viable vision. It's not art, it's commerce.

Hamish Bowles: As someone who's been a member of the CVFF jury, Global Director of Vogue Runway, Nicole Phelps believes that one of the most valuable components of the program comes from the camraderie of the applicants. 

Nicole Phelps: Everyone who goes through the program makes incredible contacts, not just with the jury, but also with their fellow designers. And I think, you know, having been on the jury for a couple of years, the relationships that the designers make with each other, their, their fellow finalists, I think is probably the, the greatest part of the fund because fashion can be quite a competitive industry. They also find new comradery and, and, you know, build these sort of colleague relationships that are really beneficial to them because they're all in the same emerging talent boat and going through many similar experiences and they can learn from each other and share advice with each other. 

Hamish Bowles: Here's Jason Wu. 

Jason Wu: Rodarte was somebody I looked up to. I think there is something that's amazing about their point of view. It's something that is different than everybody else's and there was a lot of craftsmanship within what they do.

Hamish Bowles: Here's Laura Mulleavy. 

Laura Mulleavy: Being put in a room with a group of other designers that were working alongside of us felt suddenly as though we had a opportunity to be part of something that was bigger than us. And that was really important to not feel alone. It can be challenging because you don't want to be overwhelmed with influence, but at the same time, you do need to feel a part of something.

Hamish Bowles: Whether or not applicant's are one of the top three winners, mainly taking part in the Fashion Fund drastically changes the trajectory of participating designers for the better. 

Mark Holgate: And in terms of those that doesn't necessarily walk away with an award they're encouraged to keep in touch and encouraged to ask for help. When you think of all the people that have been through the fund, you know, there's a few designers who, you know, for example, that someone like Rag and Bone, did not win. But Rag and Bone have gone on to be enormously successful. So there are stories where those that win, you know, do well and those that don't also go on to do well.

Hamish Bowles: The level of global recognition and prestige that the fund has earned allows for award recipients to make connections with high profile individuals. Perhaps most notable is the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. 

Barack Obama: Today, was a day that represented all your efforts. They said it couldn't be done. The first lady of the United States has been doing the same thing that I have been doing except backwards and, in heels. Let me, uh, ask her for one last dance.

Mark Holgate: The arrival of president Obama and first lady Michelle Obama into the White House ushered in all sorts of optimism and joy and a sense of really being able to look forward and embrace the future. And I think in particular with fashion, I think that former first lady, Michelle Obama was such a wonderful advocate and champion for young American designers, because all of a sudden you had this incredibly smart, brilliant, person wearing designers that many people around the world, but in America too, had never heard of. Uh, many of whom had actually come through the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. Designers like Jason Wu or Proenza Schouler or Rodarte, and she worked with such authority and conviction and style that it was kind of just captivating and wonderful to see.

Hamish Bowles: At the 2009 Inaugural Ball, Michelle Obama set the tone for our tenure as First Lady by donning a gown created by a young American designer, Jason Wu. Here's Vogue editor, Mark Holgate. 

Mark Holgate: You think about her wearing that white Jason Wu gown at the Inauguration Ball and that was, you know, an incredible moment for a young designer like Jason to see his dress worn by the First Lady. It's such an incredible historic moment.

Hamish Bowles: Here's Jason Wu. 

Jason Wu: You know, it was kind of crazy. It's like Mrs. Obama's office wants something and I was like, "okay." The deadline is like in two weeks. I had team of five people back then. So, you know, it was basically like, I don't even know how to get this collection done. So like, how am I supposed to do custom stuff? So basically we just had to figure it out. It was all hands on deck. I remember I sketched the dress as I was being briefed on the phone on a corner of a page that drew with like a little Sharpie. And then I sent over the sketch, I think in an hour, an hour after the phone call and it was like "okay, please proceed." The dress was delivered November, and then so December happened and January happened, nothing, nothing. And then like, you know, January 20th, everybody was watching the Inauguration because it was a very historical event. You know, we all wanted to watch it. And we were like having dinner and watching, you know, I was like, "oh, it can't be me. It's impossible. This is too big of a thing." You know, Beyoncé's is performing. So like that's juicy. All of a sudden the first lady comes out and I'm like, "holy F" I was like," it's me." And I'm like crying and I'm like hysterical, right. And you know in five minutes, like CNN and all the NBC, all the news were like, you know, first Lady Michelle Obama wears young designer Jason Wu. I mean, it was a huge turning point for my career. I think I must've gotten like 500 text messages and calls that night, you know, I mean, my parents were calling me like, "you didn't tell us any of this." And I told my parents, "I was like, I didn't know." But you know, that kind of did catapult my brand into another stratosphere. All of a sudden we became international. 

Hamish Bowles: The first African-American first lady of the United States made a conscious effort to wear collections by the nations young emerging designers. Giving them instant visibility and lasting credibility. Here's Kate Mulleavy. 

Kate Mulleavy: I can say this, when you dress Michelle Obama, every person in your life, whether or not it's an acquaintance or someone, you know, is so excited. 

Meredith Koop: I think it was understood from the very beginning. She was an American First Lady and it just made sense to wear American designers on the whole percentage-wise more than international designers. 

Hamish Bowles: This is stylist Meredith Koop who's long worked with Michelle Obama. 

Meredith Koop: Now, of course there were different events where it made sense to wear an international designer or when we were traveling to pay homage to another place or country or city in the world. But definitely wearing new emerging designers, wearing American designers was always part of where my mind was at. I think that especially during the time that it was happening, and because we hadn't seen a First Lady, that number one looked like Mrs. Obama, and number two that was wearing and supporting so many designers from different backgrounds, from different nationalities, different races, different ways that they came up in their careers. For so many people, I think when you say, oh, well, if, if this person with this story made something that the First Lady of the United States is wearing, it's like, wow, the optimism of keep going, I can do this. Like I can accomplish something. 

Mark Holgate: I think that Michelle Obama was, is the most incredible advocate for American fashion.

Hamish Bowles: This is Vogue editor, Mark Holgate. 

Mark Holgate: I think she understood the power of support. And I think she understood that in the way her role was not just wear the biggest established American names, but to look to the new generations and to find a way to induce and to push them into the spotlight. She also understood the value of fashion. She was also very, very good at wearing brands that were much more accessible to the majority of American people. And I loved that democratizing fashion that she, that she introduced. You know, it, wasn't just wearing a few big names it was, it was in great support which to me says so much about her and says too much about her way of carrying herself in the world. 

Hamish Bowles: After the Obama's transitioned out of the White House, stylist Meredith Koop was able to inject even more authenticity and energy into Michelle Obama's wardrobe, while continuing to show unwavering support for American designers. When it came time to pull pieces for Mrs. Obama's "Becoming" book tour, Meredith was on the lookout for something fresh, like the designs of the 2019 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund winner Christopher John Rogers. 

Meredith Koop: I had talked to him about doing a suit. He'd sent me fabrics. We went back and forth. I was a little bit like, I really, really, really, really, really want this to work out. But like, until I get it until I put it on her, I don't really know. It came, we got into the fitting, she put it on, it just fit so beautifully. And I was like, I dunno, I'm like emotional about it, but it was just so... I was like really blown away by not only the design and the fabric choice, but also, it just, the fit. And I will tell you working with hundreds of designers from all different levels, all across the world, some of which are like super duper famous, but cannot make a garment for a woman that is above a size four, and that is a hundred percent true. And so I was just so impressed and it was just such a great moment. 

Hamish Bowles: For Meredith, putting Christopher's pieces on Michelle Obama was a significant moment in continuing to uplift a rising star. Meredith has a deep understanding of the importance of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund support for Christopher right from the beginning.

Meredith Koop: It's very hard to be a fashion designer. Like when people reach out to me, like I'll have some people that are in their early twenties, like DM-ing me, or I'll meet somebody along the way that's like, I want to be a designer. I'm like, why? Because it's hard. You need a lot of capital to start a business like that because you need fabric, sewers, production, marketing. So I think any support that can be given to young designers in this case, young American designers, I think is a positive thing. I think any way that people can get funding from a source, like the CFDA is a positive thing. It's not magic. It's about money at the end of the day. And it's about support at the real source, at the real root of it, a lot of it is about having the funding to make your business happen.

Hamish Bowles: The alumni of the fashion fund include designers like Kerby Jean-Raymond, Thom Browne, Proenza Schouler, Isabel Toledo, Joseph Altuzarra, and Thakoon. In recognizing the need to provide financial support for emerging talent, as well as mentorship, guidance ,and fellowship, Anna Wintour has helped usher new American designers onto the global stage.

Anna Wintour: I think we, when we look at the list of designers that have been through the Fashion Fund and obviously there are so many now. Some have succeeded some have maybe gone on to other things in their lives, but it's been a wonderfully, I think, rewarding experience for all of us at Vogue. And I hope for the designers that go through the program. 

Mark Holgate: Without supporting designers, you have no future as an industry. It's not enough. I think the really important thing about the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund was the way it underscored that the industry needed to step in, step up, and support the new generation. You know, as the industry has become increasingly big, increasingly globalized and the stakes get higher, you know, and brands have more and more money and resources at their disposal, the lesser known names, they need to be supported. They need to be nurtured. They need to be advised. And I think to me, that is really the lasting legacy of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, because it, it made the industry aware that, you know, new talent don't just happen, that you, we actually have to have some sense of responsibility and investment in their future because it's, it's important to invest in the future of the industry. And I think that, you know, we're able to see the fruits of that now in America.

Hamish Bowles: Fashion is an industry that constantly responds to and examines the moment. When the nation faced a moment of terror and resulting fear and economic uncertainty, America's fashion leaders ensured that their industry would continue by supporting the next wave of emerging designers. While the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund was created in response to a traumatic moment in America's history, nearly 20 years later, it continues to nurture the next generation of American designers. Ultimately redefining fashion and the cultural landscape.

Jason Wu: You know, the sheer number of people that would never have been discovered under the traditional fashion system, you know, that happened in 2000s, make it makes it a pretty groundbreaking moment in American fashion, I would say. 

Christopher John Rogers: You can and say, I want to do this thing and with the support from your family and your peers and the industry that you choose to work in, or want to work in, that you can make your dreams a reality and that you can do anything with hard work and sacrifice and determination. 

Kate Mulleavy: I think a Testament to the Vogue fund would be just the fact that we've been doing this for 15 years on our own. We are the sole owners of our company. We're independent. We run our business. We are everything that you see on a runway comes from Laura and I, we don't have assistant designers. 

The enduring success 

Hamish Bowles: of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund highlights the commitment of the fashion industry to ensuring the next generation of fashion talent. By providing designers with financial resources and business mentoring, American fashion innovation continues to shape the fashion world at large. In the next episode of In Vogue: The 2000s, we'll learn how two have the fashion world's biggest innovators changed the course of fashion history in a singular photo-shoot. Follow us down the rabbit hole as we explore how legendary editor Grace Coddington, and groundbreaking photographer Annie Leibovitz joined forces to deliver one of the industry's most iconic moments of the decade, the 2003 "Alice in Wonderland" fashion shoot.

In Vogue: the 2000s is presented by Anna Wintour and produced by Vogue in partnership with Pod People. Production support by Jacquelyn Jamjoom, Tony Mantia, Rachael King, Matt Sav, Aimee Machado, Madison Lusby, Fredia Lucas, Marie McCoy Thompson, Morgane Fouse, Mariah Dennis, Daniel Brunnelle, Gordon Bramli, Sam Mbatha, Nicki Stein, Percia Verlin, and Stefanie Bichara. Theme music composed by DJ Ghostdad. Vogue's editorial team is Laird Borelli-Persson, Mark Holgate, Nicole Phelps and myself, Hamish Bowles. Special thanks to Vogue's creative Editorial Director, Mark Guiducci, VP of Digital Video Programming and Development, Robert Semmer, VP of Audio, Julie Shen, and Director of Podcasts, Nico Steele. Please do subscribe to the podcast. It helps new listeners find the show. You can find additional information incredible imagery, and episode references in the show notes or Vogue.com/podcast. I'm your host, Hamish Bowles. Until next week, In Vogue.